Explore one of Boston’s hidden treasures: a 250 acre Victorian cemetery and arboretum listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and dedicated to nature, art and remembrance. Every Sunday in October, tour Forest Hills (95 Forest Hills Avenue in Boston) with an expert guide. On October 2, historian Elise Ciregna will present A Library of Life Stories. There are more than 100,000 people buried at Forest Hills. Hear some of their stories and view their monuments – some lavish and dramatic, and others modest or mysterious. On October 9, social historian Dee Morris explores some fascinating families and their Neighbors. Forest Hills is made up of many family lots, with entire families laid to rest next to one another. These lots are next to other ones, creating a neighborhood of Victorian families. October 16 brings A Visit With E.E. Cummings. Tour guide Jonathan Clark explores the work and themes of innovative poet E.E. Cummings, whose playful style and daring typography (ee cummings, anyone?) made him one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. The Women of Forest Hills will be the topic on October 23. Dee Morris leads visitors through the stories of some of the most celebrated and fascinating women of 19th and 290th century Boston. A hotbed of feminism and firsts in the Victorian era, Boston gave rise to such pioneers as suffragette and abolitionist Lucy Stone, historian-author Annie Haven Thwing, and others both notable and notorious. Visit the graves of artists, politicians, School Board activists, even spirit mediums. Finally, on October 30, there will be the Victorian Spiritualism Tour, just in time for All Hallows’ Eve. Spiritualists believed that death was a transition to a new form of existence. People who had “crossed over” could be contacted through seances and spirit guides. Visit some of the religious leaders and practitioners, as well as skeptics, of this controversial 19th century movement. Each program is $9, and Forest Hills has free parking and is accessible by T. For directions and more information, visit www.foresthillstrust.org.
