Join us on a three mile walking tour over moderate terrain of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum. Master Guide Dan discusses the rich history and scenic landscape.

Cathleen - “Wildwood Valley is the first destination on our walking tour. We will observe beautiful plantings and enjoy a babbling brook. Along the way, we will visit the graves of a madam, a beat generation author, the original owner of the Browns and many more folks that shaped our city. Attention will be paid to architecture and the meanings of memorial art. The route goes through some of the most beautiful parts of the cemetery and Arboretum on a two-hour walk.”   Tours will cover about 2 miles across moderate terrain.  Please wear appropriate walking attire.  Slots are limited and reservations are required.  We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure. Tours are free, however donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.  

Enjoy wines and hors d'oeuvres as you walk the grounds of this historic cemetery and arboretum surrounding our new gardens in Wildwood Valley. Hear stories of famous and infamous St. Louisans buried here from Master Guides as you sip and stroll at your own leisure.

From left to right: Mayor Rolla Wells, Frank D. Hershberg, Florence Hayward, David R. Francis, Archbishop John J. Glennon, and Vatican Commissioner Signor Coquitti posing at the opening of the Vatican Exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Expedition. Bellefontaine Cemetery will host its second annual Decoration Day event on Saturday, June 4th, 2016. This large-scale living history event will explore a 14 year period, beginning with the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (otherwise known as the 1904 World’s Fair), and will feature reenactors from other historical events taking place up until the close of World War I in November of 1918. Living history provides a ‘first-hand’ account of the lives of people associated with historical events. This Decoration Day event will be attended by suffragists, doughboys, movers and shakers of the World’s Fair, important figures from the Missouri Botanical Garden, and vintage automobiles and horse-drawn carriages of the time period. Event Schedule 10:00 AM - Event opens to the public, with opening remarks 12:00 PM - Louisiana Purchase Exposition Parade 2:00 PM - Suffragist Parade 3:30 PM - Procession for the Fallen - Alexander Skinker Thank you to our sponsors:  

During summer months, a great way to appreciate the grounds is to stroll the Cemetery and Arboretum on a two hour walk in the cooling hours before sunset.  Tours will cover about 2 miles of moderate terrain. This tour will be led by one of the cemetery’s Master Guides who will highlight the cemetery grounds, horticulture, and a variety of intriguing historic figures for whom Bellefontaine is their last address. Space is limited and reservations are required. We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure.  Please wear appropriate walking attire.   Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.

This trolley tour features stories of notables buried throughout Bellefontaine. Reservations required as seats are limited.

Learn the stories behind the many of the mausoleums throughout Bellefontaine. This tour meets at the front office and guests caravan to various stopping points in their own vehicles following Master Guides Dan & Tom. The Master Guides will stop at specific locations and tell stories and details about the structures and other cemetery information. There will also be walking involved along "Mausoleum Row," as we affectionately nicknamed Prospect Avenue where a majority of the structures are found on the grounds.     Bush Mausoleum George Warren Brown Mausoleum A.D. Brown Mausoleum

During summer months, a great way to appreciate the grounds is to stroll the Cemetery and Arboretum on a two hour walk in the cooling hours before sunset.  Tours will cover about 2 miles of moderate terrain. This tour will be led by one of the cemetery’s Master Guides who will highlight the cemetery grounds, horticulture, and a variety of intriguing historic figures for whom Bellefontaine is their last address. Space is limited and reservations are required. We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure. Please wear appropriate walking attire.   Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.

Stories in Stone: Symbolism and Iconography at Bellefontaine Cemetery Dead men may tell no tales but their tombstones and mausoleums hold a wealth of information and stories.  Apart from communicating to us names, dates of birth and death, these symbols often tell us a person’s religion, ethnicity, membership, occupation, social status and of course their thoughts on the afterlife. This walking tour is based strongly upon a foundation of architecture and will cover about 2 miles of moderate terrain.  Please wear appropriate walking attire. Space is limited and reservations are required. We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure. Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.      

Stories in Stone: Symbolism and Iconography at Bellefontaine Cemetery Dead men may tell no tales but their tombstones and mausoleums hold a wealth of information and stories.  Apart from communicating to us names, dates of birth and death, these symbols often tell us a person’s religion, ethnicity, membership, occupation, social status and of course their thoughts on the afterlife. This walking tour is based strongly upon a foundation of architecture and will cover about 2 miles of moderate terrain.  Please wear appropriate walking attire. Space is limited and reservations are required. We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure. Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.      

During summer months, a great way to appreciate the grounds is to stroll the Cemetery and Arboretum on a two hour walk in the cooling hours before sunset.  Tours will cover about 2 miles of moderate terrain. This tour will be led by one of the cemetery’s Master Guides who will highlight the cemetery grounds, horticulture, and a variety of intriguing historic figures for whom Bellefontaine is their last address. Space is limited and reservations are required. We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure. Please wear appropriate walking attire.   Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.

Spend the morning with your kids exploring nature and learning some St. Louis history.  Guide Angela, of Green Spiral Tours, will offer bite size pieces of information on what's below ground at this hallowed place while allowing young ones the chance to take in and wonders of what's above! The cemetery is an Arboretum with over 6,500 trees, butterfly gardens, and water features with playful stepping stones amidst native plantings. Bring a sack lunch to picnic together like families of the Victorian era. This tour is a mixture of driving and walking across some moderate terrain.  Please wear appropriate walking attire. We ask everyone to arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure.  Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted. Space is limited and reservations are required.

Join us on a three-hour walking tour over the moderate terrain of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum.  Bellefontaine Master Guide, Dan, will share stories from the Civil War era of those buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery. Reservations are required for all tours. This is a rain or shine event unless there is lightening. The event is free however donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine are gratefully appreciated.

During summer months, a great way to appreciate the grounds is to stroll the Cemetery and Arboretum on a two hour walk in the cooling hours before sunset.  Tours will cover about 2 miles of moderate terrain. This tour will be led by one of the cemetery’s Master Guides who will highlight the cemetery grounds, horticulture, and a variety of intriguing historic figures for whom Bellefontaine is their last address. Space is limited and reservations are required. We ask that everyone arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before tour time for a prompt departure. Please wear appropriate walking attire.   Tours are free, however, donations to the Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery are gratefully accepted.