Grave Tales Oakwood Cemetery Walking Tour

Overview

1 hour 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Quiet, beautiful, and haunting in its own right — Oakwood Cemetery holds the stories of Traverse City’s early residents, told among their resting places. On this respectful walking tour, we’ll share graveyard legends, forgotten histories, and local ghostly lore tied to the very people buried beneath your feet.

This tour is reflective, meaningful, and deeply human — with a touch of the unexplained. We also touch on the iconography of gravestones and a short grave rubbing hands on experience at the end of the 90 minute walking tour.

️ Please note: This is a real cemetery and a storytelling tour.

Best for: Graveyard explorers, history lovers, those drawn to liminal spaces

Not for: Guests seeking jump scares or paranormal investigation

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Grave Rubbing Materials

Restrooms are not located on site

What To Expect

Traverse City

Your experienced tour guide will meet you at the 8th St Oakwood Cemetery Tour entrance to explore this 164+ year old cemetery. Haunted Traverse's Guests start their early evening with our Oakwood Cemetery's Grave Tales Tour. Explore, learn, and enjoy the tales of the Oakwood Cemetery as we share the story of the White Lady, Wild Bill Germaine, a Civil War soldier's tale, and a Northern Michigan Asylum Patient's last days. This 90-minute tour is designed to witness how the cemetery reflects on the influences of the past, explore the iconography of the more interesting gravestones, and hear about some of its more famous residents. Our tours are designed to be kept small. We may from time to time exceed our max of 17 guests, but we try not to. Up to 17 total spots total.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Grave Tales Oakwood Cemetery Walking Tour

Reviews

5.00

4 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Very educational and entertaining
mickeyc2020,
Aug 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Upon arrival Dez had greeted us with a warm presence. She had asked us about where we came from and why we were interested in this tour. When starting the tour Dez had explained everything that was going to happen during our time with her. We had learned so much about headstones and what they mean. The beautiful and tragic history of traverse city and some of their residents. Dez had amazing stories. She is very informative. We loved every second with Dez. The grave rubbing was one of our favourite parts of the tour. We would redo this in a heartbeat. It was our favourite part of our time in TC. When we come back we will definitely book something else with Dez! Thank you so much! Grady and Mick
E7077XNlauram,
Jul 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Des was amazing! Such a great story teller and she customized the experience based on what the group wanted. I recommend!
Very fun and interesting!
Escape66393959178,
Jul 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We really enjoyed this tour! We originally wanted to do the downtown haunted tour but it was full so we signed up for this one and I’m glad we did! Des was a great guide, full of interesting stories, tales, and facts. She has an enormous passion for the material and you can tell she knows her stuff! She asks about interests so she can tailor what she talks about and so much of what she shares comes from personal research she has done herself. Thanks for a fun afternoon!
Graveyard enlightenment
698nikolauss,
Jul 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great time! Much more than expected. Dez is an excellent story teller of the history of Traverse City and the stories of the residents of the cemetery. We now look at graveyards differently and in a good way 👻 Highly recommend