The Fenton History Center will be holding their 20th annual Lakeview Cemetery tours at the beginning of October. Submitted photo

Spooky season is approaching, and the Fenton History Center is preparing for it by hosting their annual walking and carriage tours through Lakeview Cemetery and their Mausoleum Tours at the beginning of October, for the 20th year.

Since they began 20 years ago, Joni Blackman, Fenton History Center executive director, said the tours have been and still are a great way to teach people about local history without them realizing they are learning something.

This year’s walking and carriage tours are set for Oct. 4 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with several time slots available. The tours leave every 20 minutes. The Mausoleum Tours will take place on Oct. 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with several half hour time slots. Blackman said the Mausoleum Tours will have four stops and three mausoleums for people to go in and look at, along with other monuments that they will visit. Each stop will have an actor that is connected to the grave or monument in some way that will be telling the person’s story.

A bake sale will also be ongoing during the walking and carriage tours, and some will be available for free too as part of the ticket price. Blackman said tickets will usually sell out so six more tours have been added this year, for a total of 22.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Blackman said. “It fits with our mission to teach local history, and the cemetery is beautiful. We have as many as 600 people that go through these tours, from all over, and around 80 to 100 people attend the mausoleum tours.”

Blackman said people should be interested in coming to the tours as it is a different thing for people to do that cannot be done in other places. She added people still come even when it rains as the event is rain or shine, and some even plan social events around it. This year, as it is the 20th year, there will also be commemorative t-shirts available for people to order at the sales tents.

“Come support and save local history,” Blackman said. “If local history is not saved in an organized manner then these stories get lost. In 50 years researchers will not have access to these stories if we do not continue to tell them.”

Blackman encouraged everyone to call early for tickets to the carriage and walking tours, as the carriage ride tickets usually sell out early. She said the Oct. 4 date is almost full and the Oct. 11 date is about 15% full.

“Come dressed for the weather, ready to listen, and have a good time,” Blackman said. “The Fenton is also always looking for volunteers, whether for events like this, or to help at the Fenton History Center.”

For more information or to get tickets call the Fenton at (716) 664-6256, or visit fentonhistorycenter.org.