"Characters, Customs, and Crypts Tour"
Be entertained by and educated about some of the more interesting people in Natchitoches' 300 year history by attending the "Characters, Customs, and Crypts Tour" to be held on October 25, 2014 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the American Cemetery. Local individuals in period costumes will portray historic characters who are buried in the town's first official cemetery. Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis, the founder of Natchitoches, will greet you and be joined by others, both famous and infamous, who are interred on the site. The lovingly restored and still active cemetery was also the setting for the famous burial scene from Steel Magnolias which was filmed in the city.
After hearing these important stories from Natchitoches' history, participants will move to a new, professionally produced Mourning Display located in the Samuel Guy House which highlights information and objects about mourning customs observed during the post-Civil War south. Photographs and memorabilia pertinent to mourning parents, children, spouses, siblings and friends will be available for viewing. Natchitoches Historic Foundation members will share information about the traditions of the era, and how those traditions evolved through need. Social, medical, spiritual, and cultural aspects will also be discussed.
Refreshments will be served for tour participants at the Guy House which is near the eastern end of the Cemetery. Advance tickets are available at the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau,1-800-259-1714, and on the NHF website, http://www.historicfoundation.org/. Tickets will also be available at the tour.