Plant symbolism walking tour with the Mourning Society of St. Louis; Saturday, June 15, 2024; free with Garden admission; 1st tour at 10am and final tour at 11:30am offers ASL interpretation (each 45 minutes long); tours begin at the Taylor Visitor Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

In collaboration with the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum, join the Mourning Society of St Louis for a special tour of the Missouri Botanical Garden focusing on 19 th -century naturalism, sentimentalism and the art of floriography (communicating through flowers). We’ll be passing through the Linnean House and the Gladney Rose Garden as we make our way to the Garden’s historic Victorian District. Guides in period clothing will cover everything from the Wardian case to fern fever and instruct you on the perfect arrangement to send to your sweetheart or your rival. We’ll also be pointing out the meaning of the flowers, plants and trees we encounter along the way from the Victorian “Language of Flowers”.

The Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum is one of the historic structures on the grounds of the Garden, and features the special exhibition Kernels of Culture: Maize Around the World, on view through March 2025.

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Missouri Botanical Garden

Image courtesy of Melissa Tidwell

Join us for this special event at the Bissell House as we cover a timeline of spirit communication in the 19th century from the early spirit rapping cases to automatic writing, dark séances and spirit cabinets. We can't promise any real spirits but we can guarantee you'll learn something new. This peek at Victorian Spiritualism has limited availability.

Please note that session times mark the start of a guided tour, not an open house. Guests should arrive prior their tour times to account for check-in. The General Daniel Bissell House is located at 10225 Bellefontaine Rd., St. Louis, MO 63137. Call (314) 615-8884 or email KPlunkett@stlouiscountymo.gov for more information.

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St Louis County Parks

Image courtesy of Curt Dennison

Our second annual Mourning Society Members Picnic will take place at the O’Fallon lot at Bellefontaine Cemetery on Satuday September 14th starting at 11AM. Attendees should bring their own picnic and are encouraged to get creative with their period 1860s through 1910s picnic set-ups and clothing but this is not required. You can also join us in your street clothes with paper plates.

• Drinks will be provided

• We will be playing picnic games and telling stories

• Please bring your own lunch and blanket

• You can dress in any era or in street clothes

• Prizes will be provided for the best picnic, best story and game champion

• Folding wooden chairs will be avaiable for anyone who needs one

If you are not a member and would like to participate please contact us.

Consolations of Memory isn’t quite like all the other fall cemetery tours. Rather than portraying the spirits of those buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery we portray the living, breathing people of the era who were left behind to mourn the loss of a loved one.

This year’s event will include a short walking tour of the Lindell section of the cemetery followed by 19th century funeral service in Hotchkiss Chapel, burial procession and graveside service.

This is a free event but registration is required through Bellefontaine Cemetery. Registration will open by September 2024.

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Bellefontaine Cemetery

Image courtesy of Curt Dennison

Join us for A Haunted Christmas at the Bissell House as we bring the tradition of telling ghostly tales by the fireside back from the dead.

This event is a guided tour of the historic General Daniel Bissell House. Guests will be treated to spooky holiday tales throughout the house, presentations on the history of 19th Century Christmas traditions, parlor games and more.

Tickets will be available for purchase November 2024

Find out more about the Mourning Society

St Louis County Parks

Image courtesy of Jennifer Perkins