This October, step through the gates of Forest Hill Cemetery for a rare evening experience beneath the glow of lanterns and luminaries.

Afterlife & Afterparty: Lore, Legends & Legacies invites you on a guided walk through Forest Hill at twilight and after dark, where local lore becomes the doorway to remarkable true stories from our community’s past.

For years, visitors to Forest Hill have reported seeing a mysterious blue orb moving among the graves. Some have connected its reported path to several of the remarkable people buried here.

Is there an explanation? We’ll leave that question to you.

The history, however, is very real.

Along the way, you’ll discover the stories of people whose lives helped shape Utica, Oneida County, the Mohawk Valley, and places far beyond it. Forest Hill is the resting place of veterans, physicians, inventors, artists, immigrants, public servants, reformers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and others whose extraordinary stories deserve to be remembered.

Choose Your Experience

Twilight Tour | 6:00 PM

5:30 PM | Guest arrival and check-in

6:00 PM | Guided tour begins

Begin your walk as evening settles over Forest Hill and the cemetery transitions from twilight into darkness.

After-Dark Tour | 8:00 PM

7:30 PM Guest arrival and check-in

8:00 PM Guided tour begins

Experience Forest Hill fully after dark, with lanterns and luminaries illuminating the route through one of Utica’s most historic landscapes.

Advance registration is strongly encouraged and very much appreciated. Space is limited to 75 guests per tour.

The tour will follow paved roads and carriage paths, but guests should wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for October weather and an outdoor evening experience.

Proceeds from the event will support the restoration of historic Childs Chapel at Forest Hill Cemetery.

Completed in 1869, Childs Chapel was given to the community by Roxana Childs in memory of her husband, Silas D. Childs. It was created as a place where families could gather for funeral services without cost or barrier, a gift intended for the “free and common use” of the community.

More than 150 years later, that promise still matters.

Today, the Forest Hill Cemetery Preservation Foundation is undertaking the work necessary to preserve and restore the chapel so that it can continue serving future generations.

When you join us for Afterlife & Afterparty, you’re doing more than spending an evening exploring Forest Hill’s stories.

You’re helping preserve one of them.

Tickets | $25 Per Person

Each ticket includes admission to your selected guided lantern-lit tour. Additional event benefits, including commemorative items and afterparty offers, will be announced as details are finalized.

Afterlife & Afterparty: Lore, Legends & Legacies

A Lantern-Lit Walk Through Forest Hill Cemetery