Walk the Walk At Graceland Cemetery

It's getting to be that time of year, when ghouls and goblins rule the day.  What better place to find them than in Uptown's Graceland Cemetery?  Actually, you aren't promised screams and scares, but you will learn about one of the most prestigious cemeteries in the country, where beautifully manicured grounds surround the graves, markers and crypts of Chicago's elite from the turn of the century.  And if it's a gorgeous day, like today, let your cells store up the memories for the long winter ahead.

Here's a tour schedule to get you in the mood for Halloween:

• You can take a self-guided tour through the grounds at your leisure.  Pick up a map at the office at the entrance (Clark and Irving Park).
• The Chicago Architecture Foundation has walking tours every Sunday through October 23rd at 2pm.  It's $15, $10 for students and seniors, and free to CAF members.  "Many famous figures of Chicago’s history are buried in this park-like cemetery on the North Side. See Burnham Island, the family lot for the Daniel Burnham family; visit the resting place for Chicago notables involved with the 1893 Columbian Exposition; and take a closer look at the cemetery’s beloved monuments. These structures — designed by the noted sculptors Daniel Chester French and Lorado Taft and architect Louis Sullivan — truly bring the past to life."  October 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd, at 2pm.
• The Chicago History Museum is conducting tours on and just before Halloween, led by legendary Uptown tour guide Al Walavich.  "Ghosts and ghouls beware! Experience the history of Old Chicago as you venture through one of the country’s most famous cemeteries. Celebrate Halloween as Al Walavich takes you on a fascinating tour through the graves of Graceland Cemetery, including famous Chicagoans Marshall Field, Louis Sullivan, Potter and Bertha Palmer, and George Pullman. All tours begin at cemetery entrance Irving Park Road and Clark Street."   Saturday, October 29 & Sunday, October 30, 10am-noon & 1-3pm; and Monday, October 31, 1-3pm.  $15, $10 for members.