History Comes Alive at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Dexter

Highlights from the Forest Lawn Cemetery Walking Tour

Photos by Thomas Morris

On Saturday, May 18, Forest Lawn Cemetery became a living stage of Dexter’s past as costumed interpreters brought the stories of the town’s most prominent former residents to life during a free walking tour.

Presented by the Dexter District Library, Dexter Area Historical Society, and Forest Lawn Cemetery, the event offered visitors a chance to learn local history in an immersive, engaging format. Attendees walked the grounds in small guided groups, stopping at select gravesites where reenactors portrayed historical figures such as Royal Samuel Copeland, U.S. Senator and former mayor of New York City; Dr. William C. and Lillian Wylie, notable in local medicine and civic life; and Calvin Turner Fillmore, uncle of President Millard Fillmore.

The event combined theatrical storytelling with educational insight, with interpreters dressed in period attire and adopting the voices of the people they portrayed.

Each tour lasted approximately an hour, weaving through the cemetery’s older sections along uneven paths beneath the shade of mature trees. This year’s event featured a diverse cast of volunteers who researched their characters to deliver historically accurate and heartfelt performances.

With its blend of education, performance, and reverence, the walking tour connected past and present in a way that resonates with all generations.