On Sunday, October 14, the New Bedford Preservation Society will present its fifth annual "HISTORICAL CEMETERY TOUR." The tour will take place at the Rural Cemetery in New Bedford, where historic portrayals in period costume will take place at several gravesites along the tour route.

Guided walking tours will step off from the Dartmouth Street entrance of Rural Cemetery every ten minutes, beginning at 1 p.m. The last tour will leave at 3:30 p.m. This year's tour will focus on the oldest section of the cemetery, which dates back to 1837. The tour route encompasses approximately one mile in a 45-minute walk. This year's interpretations will include members of prominent whaling era families, important New Bedford politicians, a famous New Bedford artist, and other local notables.

Advance tickets are recommended and are now on sale at the following locations: Elaine's T-shirts at The Black Whale and New York Shoe Repair in New Bedford; Baker Books and The Woodhouse Shop in Dartmouth; and Periwinkle's in Fairhaven. Advance tickets are $10 ($8 for members of the society and seniors). The day of tour all tickets will be $15 at the cemetery gate.

As a prelude to the cemetery tour, the Preservation Society will present a program on "The Art and Symbolism of Gravestones" at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, 396 County Street, on AHA! Night, October 11th at 7 p.m. Cemeteries have been called outdoor museums, windows to the culture of the past. They not only serve as a resting-place for the departed, they tell us much about the times in which they lived. Elaborate memorials represent some of the finest sculpture and decorative design of their eras. And what do all those symbols mean! This illustrated talk, given by Bruce Barnes, will introduce this topic to the general audience and make a visit to a cemetery much more enlightening and meaningful. R-J-D will offer light refreshments after the program and cemetery tour tickets will be available for purchase at that time.

A portion of the proceeds generated from the tour will be donated to maintain the integrity of the city's historic cemeteries, with the remaining proceeds applied to the society's ongoing projects, such as New Bedford Re-Leaf, the Historic Marker Program, reprinting of Architectural Walking Tour brochures, semi-annual historic house tours, summer guided walking tours, lectures and other efforts.

Please call the Preservation Society office at 508-997-6425 or visit www.nbpreservationsociety.org for further information.