Many travelers around the world are drawn to cemeteries. As they are places that bridge the gap between the past and present, living and dead, as well as being places of some of the most historic pieces of architecture or resting places of some of the most famous people in the world, they can be major attractions for hobbyists, preservationists and professionals alike.
People passionate about historical graveyards may not be people who are fully mobile enough or financially stable enough to take a tour of some of the world’s most famous cemeteries—and that is where podcasts and audio tours of historical graveyards can allow people worldwide to ‘visit’ these places.
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is a bit like a radio talk show, where people or experts speak on passionate topics, want to learn about things, wish for audio entertainment, or interview other experts on various topics. There is a wide range of interests found with podcasts, including podcasts that discuss the historical, personal, and emotional aspects of graveyards, their preservation, their impact, or even audio-narrated tours.
Instead of tuning in to the radio, however, the audio is digitally hosted and can be listened to when connected to a PC, a tablet, or a phone, and most podcasts come in episodic formats—released once a week or according to the podcast creator’s schedule.
By sharing information, historical facts, and even entire graveyard tours in audio, those who might never get to visit these places in person can still ‘visit’ them online through the talent and passion of other graveyard hobbyists and professionals.
If you would love to visit a historical graveyard or are simply passionate about cemeteries, here are a few podcasts and audio tours you will want to add to your listening list.
The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery
A glance at the reviews on the podcast’s webpage can reveal just how well-loved and informative people find the podcast. The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery is a well-researched podcast with fascinating historical information about real people at a great listening length for quick, bite-sized historical facts. The podcast features the stories of those who have passed, with snapshots of a town’s or community’s past through the lives of those interred within their cemeteries and guest interviews with equally fascinating people.
The Locust Grove Cemetery Audio Tour and The Locust Grove Oral History Podcast
Locust Grove Cemetery is an African-American graveyard on State Highway 169 in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Frank Cannon, Jr, who is on the Locust Grove Cemetery board, states that African Americans have been buried in Locust Grove since the mid to late 1800s. In February 2019, the Jessamine County Public Library began recording interviews with several current and former Jessamine County residents about their relatives buried in the cemetery and their lives, resulting in a 4-part series featuring highlights from those interviews.
The episodes culminate in an Audio tour of this historical graveyard, beginning at the stone wall initially used to separate the lawn from farming and grazing grounds, through the gardens and cemetery itself, the farm distillery, wood shop, forest, and trails, and ending at the museum house and visitors center.
St. James’ Church and Graveyard Audio Guide
In the heart of Dublin, Ireland, a centuries-old church and cemetery still connects the city’s past with the present. Hundreds of thousands pass by the gates, yet few still know the intriguing story and history of St. James’ Church and Graveyard.
The 19th-century church turn distillery is a graveyard with medieval beginnings. Since its creation in the 12th Century, until the final burial occurred in 1989, it is estimated that more than one hundred thousand people from all walks of life have been laid to rest at St. James, from aristocrats to paupers to revolutionaries.
In a fascinating audio guide, listeners can journey through history and discover the exciting lives of those buried within, how the work of many is attempting to preserve nearly 800 years of memorials from deteriorating, and how they plan to maintain this historical graveyard for generations to come.
Podcasts and audio tours of historical graveyards are one of the many essential and much-needed tools that preservationists, archaeologists, historians, and cemetery enthusiasts worldwide have come to use to help protect the past. It is a means for those who cannot visit in person to learn and see unique historical glimpses and to keep the legacy of many alive in the retelling of their stories. We highly recommend listening to these podcasts and others!