Horticulture Tours at the Historic Bellefontaine Cemetery. Each tour covers a different aspect of the diverse horticulture of the cemetery. They will be about 2 hours long and cover about 1-mile. The walks are FREE but reservations are required because of limited space. See website for more info on each tour and to register, or call 314-381-0750.
Saturday, April 15th | Arbor Day Horticulture Tour | 9am-12pm
Tuesday, April 18th | General Horticulture Hike | 2-4pm
Wednesday, May 3rd | Wildwood Valley Gardens Horticulture Hike | 5-7pm
The historic Bellefontaine Cemetery was started in 1849 by a group of prominent men from the city of St. Louis. Almerin Hotchkiss, an associate of Frederick Law Olmsted who designed New York's Central Park, was hired to design the layout of the cemetery. Hotchkiss became friends with Henry Shaw and with his help, the cemetery is now noted to have one of the finest collections of trees in the St. Louis area. Amazing examples of architecture and cemetery art can also be found at Bellefontaine Cemetery, as well as the final resting places for many famous people including Adolphus Busch, of the famed Anheuser-Busch beer brewery; William Clark, famous explorer of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; and James Eads, architect who designed the St. Louis Eads Bridge.
Bellefontaine Cemetery is open daily for visiting 8am to 5pm, with extended hours in the summer. The Cemetery hosts many private and public, bus, walking and special themed tours throughout the year.
Please check the website listed on each event to get the most up-to-date information.