Tours

Volunteers offer a variety of guided tours, from Civil War veterans to Women of Influence in Old Milwaukee.

Guided tours are offered in the months of June, July and August. Please view the “Events” page for dates and times.

View a list of our Tour Guides

NOTE: Private tours can also be scheduled for groups and organizations wishing to learn more about the unique history of the cemetery and the people who built Milwaukee from a frontier community. Please contact the Forest Home Cemetery office at (414) 645-2632.

Milwaukee Mayors

Meet many of the 26 mayors at Forest Home Cemetery including two of Milwakee's founders. The tour indludes names like Walker, Kilbourn, Ludington, Peck, and Zeidler. Find out who Milwaukee's second mayor was after Juneau's term was over. See the large ornate and very simple monumests these mayors...

Tour de Forest Home Cemetery

Bike to (or just around) Forest Home Cemetery for a guided bike ride through this beautiful cemetery, led by a Forest Home Cemetery tour guide. If you enjoyed last year's ride, come again as this year's ride will be different. It will be a slow roll three to four miles during the bike tour. It will...

Jane's Walk Milwaukee

Sunday, May 19th - Jane's Walk Milwaukee - Women in History - Anita Pietrykowski - FREE, but must register thru janeswalkmke.org Saturday, May 25 - 8:00 AM - WI Metro Audubon Society Bird Hike thru Forest Home Cemetery with Bill Holton. RE-SCHEDULED: Jane's Walk Milwaukee scheduled for Sunday, May...

Milwaukee Suffragists

Wisconsin was the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on June 10, 1919. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of this event in Wisconsin’s history and the campaign for women’s suffrage, join Anita Pietrykowski in a tour called Milwaukee Suffragists. This walking tour explores...

Milwaukee Industrialists

Milwaukee Industrialists by Paul Haubrich will share Milwaukee’s great Industrial history. This tour will focus on many of the engineering feats that were accomplished by the likes of Allis, Nordberg, Harnischfeger, Vilter and many more.

Not as Famous, Yet Amazing Milwaukeeans

Not as Famous, Yet Amazing Milwaukeeans by Robert Giese showcases other Famous Milwaukeeans who have made an impact on Milwaukee history, from the “Guinness Book of Records” to the first female photographer that was in harm’s way during World War II.

Milwaukee Abolitionists

Milwaukee Abolitionists by Anita Pietrykowski who will visit gravesites, review the history of the Milwaukee abolitionist movement and tell the significant stories of Caroline Quarlls and Joshua Glover, two escaped slaves, whose paths to freedom were closely tied to Milwaukee. Anita is a great...

The Streets and Parks of Milwaukee

The Streets and Parks of Milwaukee by Sally Merrell who will visit the gravesites and tell stories of Milwaukeeans who have streets and parks named for them. This will include such names as Lapham, Gillespie, Brown, Burnham, Layton, Zeidler and Halyard.

Girl Scouts: Women in History

A journey of Playing in Milwaukee’s Past . Forest Home Cemetery and the Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin are proud to partner to share in a historical tour that helps young scouts discover and understand women’s accomplishments and contributions to Milwaukee’s past. The roles women played in the...

The role of the German immigrant played a special role in Milwaukee history. German Milwaukee sometimes referred to as the “German Athens” had a strong impact upon the industrial and political life of Milwaukee. Names such as Falk, Usinger, Berger, Anneke, Krug, Zeidler and others are visited on...

Famous Milwaukeeans

A tour that highlights many of famous names and business leaders in Milwaukee. Sometimes referred to as the streets of Milwaukee because so many streets were named after these community leaders. A tour that covers a wide range of roles and lives of Milwaukeeans whose names we have all heard, but...

Cemetery Art and Symbolism

During the Victoria era symbolism played an important role in telling stories about people lives and motivation. Use of flowers, religious symbols, expression of mourning and monument designs are explored to better understand the messages and expression of individuals at rest in Forest Home...

Contemporary Milwaukee Women

This is a unique and special tour that highlights the lives, work and achievements of contemporary women buried at Forest Home Cemetery. Learn about Elsa Ulbricht, Maude Miriam Wright, Dickey Chapelle, Lynn Fontanne, Mary Nohl, Alice M. Chester, Peg Bradley and Gertrude Puelicher, to name just a...

Women of the 1800's

Untold Stories of Accomplishment The contributions of women in shaping the early history of Milwaukee that are frequently untold in history books. Well, not any longer! Come and learn about lives of Lydia Ely Hewitt, Margaret Falk, Dr. Laura Ross Wolcott, Meta Schlichting Berger, Beulah Brinton,...

Milwaukee was made famous by the brewing industry during the 1800s and early 1900s. This tour visits the gravesites of all the major brewers and briefly reviews the role of the brewery in Milwaukee history. Brewer such as Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, Gettleman, Graf, Bills, Falk and many other lesser...

Milwaukee History

This tour explores the history of the cemetery and visits the graves of many early Milwaukeeans who helped build Milwaukee in the 1800s. Names like Layton, Marshall, Ilsley, Pfister, Mitchell, Schlitz, Pabst and many more are covered in this tour. This is the best tour for a first time visitor to...

Civil War Veterans

All Civil War buffs and veterans will enjoy the stories of some of the almost 1000+ civil war veterans buried at Forest Home. The tour covers all the ranks from drummer boys to Generals and provides a brief history of each, their role in the war. This tour has two parts and visitors should plan on...