Crown Hill Cemetery Walk Turns Ten Years Old This Weekend

Cast and crew of the 2022 Crown Hill Cemetery Walk.

The Washington County Theatre will once again bring local history to life during the 11th Annual Crown Hill Cemetery Walk, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26–27, at Crown Hill Cemetery in Salem.

The popular historical walking tour will begin at 7:30 p.m., with groups departing every 10–15 minutes until the final tour at 10:30 p.m. Admission is by donation only, with all proceeds benefiting the Washington County Theatre. Lanterns will be provided for the trail.

This unique annual event, which started in 2015, offers attendees the chance to step back in time and meet some of Salem’s most memorable citizens. Each year, the cast and route change, ensuring a fresh experience for returning visitors. Characters featured in this year’s walk include women’s rights activist Hattie Reed, business tycoon Lee Sinclair, NBA Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean, beloved local teacher Bradie Shrum, and one of the Midwest’s most prominent and infamous madams, Mattie Gladden.

Visitors will also encounter figures such as Nancy McCoy, a victim of the 1833 cholera epidemic, Elias Voorhees, a sheriff’s deputy who was beheaded, and Caddie Naugle, remembered as the “girl at the gate.”

Charity Main, vice president of the Washington County Theatre and one of the event’s organizers, said the walk has grown steadily since its start a decade ago.

“It’s exciting,” Main said. “Hitting [another year] is a reminder of how much the community has embraced this event and how many people have poured their time, energy, and creativity into making it what it is.”

Main credited theatre president Daniel Main with the idea for the cemetery walk after the pair attended similar tours while traveling. “We didn’t know exactly what it would become, but we knew we wanted to create an event that people could look forward to every year,” she said.

From its experimental first year, the event has grown into one of Salem’s most anticipated fall traditions. Attendance now averages between 800 and 1,000 people each year.

“One of the things we’re most proud of is that every single story on the cemetery walk is a true story,” Main added. “We put a lot of care into being as respectful and truthful as possible when sharing their lives. This really is the history of our community, and we feel honored to help keep those stories alive.”

Crown Hill Cemetery, established in 1824, is the largest cemetery in Washington County, encompassing more than 90 acres and containing many historically significant monuments and markers.

The cemetery walk is open to all ages. Organizers emphasize that the event is not a haunted attraction, but a chance to experience history through storytelling.