Saturday, May 14 ● Noon – 5 p.m. (with the last tour leaving at 4:00 p.m.) ● Adults - $5 ● Children 12 and under – Free
Step into the past during Forget-Me-Not Victorian Day 2016 at Oakdale Memorial Gardens – Founders and Builders – as we commemorate the 160th anniversary of the incorporation of the Oakdale Cemetery Company.
This year’s Victorian Day will highlight some of the founders of Oakdale as well as those who played key parts in designing and building the cemetery and the City of Davenport. Take a stroll through the grounds of this magnificent garden cemetery (a Davenport Historic Landmark), and hear the stories of architects, business leaders, explorers, freedom seekers, and more, as told by Oakdale’s “residents” themselves.
Victorian Day will include:
● Guided tours of the grounds
● First-hand accounts of the past as told by Oakdale “residents”
● Live period music
Victorian Day at Oakdale is a family-friendly event. All proceeds go into the general fund to assist with the maintenance and preservation of the grounds.
Guests are reminded to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring sunscreen. The tour route is approximately one mile, mostly on paved roadways (a portion is on gravel) over hilly terrain. Parking is free. There is no rain date. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
Founded as Oakdale Cemetery Company on May 14, 1856, Oakdale Memorial Gardens is a treasure trove of history and natural beauty. It is one of the Quad Cities’ oldest and most beautiful cemeteries, and plays host to a wide variety of local wildlife. Red-tailed hawks and owls nest in the oaks and pines, while a family of Canada geese calls the reflecting pond home. Other species that may be spotted are blue heron, red fox, and whitetail deer. Oakdale is listed on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, National Register of Historic Places, and the Davenport Register of Historic Properties, and is home to the National Cemetery Administration’s Oakdale Cemetery
Soldiers’ Lot.
To volunteer or for more information about the event, contact Oakdale’s office manager Deb Williams.
Oakdale Memorial Gardens | 2501 Eastern Ave. | Davenport, IA 52803 | Phone: (563) 324-5121 | Fax: (563) 323-8141 | oakdaleomg@aol.com
