Ghosts Come to Life at Mount Hope Cemetery

On an eerie October evening in the Hudson Valley, the spirits of Mount Hope Cemetery appeared under the cover of darkness. With lanterns lit along the graveyard paths, a man with an electric guitar played a slow and spooky cover of “In The Air Tonight” and a few present residents of Athens channeled its inhabitants of the past.

I’m glad to report that the vibe was more sweet than scary. Greene County Historian and Athens native Jonathan Palmer provided local actors with facts about deceased Athenians—giving them the opportunity to improvise stories in-character. On the hallowed ground of a well-loved cemetery, it made the best kind of community theater.

Worthy Tolley was captured quite ghoulishly by my husband’s phone (see the photo at the top of this post!) as he spoke through Cathy Dawson and relayed the sordid details of the murder he committed back in 1914.

Castle Seeley, portrayed by Addison Vota (pictured above), shared some fun facts about his life as the first postmaster of Athens.

An event like this could easily feel like a haunted house, but each historical figure was so lovingly portrayed that it felt more like a celebration of community through the ages (and the cider donuts at the end were a nice touch). However, I probably wouldn’t recommend this to kids who aren’t into scary stuff, and I was glad we left our easily-spooked little ones at home.

The cast of the Mount Hope Cemetery Tour, October 2024.

The annual Mount Hope Cemetery tour was made possible by a grant from the Athens Community Foundation, and I’ll be recommending it to friends for years to come. Ten out of ten! Best graveyard tour ever!