Friends of Columbia State Historic Park are getting ready to host Stories in Stone Cemetery Tours at the historic Columbia Cemetery on Friday and Saturday evenings, Sept. 27 and 28 and Oct. 4 and 5. Costumed docents holding lanterns will light the way for this unique event. Guests will stop at specific gravesites where some very convincing characters will tell the stories of citizens who lived and died in Columbia. Listen to some funny, some sad and some tragic stories about the people who lived and shaped Columbia’s history.

The Columbia Docent Archives and Library Committee base the characters on extensive research and bring these historic figures to life. See how their lives contrast with our lives today.

This year there will be two tours per night, one starting at 7 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.

Dress comfortably and warmly for this one-and-a-half-hour walking tour. The tour route is paved, but is strenuous, and can be hilly and uneven in spots.

Reservations are required. Make yours online at www.friendsofcolumbiashp.com.

Tickets are $25/person and all proceeds benefit interpretation and educational programs in the park through the non-profit organization, Friends of Columbia. For information about Stories in Stone or other events in Columbia, contact the Columbia State Historic Park office at (209) 588-9128.