Join us on Memorial Day to celebrate our 175th anniversary by honoring our veterans and our history

It's been 175 years, Milwaukee! On August 5,1850, Orville Cadwell was buried at Forest Home Cemetery, becoming the first or more than 100,000 who would be buried here as the cemetery grew alongside the city.

Join us on Memorial Day to commemorate our history as Milwaukee's oldest-operating cemetery while we honor the veterans who are memorialized here.

The event starts with a memorial service in our landmark Ferry & Clas chapel, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony in the Garden of Honor, our veteran section. Then enjoy some stories from the cemetery with numerous costumed historical re-enactors, and wrap up with a free Milwaukee history tour.

Food will be available for purchase (+ free cake while it lasts!) and feel free to picnic in our beautiful arboretum, literally the coolest spot in Milwaukee, thanks to our arboretum's tree canopy.

MEMORIAL DAY SCHEDULE

11–11:30 a.m.: Memorial service in the Chapel led by St. Paul's Episcopal Church's Rev. Seth Raymond. Wreath-laying at the Garden of Honor, bugling by Bill Seaman.
11:30 a.m. –2:30 p.m.: Usinger's hot dogs, bratwurst served in Pretzilla sausage buns, chips and soda available for a $8 donation to the Forest Home Historic Preservation Association.
11:30 a.m. –2:30 p.m.: Visit with notable Milwaukeeans (see below) at their graves.
2:30p.m.–4 p.m.: Free Milwaukee history tour by author and Forest Home historian Paul Haubrich.

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