Walk Among the Shadows 2024 - Portland Rum Riot of 1855

October 17-20 and 24-27, 2024

Thursday through Saturday, 6:30pm

Sunday, 5:30pm

ADULTS: $10; CHILDREN UNDER 12: $5 (suggested donation)

For 8 dark nights, ghostly storytellers, some buried at Eastern Cemetery, will materialize in the cemetery to tell their own stories.

The stories were written by Lynne Cullen who also directed the spirits (as best she could—you know spirits, sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't.)

No, you do not get preferred placement on a tour group because you paid online.

This event is kid-friendly, but please children, bring your adults! Dogs are not allowed at any age.

No, there is absolutely no photography or video allowed inside the gates during the event.

Arrive early if you're looking for parking. Parking in the area and neighborhood surrounding the cemetery is quite limited, so be prepared to walk a couple of blocks. There is no designated lot or parking for the event.

Bring a copy of your ticket confirmation (or your device showing it).

Wear layers and good footwear! The cemetery is located on a hill which gets very windy. You'll be still for about 40 minutes, so commit to staying warm and dry. Funeral Lane (the walking path that goes through the cemetery) is compacted, uneven dirt. Plus, it's dark, so the temperature dips down quite a bit from the daytime highs. Sometimes it even snows! We only cancel because of severe weather. Sprinkles and mist and light snowflakes do not deter us. Umbrellas are okay, but be prepared to stand in the back of your group if you use one.

On some nights, a line will form before the event gets started at the gate. We let in the first group of 20-30 people before the starting time so we can start on time. Once that group is far enough away from the start, (we don't want the spirits talking over each other, and they would try it, for sure!) we let the next group in. If the line is long, you could be standing there for a LONG time--but there is entertainment on the sidewalk! We endeavor not to turn anyone away, but if there are just too many people in line to accommodate 4-5 tours on an evening, we will advise those at the end of the line. We close the gates after starting the last group on their walk (normally 1 hour after the event begins). It is smart to arrive early, but know you may be waiting for awhile. Tickets are not timed. There is no guarantee of what group you end up on as we are a first-come, first-served event.

Sort of... it's more like an entertaining walk! After you wait in line outside the gates, you will be put in a group of around 20-30 or so people inside the gates. As a group, you will be led by a person dressed in black (who has a small lantern), down the path. You will make 5 stops to hear stories told by professional actors, stationed at points along the path. The entire walk from the start to the end of the path shouldn't be more than 40 minutes.

Although our spirits are very hard to manage and known to get a little nutty, no. First and foremost, this is an historic and sacred burial ground. We strive to keep this event respectful to our dead while our spirits interject a bit of whimsy during their stories. Everyone is required to stay on the footpath with their guide throughout the entire presentation, and groups are escorted out of the gates at the end.

While WATS is a family show, the cemetery setting, as well as some topics and visuals, may be upsetting to some. Discretion is advised.

Eventbrite charges a fee per ticket. Half of the cost is earned by our professional director and cast. The other half is put back into the promotion and care of cemetery itself. The cemetery is owned by the city of Portland, and we work with them to keep it in good shape. We hire conservators to work on the largest monuments, but the rest of the work we do with the stones is through volunteer labor. As a matter of fact, anyone who gives their time and energy to gardening, giving tours, talking and presenting, event promotion, graphic design, financial management, and board service is a volunteer, too. Spirits Alive is a 501(c) organization and is a 100% volunteer organization that has been in place since 2006. We put on events and tours to educate everyone about this oldest historic landscape in Portland, Maine, and the important connected history of it to our past. So thank you, from the bottom of our dark little hearts, for your contribution and support.

[email protected]

For online ticket buyers only: you may request a refund up to 1 day before the event through Eventbrite. If you can't make it on one night, your ticket will be honored on another within the same year.

We are happy to hear criticism of our event, but please try to be kind in the way you deliver it. Please note that we are all volunteers, and are doing this work on the side for the good of our community. We endeavor to put on a professional event that makes all of our guests happy, and are eager to do what we can to fix anything that doesn't go according to plan.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Eastern Cemetery, 224 Congress Street, Portland, United States