Guardians of the Land - Milwaukee’s Naturalists and Conservationists

Celebrate the environmental stewards who envisioned Milwaukee's parks, gardens, and green spaces. Learn how their commitment to nature transformed the city into an urban oasis, offering respite and recreation for generations to come. 

Tour includes (subject to change): 

• Alvin P. Kletzsch, hotel owner and member of first Board of City Park Commissioners 
• Christian Wahl, architect of the Milwaukee County Parks System and the first person to serve as president of the Board of City Park Commissioners 
• Dorothy Vallier, conservationist and founder of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center 
• Haskell Noyes, chairman of Wisconsin Conservation Commission and champion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest 
• Alfred Boerner, landscape architect who designed scenic parks around original landscapes 
• Ezekiel Gillespie, civil rights activist and namesake of Milwaukee pocket park showcasing replicable sustainable designs 
• Charles Whitnall, conservationist, a primary inspiration for Milwaukee County public parks system and early advocate of regional planning 
• Increase Lapham, the first to record the state’s natural history and encourage its preservation, designed Forest Home Cemetery 
• Victor Berger, newspaperman, co-founder of the Socialist Party and first Socialist U.S. Congressman who  advocated for Milwaukee’s public parks 

Important information

• This 1.5-mile walking tour moves at a brisk pace over uneven cemetery roads and grounds. See tour route below. Please wear comfortable footwear and watch your step! Our tour guides have a lot to share and are on a tight timeline, so please try to stick together.
  
• This tour will run rain or shine and will only be canceled in the event of a dangerous weather event. Tickets are non-refundable.
  
• Please arrive about 10 minutes before your tour. Meet under the canopy outside Halls of History (next to the main office inside the Lincoln Avenue entrance).
  
• Parking is free and available throughout the cemetery; however, the spots in front of the office are reserved for cemetery business Monday–Friday, 8 am–4:30 pm and 10 am–3 pm Saturday. There is ample parking around the chapel, in front of and to the side of Halls of History. Sundays you may park wherever you like.
  
• After your tour, please take a moment to review us on Google reviews or TripAdvisor.
  
• Proceeds from all tours and events help preserve and enhance the historical and natural elements of the cemetery.

About Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum

Established in 1850, Forest Home Cemetery is Milwaukee’s oldest-operating cemetery, open to people of all faiths, races and backgrounds since its inception. Forest Home Cemetery is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is the finest example of a Victorian-era rural garden cemetery in the Upper Midwest

Milwaukee’s largest green space with more 2,600 trees on nearly 200 acres, Forest Home is the city’s first accredited arboretum and is open daily to the public from dawn to dusk. Leashed dogs, jogging, strollers and bicycles are welcome.

Each year, we host public and private historical and nature-based tours, field trips and teen programs, plus our signature community events: Memorial Day, Doors Open, Dia de los Muertos 5K and Festival, Shakesepeare Festival and Spirits of the Silent City after-dark historical tours.

We have many volunteer opportunities for adults and youth looking for service hours! Email [email protected] to find out more.

Sign up for our newsletter on our website (foresthomecemetery.com) and follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you don’t miss any of our tours and events!

If you enjoy our beautiful space, stay longer! Stop in the office Monday-Friday 8 am–4:30 pm and Saturday 10 am – 3:30 pm , or call a counselor (414) 645-2632 to find out about our many burial options.

Host or Publisher Forest Home Historic Preservation Assoc.