Point of Graves: Tour Portsmouth’s Earliest Cemetery

Description

Discover the stories hiding in plain sight among the gravestones

Our 90-minute guided tours of North Cemetery and Point of Graves offer a fascinating look at the people who shaped Portsmouth, as well as the changing ways our community has understood death, mourning, and remembrance. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of local families, prominent citizens, veterans, tradespeople, and more. You’ll also learn how to “read” a gravestone, from the symbols and inscriptions to the changing imagery that reflects different attitudes toward death and the afterlife.

Tour Costs

$20 for members | $25 for non-members
Advance registration required
 

Point of Graves

Established in 1671, you’ll see some of Portsmouth’s oldest surviving gravestones and remarkable examples of early New England stone carving. Learn what makes this technically a burying ground, not a cemetery.

Tour Schedule

Every week in October
Fridays, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Saturdays, 4:00–5:30 p.m.