Famed captains and shipbuilders tour of cemetery

Mon, 09/11/2017 - 9:00am

A visit to the final resting places of historic Bath area sea captains and shipbuilders will be the focus of trolley tours hosted by Maine Maritime Museum and led by Red Cloak Haunted History Tours during the fall season.

The Famed Captains and Shipbuilders tours begin at Maine Maritime Museum, where participants will board a trolley that will take them past grand homes where Bath's leading families once resided. The journey stops at Oak Grove Cemetery, where guests will be guided through the lush grounds by Sally Lobkowicz, The Lady in the Red Cloak from Red Cloak Haunted History Tours. Participants will visit the headstones and memorials marking the grave sites of Bath's most historic seafaring captains and shore-based shipbuilders.

Tales of perseverance and pluck will be told in relating the daring adventures of area seafarers, and the initiative and ingenuity shown by the shipbuilders who built the ocean-going vessels that brought Bath much of its early wealth.

The stories won't be limited to the masculine side of seafaring and shipbuilding. Women, often in leadership roles, were important participants in the nautical history of Bath, and their stories will be told as well, while guests visit their burial plots.

These special Famed Captains and Shipbuilders tours are scheduled for every Thursday afternoon through Oct. 26. All of the tours depart from Maine Maritime Museum at 4 p.m. Seating is limited, and the tour has been popular in the past, so early reservations are recommended.

Reservations can be made by telephoning 207-443-1316 or online by visiting mainemaritimemuseum.org and clicking on the Events tab, then using the menu to click on "Bath Cemetery Tour: Famed Captains and Shipbuilders."

For information on Red Cloak Haunted History Tours telephone 207-380-3806 or check online at redcloakhauntedhistorytours.com.

The company also has evening walking tours in Bath, Wiscasset, Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, Hallowell, Rockland, Camden and Bar Harbor; and Lighthouse Legends and Lore Cruises in cooperation with the Maine Maritime Museum aboard their excursion vessel Merrymeeting.