Marblehead’s Old Burial Hill Cemetery is one of New England’s oldest and most atmospheric burial grounds. It’s also more than a simple graveyard. On this walking tour, you’ll learn how to decode this cultural archive, where you’ll find headstone motifs with everything from Puritan death symbols to Roman-inspired willows and urns, reflecting changing religious attitudes over the years. Starting at the historical Redd’s Pond, you’ll learn about Wilmot ”Mammy” Redd, the only Marblehead resident executed during the 1692 Salem witch trials. From there, you’ll climb terraced pathways to see panoramic views of Marblehead Harbor and its iconic lighthouse. Along the way, you’ll hear fascinating stories about the cemetery’s permanent residents and see filming locations from Disney’s beloved *Hocus Pocus*. You’ll also hear about moments in American history that shaped this coastal community, including maritime disasters and the Revolutionary War. You’ll see where the original 1600s meeting house stood and find out how Marblehead evolved from a rough-edged fishing village (literally separated from Salem because residents refused to stop fishing on Sundays) to a community that’s preserved its unique character for four centuries. On this 45-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to: • Visit the brick tomb of General John Glover, a Revolutionary War hero in George Washington’s inner circle • See the headstone of Joseph Brown, a freed slave who fought in the American Revolution and later ran a tavern in town with his wife • Discover the poignant Fishermen’s Monument, commemorating the 65 men and boys lost in the devastating gale of 1846 • Learn about Captain James Mugford, whose daring 1776 capture of a British munitions ship helped arm the Continental forces • Visit the restored headstone of an enslaved woman called Agnis whose unusual stone marker tells a story of oppression By the end of this tour, you’ll have a greater appreciation for what horror writer H.P. Lovecraft described as “gravestones stuck ghoulishly through the snow like the decayed fingernails of a gigantic corpse” in one of America’s oldest towns.