Nov 1 Only: A Kids' Cemetery Tour, an Opened Vault, and Pizza
One afternoon, one date: children learn to read 19th-century headstones by their carvings, see a burial vault opened on the guide's route, and finish with wood-fired pizza down the hill by the river.
🗺️ Two Stops, One Afternoon
🪦 Ninety Minutes for Small Historians
Meet at the Gatehouse, 3822 Ridge Avenue, a few minutes before the 1 pm start on Sunday, Nov 1; the walk ends at 2:30. Guenevere Mease keeps the route shorter than the adult tours and spends it on the carvings, the symbolism shared by most 19th-century cemeteries. Opening an underground vault is one scheduled stop on the guided route, so the whole group sees it together rather than children exploring a crypt on their own. Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for 6–12, free for 5 and under, $18 for seniors and students, and every child needs an adult with them.
🍕 Ten Minutes Downhill to the River
In Riva sits just under half a mile down Ridge Avenue, an easy ten minutes on foot from the gatehouse on the measured walking route. The kitchen bakes Napoletana-style pizza in a wood fire oven, and the outdoor seats look over the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive. Sunday service runs from 10:30 am to 8 pm, which leaves a long, forgiving window after the tour. It holds 4.4 stars across more than 1,800 reviews; on a Sunday, booking ahead is the easy route.
🧭 Symbols, Gates and the Ride Back
Clocks fall back on Nov 1 and the gates move to a 7 am to 5 pm day. Main roads are paved for strollers and wheelchairs, but inclines can be steep. SEPTA route 61, the Ridge Avenue line, leaves 9th Street between Walnut and Arch and drops riders at Clearfield Street, a crossing away from the gatehouse. Advanced ticket purchases are strongly encouraged.
