Blog on Writing & Life

[ For my FREE book about cemetery symbols, click here. The following article is an adapted excerpt from my travel guide to haunted places called, Paranormal Texas. Full disclosure: it’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy stuff after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Win/win, right?]

Oakwood Saints and Sinners Tour 

What do you get when you combine live theater regional history and a beautiful texas burial ground? Why the Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour, of course!

Every October the North Fort Worth Historical Society chooses interesting characters from Oakwood Cemetery’s residents to “bring to life” through well-researched performances by costumed historians.

2020 Consolation Prize!

Unfortunately, if you’re watching this in 2020 then I must tell you that there is no cemetery tour this year. (I’m sure you can guess why!) But that’s why I made this blog post and video. Since we can’t go this year, consider this a consolation prize!

I’ve been going to the Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour in Fort Worth, Texas since 2015. I’ve taken so many photos (and even a little bit of video.) I hope you enjoy this little blog post and companion video that I’ve put together. (To see the companion video, click this link or the image below: Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour.)

Cemeteries are Open-air Museums

I often say that historic cemeteries are open-air museums. That’s what I love about the Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour. It really brings history to life in a special way.

The performances are often quite funny, but some will bring tears to your eyes. I learn so much each year. I wish more historic cemeteries had tours like this.

Fort Worth is “Where the West begins”

Since Fort Worth is considered to be “Where the West begins,” these tours often give you a glimpse into Wild West history. You’ll learn about cattle barons, oilmen, gunslingers, cowboys, soldiers, suffragettes, shopkeepers, and more!

There’s even a section called Bartenders Row where Wild West saloon workers are buried. Another plot is nicknamed Soiled Doves Row. A soiled dove is a euphemism they used in the 1800s to describe what we would call a prostitute or sex worker today.

I go into more detail about the ladies in Soiled Doves Row, Bartenders Row, and other historic people in Oakwood Cemetery in my new book, 6 Feet Under Texas.

Faro versus Poker in the Wild West

One year I learned how to play Faro. I’d never even heard of it before! Faro is the card game you see people playing in Wild West movies. I always thought it was poker, but Faro was a very popular card game for gamblers.

And get a load of those guys’ mustaches! That’s a major commitment to history, am I right?

Unique casket “elevator”

Whether you go before or after your tour, make sure you visit Oakwood’s Chapel. Not only will you see some really gorgeous stained glass windows. but they have a rectangular door in the floor up by the altar that has a rather unique function.

In the old days, caskets were stored in the basement where temperatures were naturally much cooler. When it was time for the memorial service, they would raise the casket up through this rectangular door in the floor. Clever, eh?

Drop by my table and say hi!

I know it can be crowded, but when you come to the Saints and Sinners Tour you better stop by my table and say hi. Not in 2020, of course, but in the future.

I am a member of the North Fort Worth Historical Society and you can usually find me sitting with my husband, Larry, in the shade selling books and enjoying a really fun day at Oakwood Cemetery.

Is Oakwood the “John Smith” of cemetery names?

You’ve probably heard that John Smith is the most common name in America, right?

Well, I sometimes joke that Oakwood is the “John Smith” of cemetery names because it seems like every big city has at least one burial ground named Oakwood Cemetery.

How about you? Is there an Oakwood Cemetery near you? Let me know in the comments below.

Are historic cemeteries your happy place?

If, like me, historic cemeteries are your happy place, drop by my new store, GraveHour Gifts.

Plan your trip to Oakwood Cemetery’s Saints and Sinners Tour

To visit Oakwood Cemetery: You can visit Fort Worth’s Oakwood Cemetery year-round. The address is 701 Grand Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164

Saints and Sinners Facebook page: To find about upcoming historic cemetery tours in Oakwood, visit their Facebook page. 

Tui Snider’s YouTube: I feature Oakwood Cemetery in several of my YouTube videos, so you may wish to check those out before your visit. Here’s the link: Exploring Historic Cemeteries.

To learn the spooky-but-true history behind a whole bunch of haunted places in North Texas (including Oakwood Cemetery), check out my travel guide: Paranormal Texas.

READ MY BOOKS: To see a list of all my published books, check out Tui  Snider’s Amazon page. 

Learn more about offbeat travel & historic cemeteries at my YouTube Channel

Want a FREE book? Click below:

[ For my FREE book about cemetery symbols, click here. The following article is an adapted excerpt from my travel guide to haunted places called, Paranormal Texas. Full disclosure: it’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy stuff after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Win/win, right?]

Doll House Museum in Granbury, Texas

The Granbury Doll House Museum has over 2500 dolls from around the world.  The dolls are on display throughout a two-story historic home that, when you think about it, kinda looks like a great big dollhouse.

This unique museum was founded by Jane Sharp and Barbara Williams. Jane and Barbara are sisters, and their Doll House Museum is truly a labor of love. The top floor of the house serves as a doll hospital, and is where the women painstakingly restore these historic playthings.

A labor of love

A walk through the Granbury Doll House reveals everything from mass-produced Barbies and G.I. Joes to handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces from famous doll makers.

Many of the dolls are donated by family members who no longer want them, but realize their historic significance. When there are no descendants to take these special dolls, Jane and Barbara fix them up and display them to the public.

Thomas Edison’s Dolly Rekord Doll

One of the most unique exhibits is a 1922 Dolly Rekord doll. It contains a wax cylinder created by Thomas Edison that allows it to “speak.” (Watch my YouTube video about the Granbury Doll House if you want to see and hear this amazing historic doll in action!)

When I asked museum volunteer, Vicky, which doll was her favorite, she immediately showed us this fascinating, and very historic, Dolly Rekord doll that you can see in the above photo.

Fun for all ages

On my first visit, I had a couple men in tow. I didn’t think they would find the place interesting, but we ended up staying for nearly 2 hours! Although I did have a Raggedy Ann, a few Barbies, and a Little Women doll (Jo, the writer, of course!), I was quite a tomboy growing up. So even I wasn’t sure how fun the doll museum would be. Well, let me tell you: if you enjoy history and toys, you will love Granbury’s Doll House Museum. The women who work there are so knowledgeable.

But is it a haunted doll museum?!?

As our visit drew to a close, I finally mustered up the courage to ask if the sisters ever experience paranormal activity at the museum. Some people are touchy about this, depending on their belief system, and the the last thing I wanted to do was irritate those lovely ladies!

The two merely laughed and told me the Granbury Doll House has its “share of spirits.” They went on to explain that not only do the Pirates of the Caribbean figures rearrange themselves on the shelf, but they often find some of them on the floor, as if they had been fighting.

Who’s afraid of the dark?

Another strange occurrence involves the second floor light. Even when they are sure they have turned it off, it often turns itself back on. When I suggested that perhaps one of the dolls is afraid of the dark, the women murmured that I just may have something there!

You can also watch my video of the Granbury Doll House Museum here:

Paranormal investigation at the haunted doll museum!

A few months later, I returned after hours to attend a paranormal investigation led by Greg Steven’s group, TxRIP. A command center was erected outside by the garage, and the air-conditioning was turned off inside the house.

This made for quite a hot experience. While I didn’t enjoy the sweat dripping down my back, this lack of a/c made the sudden pockets of ice-cold air during our investigation very obvious!

The results?

None of us felt anything sinister in the doll museum, but TX RIP detected several anomalies on their videos. You can visit their Facebook page, where they share results from their investigations by clicking here.

According to fellow author and noted psychic, Teal Gray, “For me, the highest concentration of energy was located near the stairs and the rooms to each side of the kitchen,” adding that, “A mischievous boy doll on top of the refrigerator with a big smile on his face seemed delighted we were there.” Overall, according to her psychic impressions, “The spirits seem to be very happy with Barbara and Jane running the museum .”

Plan your trip to the Granbury Doll House Museum

If you’d like to visit the museum, you’ll need to take a trip to Granbury, Texas. The museum is open most weekends from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. but I would check their Facebook page before going. Admission is free, and if the American flag is out, the museum is open.

To learn the spooky-but-true history behind a whole bunch more haunted places in North Texas, check out my travel guide: Paranormal Texas.

Let me know if you go to the Granbury Doll House or any of the other places in my books! And be sure to tell the ladies that Tui sent you! :)

Address: 421 Bridge Street, Granbury, Tx 76048

Website: www.facebook.com/TheGranburyDollHouse

What about you?

Think you’d enjoy visiting the Granbury Doll House Museum? Or would all the dolls make you nope right out of there?

READ MY BOOKS: To see a list of all my published books, check out Tui  Snider’s Amazon page. 

Learn more about offbeat travel & historic cemeteries at my YouTube Channel

Want a FREE book? Click below: