For Meeting Planners & Group Leaders
Curated Historical Programming in Alexandria’s Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex
Gravestone Stories offers Private Group Tours in Alexandria’s Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex—expert-led 90-minute programs for conferences, heritage groups, and educational institutions seeking something beyond Old Town’s traditional walking tours.
Led by working historian and cemetery superintendent David Heiby, each program blends primary-source scholarship, documented discoveries, and compelling storytelling—creating a meaningful cultural experience tailored for groups.
Why Choose Gravestone Stories for Your Group?
Most Alexandria tours remain within the King Street corridor. Our programs take your guests into an 82-acre historic landscape containing 13 cemeteries and more than 35,000 documented burials—a setting unlike any other in the nation.
These are not scripted guidebook anecdotes. They are stories uncovered through more than a decade of on-site stewardship, archival research, and field investigation.
Ideal For
Group Logistics Snapshot
Signature Experience Themes
The Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex: An Outdoor Archive of American History
Explore 250 years of national history concentrated in one extraordinary landscape—from the founding generation through the Civil War to the Cold War era.
Washington’s Inner Circle & Revolutionary Foundations
Walk among Washington’s pallbearers, early Alexandrians, and figures who shaped the Republic in the years following independence.
Civil War Memory, USCT Protest & National Cemetery History
From hospital records to the first integrated military burial ground, discover stories reshaping how we understand wartime Alexandria.
Cold War Espionage & Maritime Disaster
From Soviet codebreakers to Civil War pursuit vessels, uncover unexpected global connections buried in Alexandria’s cemeteries.
Custom programming aligned with your conference theme is available upon request.
“Our DAR chapter learned more in 90 minutes than from years of books and lectures. His research is impeccable.”
— Amy D., DAR Chapter MemberRecognized & Trusted
About Your Guide
David Heiby
Public Historian & Cemetery Steward
For over a decade, David has researched and documented more than 300 historically significant individuals buried in Alexandria’s cemeteries. His work has been cited by historians and preservation organizations and has helped elevate the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex to national recognition.
Request a Private Group Experience
To discuss scheduling, custom themes, or conference programming:
Or call (703) 869-0872
Download Our One-Page Group Overview for Planners
