A gloomy and crispy morning set the scene for the 29th annual Historical Cemetery Tour on Saturday, Oct. 25 — during which stories of the dead came to life.
Hundreds of residents and visitors attended the annual event at the Long Beach Municipal Cemetery and Sunnyside Cemetery, which offered attractions and performances that told stories highlighting Long Beach’s rich and diverse history, while also connecting to the concerns of today.
Jake Sorensen and Giorgina Delgado walk with their daughter Gia, 1, to see community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Jo Murray introduces the actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney as they portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Phoebe Castellanos and Charlie Rodriguez portrait Petra and Joe Sisneros in Life and Death at Rancho Los Alamitos during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Tim Gardener and Tom Crochet dressed up for the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Zadie Cannon, right, and Tara Brown portrait Darthula Bouggess and Willie White in A Lasting Legacy during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Sean Wellengard and Lisa Salas portrait John and Lulu Munholland in Red Fezzes and a Really Big Camel during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Zadie Cannon, right, and Tara Brown portrait Darthula Bouggess and Willie White in A Lasting Legacy during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Tim Gardener and Tom Crochet dressed up for the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Sean Wellengard and Lisa Salas portrait John and Lulu Munholland in Red Fezzes and a Really Big Camel during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Tim Gardener and Tom Crochet dressed up for the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Tim Gardener and Tom Crochet dressed up for the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The actors Rick Fleischman and Madison Mooney portrait Walter and Ethel Case in The Press-Telegram and the Playhouse during the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption
1 of 25
Jake Sorensen and Giorgina Delgado walk with their daughter Gia, 1, to see community theater actors, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, portray the lives of people who have shaped Long Beach history in graveside performances as part of the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
The event, hosted by the Historical Society of Long Beach, featured graveside performances by community theater actors portraying the lives of people who made an impact on the city’s history. This year, performances reflected the challenges faced by immigrants and threats to freedom of speech, among other issues.
Attendees also got to experience a Día de los Muertos display, hear from historians, get local history books signed by authors, and other displays of Long Beach history.
Dedicated volunteers are what make the event possible, officials said, such as Roxanne Patmor and Kaye Briegel, who bring the stories to life through their research, writing, casting, and more.
The Historical Society of Long Beach officials said they hope that this year’s event once again provided people with a new perspective on the city’s history and offered them an entertaining day that connects the living, dead, history and culture all in one place.