The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is set to kick off its seasonal Twilight Talks Series.
The first program will be “Stories from the Sanibel Cemetery” on Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. in Shore Haven. As All Hallows Eve and All Souls Day draw near, a trio of local experts — Betty Anholt, Ginny Darby and Deb Gleason — will share the notable tales of those buried in the sands of Sanibel.
Tucked away around Sanibel are numerous burial sites for island settlers, many of them unmarked. Today, walkers and bicyclists nod in tribute — or stop to pay their respects — when passing the historic cemetery nestled near the bike path. Attendees will hear sad, bizarre and fascinating stories about the lives and deaths of early Sanibel residents.
Anholt has been a Sanibel resident for more than 50 years. She is the island’s most celebrated local historian and is an award-winning author of seven books. Starting with the “in the garden,” she knows where the bodies are buried on Sanibel.
Darby, chair of the Education Committee for the village’s board of directors, she is a self-professed “nerd.” She has spent many hours wandering through cemeteries on Sanibel, in the United States and abroad contemplating the lives and stories of the people who are interred.
Gleason explored every bit of Sanibel as she grew up on the island. For over 30 years, she has been active with the village and is currently chair of the city’s Historical Preservation Committee. Gleason observes that islanders “live in a natural world of protected animals, birds, and plants that bring a quality to our lives like few other places offer.”
Tickets are $20.
For tickets or more information, visit https://sanibelmuseum.org/ or the Shore Haven Welcome Desk.
The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is at 950 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.
To reach SANIBEL HISTORICAL MUSEUM AND VILLAGE, please email