Join us on October 10th, 2026!

From 2013 through 2017, the Big Pine Cemetery District hosted five annual Heritage Ghost Walks at Crocker Cemetery during an October weekend afternoon. The ticketed events were created both to raise funds for cemetery improvements and to offer the community a memorable way to experience Big Pine’s history.

Visitors joined guided groups and walked through the cemetery, encountering colorful characters along the way—including the weeping widow, the undertaker, and even a local madam. At selected gravesites and historic locations, the groups stopped for more in-depth presentations about early settlers, miners, farmers, shopkeepers, civic leaders, and other residents whose lives helped shape Big Pine and the Owens Valley.

Each year, volunteers researched a new collection of people buried at Crocker Cemetery and prepared their stories using historical records, family histories, newspaper accounts, photographs, and local knowledge. Dressed in period costume, the volunteers brought these stories to life in the very cemetery where many of the people they portrayed were laid to rest.

The experience was designed to be informative, theatrical, and fun while remaining respectful of the cemetery and those buried there. After traveling through the grounds and meeting characters from Big Pine’s past, visitors could gather for refreshments at the onsite Big Pine Saloon, adding a playful Old West finish to the afternoon.

More than a cemetery tour, the Heritage Ghost Walks created a living connection between present-day Big Pine and the generations that came before. They preserved local stories, encouraged interest in community history, brought neighbors together, and helped support the continued care and improvement of Big Pine's cemeteries.