Take a moonlit tour of one of WPB's oldest "gated communities!"

It is home to some of the area's founding pioneers!

We're talking about historic Woodlawn Cemetery.

Woodlawn Cemetery has been called the area's most historic cemetery.

It is a living history book telling the story of those early pioneers who settled here and laid the foundation of the city.

Two local historians are opening those historic pages...and the gates of this historic site to guide the public through history.

Members of the public can take a 90-minute guided tour through Woodlawn Cemetery and learn the incredible (and sometimes incredulous) stories behind the gravestones. The cemetery is the final resting place of some of Palm Beach County’s most influential and important citizens, including a few infamous ones whose stories will also be told.

The tours will focus on the pioneer era citizens who were the first to grace the shores of Lake Worth and brave its hardships, building businesses and serving the community.

The tours are offered monthly during (yes...insert joke here), the light of the first full moon!

"There are so many tales behind the famous pioneers buried at Woodlawn, and this is a unique opportunity to have history come to life right in front of you," said Friederike Mittner, City of West Palm Beach Historic Preservation Planner. "You really will gain a new appreciation for our past by learning about the individuals who helped build our city."

The tours are led by historians Janet M. DeVries and Dr. Ginger Pedersen. DeVries is vice president of the Boynton Beach Historical Society and a member of many local and national historical and genealogical societies. Pedersen frequently lectures on Palm Beach County history and is the co-author of the 2012 book, Pioneering Palm Beach: The Deweys and the South Florida Frontier.

The two upcoming tours are:

Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 7:30pm

Friday, May 20, 2016 at 7:30pm

Bring a flashlight, bug repellant, water and closed-toed shoes.

Call 561-804-4921 to make a reservation. Groups limited to 50 guests.

Tours leave from the front gates of Woodlawn Cemetery at 1500 S. Dixie Highway. There is no formal fee, but a $5 donation to the Woodlawn Foundation is appreciated.