Beyond Her Grave Bicycle Tour: The past is female, too, in Grand Rapids

There are no shortages of local partnerships that our Grand Rapids Public Library hosts throughout the year. 

And while many often take place inside their facilities around the city, on Saturday you will have a chance to step outside on a journey as you are invited to join others as they pedal from the downtown Library around the town on this one-of-a-kind local history event.

“Beyond Her Grave Bicycle Tour” digs into the local legacies of the many women who are buried in the city’s Fulton Street and Oakhill Cemeteries. 

The library’s special two-day bicycle touring event (the first one took place on Tuesday, August 14) is produced in partnership with the popular She Rides Her Own Way and the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council who will guide the riders to the first of their two stops at the Fulton Street Cemetery — the city’s oldest cemetery. After a period of walking and hearing about the women buried here, the tour will then proceed to the Southeast’s Oakhill Cemetery, which is filled with stunning architectural works perfect for absorbing their beauty as well as posting to your Instagram.

What makes this trip really special is that often history has been focused on the contributions of men with women invisible.  

As our local culture has evolved with time, we are beginning to see a new urgency as well as keen interest in the sharing of the contributions many of these historic women have had on the shaping of our Grand Rapids community.

This special program is a part of the library’s GR Reads program. For more details, please visit the library’s website.