When they reach a certain age, most kids think they're pretty sophisticated. But are they really? Touring Mt. Hope Cemeteryis an easy way to find out.

The free two-hour tours are pitched to an adult audience, but are fun for mature kids, too. Each tour is a bit different, depending on the interests of the particular guide. A tour might focus on Mt. Hope's geological features, the symbolism of headstones, or even zinc monuments (inexpensive grave markers of a bygone era).

My 11-year-old daughter, Julia, and I caught what our guide termed a "Greatest Hits" tour, including the graves of Hiram Sibley, Emily Sibley Watson, Margaret Woodbury Strong, and of course Freddy D. and Susie B., Mt. Hope's most celebrated residents.

My kid is what teachers like to call a "visual learner." By grave six or seven, she was quietly making her own fun, wandering through the dramatic park-like setting with a caterpillar she found. "I'm used to graves being in a row in a flat place. These graves are all over the place! I like how some gravestones look like trees and some are huge orbs. It's pretty amazing!" Julia enthused.

Tours are offered Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 2:30 p.m. through October. Meet at the North Gate House, across from Robinson Drive. Complimentary cookies and lemonade served after tours. Themed tours - $4/person - include the Civil War Tour on August 4 at 1:30 p.m. and the Ice Cream Tour on August 11 at 1:30 p.m. (vanilla), 2 p.m. (chocolate) and 2:30 p.m. (strawberry). Visit www.fomh.org or call 461-3494.