From Civil War generals to Coca-Cola royalty, Westview Cemetery is the final resting place for some of Atlanta's most influential residents.

Hundreds of people gathered at the cemetery recently not to mourn, but to celebrate the city's history.

It was part of the Atlanta History Center's Party with the Past event, a way to connect the city's residents with those who came before them.

East Lake resident Anastasia Owen was one of the many who journeyed to the cemetery on the blustery October night.

"They have such gorgeous architecture and a tour. It's raining, but we're coming in and out of the room," Owen said. "We're enjoying ourselves."

While Owen said she loves to explore places in Atlanta, she had never been to Westview Abbey, the Spanish Gothic mausoleum and chapel in the middle of the cemetery.

"It's more gorgeous than I thought it was going to be. I didn't know that there was an actual castle," she said.

Westview Cemetery is one of the largest in the southeast and is more than 140 years old.

The area is the final resting place to notable names like Asa Candler Jr., the heir to Coca-Cola who owned the cemetery in the mid-1900s, Henry Grady, and Robert Woodruff.

Construction began on the mausoleum and abbey in 1943. It features 27 stained glass panels depicting the life of Jesus Christ and room for more than 11,000 entombments.

"There's a lot of history here that people should be hearing about and seeing," Owen said.

Jeff Clemmons, the evening's tour guide, had a similar first impression to Owen.

"I drove out here for lunch for the first time and was blown away by just the sheer size of the place, and came to the abbey we're standing in right now, and my mouth just fell open," Clemmons said.

The recent party at Westview is one way the Atlanta History Center is using after-hours experiences to connect the city with its past.

"That 'Ah-ha' moment when they come around and their mouths drop open, that's really thrilling for me," Clemmons said.

It's also a chance to bring in permanent residents to be truly part of Atlanta's history.

"To be able to spotlight and shine things we're doing here, and also to attract new business as well, because we are a business," he said.

The Atlanta History Center's next after-hours event is this Wednesday at the Margaret Mitchell House.

Tickets for "History on the Rocks: Shocktails" are available here.