Historic Cemeteries Worth Visiting in the US
Explore these remarkable cemeteries where history, culture, and landscape come together in unexpected ways
“Right here, we are coming upon Strangers Rest,” says Annette Baumgarden, president of Oakwood Cemetery Heritage Foundation, as she leads the Daredevils of Niagara Tour at Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, New York, on a fall day. “Here is where we would put you if you either weren’t from here, you had no family here, you had an accident, or there’s only a piece of you.”
Only a piece?! Going over the falls can easily lead to pieces, explains Baumgarden. Among the cemetery’s residents is Annie Edson Taylor, an American schoolteacher who marked her 63rd birthday by becoming the first person to survive a barrel ride over the falls. Others buried here weren’t so lucky.
Not everybody thinks of cemeteries as must-visit sites. But for superfans like me, they offer a fascinating glimpse into history, culture, and deeply personal ways people honor their loved ones. Here are some of the most intriguing cemeteries you can explore across the US.
Lone Fir Cemetery: Ginkgo groves and tree-stump tombstones
Portland, Oregon
What keeps drawing me back to Lone Fir Cemetery—my favorite resting place to wander in Portland—is its remarkable mix of grave markers, from 19th-century Oregon pioneers to contemporary memorials, all tucked among Portland’s second-largest collection of tree species, including Douglas firs, giant sequoias, and ginkgos. The result is a lush and shady place to stroll while contemplating my own future gravestone.
One of Lone Fir’s unique features is its collection of “tree stones”—realistically carved limestone or marble carved to resemble tree stumps. These distinctive monuments, each standing about 4 feet tall, were offered to members of the fraternal organization Woodmen of the World. Each one bears the Latin motto “Dum Tacet Clamat.” Translation: “Though silent, he speaks.”
Bonaventure Cemetery: Angels and Spanish moss
Savannah, Georgia
One of the most photographed cemeteries in the country, Bonaventure Cemetery is a spectacular 19th-century garden cemetery filled with ornate Victorian monuments resting beneath sweeping canopies of live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Expect striking statues of angels, weeping widows, and classical figures, many standing sentinel over elaborate family plots. This is the cemetery most famously featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which brought national attention to its haunting beauty and Southern Gothic charm.
Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum: Garden graves and guided tours
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum opened in 1850, it was a big deal for Milwaukee. “It was the first landscaped public place that people could go,” said Sara Tomilin, former executive director of Forest Home, as she showed me around the huge garden cemetery on a golden October day. “It was their getaway before public parks existed.”
Today, the cemetery is once again inviting the living in—with events such as yoga among the headstones, guided bird walks, and a lively Día de los Muertos celebration each fall. History buffs can take themed tours that highlight the final resting places of Milwaukee’s beer barons, Civil War veterans, architects, suffragists, and abolitionists.
Manzanar National Historic Site: Stone rings and stolen lives
Inyo County, California
Manzanar—one of 10 remote military-style camps where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II—holds a small but deeply moving cemetery. Only six of the approximately 150 people who died in the camp remain buried here; the families of the others chose to relocate their loved ones’ remains after the war. The graves are marked with simple stone rings, set against the stark, haunting beauty of Mount Williamson in the eastern Sierra Nevada. In a quiet act of communal remembrance, families in the camp each contributed 15 cents to erect a single striking white monument inscribed with the Japanese kanji for “Soul Consoling Tower.”
Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery: Park legends and pioneers
Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim), Arizona
Walking through Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery, I noticed the marker for miner, hotelier, and Civil War veteran John Hance. The previous summer I’d rafted Hance Rapid—one of the canyon’s longest and most challenging stretches of whitewater—named for the same larger-than-life figure. Everybody buried here shares a deep connection to the Grand Canyon and its history. It’s the final resting place for Grand Canyon pioneers, war veterans, tribal members, and employees of the park concessionaires, US Forest Service, and National Park Service.
In keeping with the park’s rustic aesthetic, headstones are crafted from native stones, and the cemetery entrance is framed by sturdy stone pillars and rough-hewn log crossbeams that blend into the surrounding landscape. It felt peaceful to take a moment away from the canyon’s more crowded attractions to remember the people whose dedication made the park possible.
Green-Wood Cemetery: Gothic gates and green space
Brooklyn, New York
The dramatic Gothic Revival gate at Green-Wood Cemetery fulfilled all my teenage Goth fantasies fueled by Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” video. Exploring its 478 acres of rolling hills and winding paths, I imagined what fabulous memorial, famous person, or eccentric visitor I’d find around a corner. During a winter visit, I encountered a group of birders, binoculars in hand, scanning the trees for migrating visitors.
Founded in 1838 and now a National Historic Landmark, Green-Wood is a portal into 19th-century New York. It’s rich in angel statuary—including the Angel of Music, watching over the grave of composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and the Angel of Death, commemorating a former Brooklyn mayor. Animal lovers often stop at the pyramid-shaped tomb of Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose legacy is as enduring as the granite marking his grave.
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While this list highlights a few under-the-radar gems that I personally adore, all cemeteries are special. Whether a humble family plot or somewhere as historically significant as Arlington National Cemetery, they contain remains of those who were precious to their loved ones. So, the next time you encounter a cemetery, pause. Go for a stroll, enjoy the plants and art, and take a moment to think of those who have gone before.