Explore Fascinating Cemeteries in the US

The best way to get to know a city is to meet some longtime residents, the folks who have been there for a really long time – like a couple centuries or so.

Haunting graveyards while still on this side of the afterlife is a great way to connect with characters from the past. The rich histories of many great American cities can be found in their cemeteries. Here are six of the most fascinating cemeteries in the US, some livelier than you might expect.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY

Just upstream on the Hudson River from NYC lies Sleepy Hollow, setting for Washington Irving’s iconic 19th-century story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. According to the tale, the specter of a headless horseman stalks the woods here, while being supernaturally bound from crossing a bridge near an old Dutch burial ground.

Visitors today won’t be able to find such a bridge, but you can indeed inspect 300-year-old headstones in the burial ground at the real-life Old Dutch Church before taking an eerily calm stroll through the adjacent – and much larger – Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Pay your respects to Irving himself, who was buried here in 1859.

Notable permanent residents

• Washington Irving (1783–1859), author
• William Rockefeller (1841–1922), oil magnate
• Elizabeth Arden (1878–1966), businesswoman in the cosmetics industry

Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, CA

Resting beneath swaying palm trees, some of the biggest names in showbiz are buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, often in an oversized mausoleum or beneath a life-size statue of their likeness. Pick up a map at the flower shop to get your bearings.

Aside from gawking at memorials to the stars, the site usually hosts events more commonly found in urban parks. In non-pandemic years, you could catch outdoor screenings of classic films in the summer, take in a concert at the cemetery’s Masonic Lodge, or join the raucous Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival.

Notable permanent residents

• Judy Garland (1922–1969), actor
• Cecil B DeMille (1881–1959), filmmaker
• Mel Blanc (1908–1989), comedian and voice actor

Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, DC

In 1862, president Abraham Lincoln tragically lost his son Willie to typhoid and was reportedly driven by grief to enter a mausoleum at this cemetery in Washington, DC to hold the boy’s body a final time. This somber image has inspired many literary connections, particularly in modern literature.

Notable permanent residents

• Katharine Meyer Graham (1917–2001), first female publisher of a major American newspaper
• Edward Douglass White (1845–1921), Chief Justice of the United States
• Edwin Stanton (1814–1869), Lincoln’s Secretary of War

Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

You’d think the cacophony of sounds in New York City could raise the dead, but to our knowledge, those interred amid the peace and quiet of historic Green-Wood Cemetery have yet to be stirred. Join the half million souls buried here for a pleasant walk past tombs and mausoleums to the highest point in Brooklyn.

The high ground was the setting for the 1776 Battle of Long Island, where the Continental Army clashed with British troops, commemorated by a 7ft statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. In addition to that slice of history, the cemetery is the final resting place of numerous notable figures.

Notable permanent residents

• James Renwick (1818–1895), architect
• Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), artist
• Isabella Goodwin (1865–1943), first female NYPD detective

St Louis Cemetery No 1, New Orleans, LA

The oldest of a trio of burial grounds bearing the St Louis name, this cemetery is a spooky top sight in New Orleans and is great for tapping into the history of the Big Easy. The distinctive look of the cemetery is due to the shallow water table, necessitating the interment of early Creoles in above-ground tombs, often in a distinctive Greek-Revival style.

Among the tombs, you’ll spot that of “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau, a must-see for those intrigued by the occult. Rumors persisted that Laveau would grant wishes if a visitor drew an “X” on her tomb, spun three times, and knocked on the tomb. However, due to vandalism, cemetery visitation is now limited to relatives of those buried and those on approved tours.

Notable permanent residents

• Marie Laveau (1801–1881), Voodoo Queen
• Étienne de Boré (1741–1820), first mayor of New Orleans following the Louisiana Purchase
• Homer Plessy (1862–1925), of the Plessy v Ferguson Supreme Court decision

Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, CA

East Bay’s Mountain View Cemetery delivers on its name, offering a great vantage point to take in Oakland and, on a clear day, San Francisco’s skyline.

The serene, park-like surroundings were designed by the architect Frederick Law Olmstead, famous for his work on NYC’s Central Park and other notable parks.

Notable permanent residents

• J A Folger (1835–1889), founder of Folgers Coffee
• Domingo Ghirardelli (1817–1894), founder of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
• Julia Morgan (1872–1957), California’s first female architect

Cemetery Visit Etiquette

Cemeteries are fascinating places to visit, but it’s essential to be mindful of the rules when on hallowed ground. Aside from the obvious things like being respectful of those there to mourn and not standing directly on a resting place, also refrain from touching headstones or monuments and check for any posted rules specific to the cemetery you’re visiting. While some allow group activities, others are more strict or formal.

This article was first published August 26, 2019, and updated September 28, 2020.