Historic cemeteries are favorite haunts for groups.
Some are noteworthy for the famous — or infamous — people buried there, from Hollywood stars to legendary outlaws, while other cemeteries are notable for their unique aesthetics or the role they play in a destination’s history.
Whether they’re taking a spooky nighttime cemetery tour or observing a nationally recognized ceremony, groups will love touring these historic cemeteries across the country.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia
Just outside of Washington, D.C., Arlington National Cemetery is one of the country’s most famous burial grounds, receiving at least 3 million visitors annually. The 693-acre cemetery was the family estate of Mary Custis Lee, wife to Confederate general Robert E. Lee. During the Civil War, the land was seized by the Union Army and used to bury a growing number of Union dead. The cemetery quickly became a national memorial for veterans, and today a burial at Arlington is one of the highest honors a veteran can receive. More than 420,000 people are buried on its grounds; they include veterans and their dependents, high-ranking military officials and persons of national significance, from presidents to astronauts to Civil Rights Movement figures. Some of its most notable inhabitants are presidents John F. Kennedy and William Taft, as well as Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall and Walter Reed.
The cemetery is also home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the remains of unknown soldiers killed in World War I, World War II and the Korean War are interred. The tomb is guarded at all times by military personnel, and groups can witness the popular changing of the guard ceremony during their visit. Both public and private tours of the cemetery grounds are offered.
Mulberry Street Cemetery
LaGrange, Georgia
In LaGrange, Georgia, a town about an hour south of Atlanta, one of the city’s historic cemeteries is getting a makeover. The Mulberry Street Cemetery, established in 1863, is the final resting place of Horace King, who was born into slavery and died a renowned covered-bridge builder, legislator and architect. One of King’s covered bridges was reconstructed within the cemetery to honor his legacy and showcase his contributions to LaGrange and the region. Mulberry Street Cemetery is also the final resting place of some 300 Confederate veterans from many states throughout the Confederacy, as well as an estimated 1,000 unmarked graves of African Americans, making it a great stop for those interested in Civil War history.
The cemetery is currently undergoing a $2.7 million revitalization project, which includes the addition of a boardwalk, landscaping and the restoration of historic monuments. Groups can visit to learn about LaGrange’s history, its culture and the legacy of those interred there.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
New Orleans, Louisiana
Wrought-iron gates, oven wall vaults and haphazardly placed, above-ground tombs topped with intricate stone statues are among the features that make St. Louis Cemetery No.1 an easily identifiable New Orleans landmark. Established in 1789, the cemetery is the city’s oldest. Because it’s located in a swamp, above-ground burials are the best practice to ensure flooding doesn’t displace or disturb the graves. Visitors may notice that some of the cemetery’s oldest graves have almost entirely disappeared into the ground — proof that New Orleans is slowly sinking. Some of the most visited graves in the cemetery include those of Marie Laveau, the legendary Voodoo practitioner, herbalist and midwife of New Orleans, and the future grave of actor Nicolas Cage.
The cemetery is a top choice for tourists, but the only way inside its gates is with a guided tour reservation. Daytime and nighttime guided tours, led by knowledgeable local guides, are offered for groups of up to 20 people and last approximately 45 minutes.
Mount Moriah Cemetery
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood, South Dakota’s history is imbued with the rough-and-tumble spirit of the Wild West, from its heyday in the gold mining industry to brushes with famous outlaws. The cemetery was founded in 1878 and overlooks Deadwood Gulch, the town’s namesake. History buffs will especially enjoy wandering the cemetery’s hilly, woodsy terrain to see the graves of some of Deadwood’s most prominent former residents. The most famous internments in the cemetery are the outlaw Wild Bill Hickok and the daredevil frontierswoman Calamity Jane. Visitors will also find the grave of Seth Bullock, a frontiersman and U.S. Marshall, as well as notorious brothel madam Dora DuFran, among others.
Groups in Deadwood will find that the cemetery is one of the best places to learn about the city’s history and the history of the Black Hills region. They can take self-guided or audio tours year-round but should note that bus parking is not available in the cemetery. Instead, groups should arrange alternate transportation from downtown Deadwood.
deadwood.com
Cave Hill Cemetery
Louisville, Kentucky
Just outside downtown Louisville, Kentucky, Cave Hill Cemetery is a Victorian cemetery and arboretum renowned for its beautiful landscaping and architecture. Founded in 1848, the 296-acre cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 140,000 people, making it the city’s largest cemetery both by land area and number of burials. Several well-known Kentuckians buried there include legendary boxer and Louisville resident Muhammad Ali; Louisville founder and Revolutionary War officer George Rogers Clark; and Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Private group tours can be arranged for groups of 10 or more, and student group tours are available free of charge. Tours last approximately 90 minutes and discuss famous burials, flora and fauna of the cemetery, and its architecture and design. Bus parking is available.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Los Angeles, California
Even after their deaths, Hollywood celebrity sightings are a major draw. Every year, thousands of visitors flock to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a 60-acre cemetery in the heart of Los Angeles, for strolls, tours and events. The picturesque cemetery was founded in 1899 and today serves as the final resting place for many Hollywood icons, musicians and celebrities, including Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino and Chris Cornell. The cemetery is also home to a very popular Dia de Los Muertos festival, which is attended by nearly 30,000 people each year, as well as weekly community events, such as classic film screenings.
Groups can opt for several experiences: a basic tour that lets visitors pay their respects to the cemetery’s most famous residents, a night tour that allows groups to explore the cemetery by flashlight, and additional specialty tours that discuss the cemetery’s Jewish heritage and lesser-known Hollywood figures. Tours are guided by in-house historians.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Perhaps the best-known cemetery in New England is Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in the New York village of the same name. Both the village and the cemetery gained their fame and their names from the 1820 short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The story’s author, Washington Irving, said to be the founder of the short story genre, is buried there. The 90-acre cemetery, founded in 1849, boasts a serene, New England forest setting, including an arboretum, water features and, in autumn, gorgeous fall foliage. But it’s also home to the graves of many notable figures of American history, including Walter Chrysler, Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller Jr., among other prominent business titans, actors, journalists and philanthropists.
Groups can arrange a guided tour of the cemetery to explore its grounds and visit its most famous graves. They can opt for a standard, two-hour walking tour, where they’ll learn about the cemetery’s legends and history. Or they can select a special tour, including a nighttime lantern-led tour, or a “Murder and Mayhem” tour, a perfect way to experience all the macabre magic of this little New England village cemetery.
