A cemetery visit is an interesting way to spend a fall afternoon, and Halloween is a great excuse, but it's not the only reason to make an excursion to a graveyard in your area.
Not So Spooky Graveyard Visit
There are graveyards in most communities, and in some locations they're one of the only spots given over to lawn and landscaping that's open to the public.
Explore Cemetery History
Where the Smithsonian Institute may be the attic of American, graveyards are among its historical treasures. Behind the gates one can find distinctive architecture, heirloom plants, one-of-a-kind artwork in the design of headstones, wrought iron fences and fountains; and a key to the sentiments of generations in the epitaphs they've left behind.
Use Cemetery Exploration to Learn About Plants, Architecture and More
Hobbies like collecting epitaphs and creating gravestone rubbings can be a way to make history come alive to both children and adults, and cemetery photography is an art form. Occasionally, long forgotten heirloom plant varieties can be rediscovered in historic cemeteries too, and an interested observer can observe lots of bird and animal species, even on a short visit.
Cheap Halloween Entertainment
Cemeteries can also be regional attractions that house the remains of the famous and infamous. A cross–country or regional trek can be enriched with a visit a few famous gravesites. The red carpet isn’t the only place to find celebrities. Cemeteries are the final resting place of the rich and famous, and one can visit them free of charge. Inject a little excitement into an outing by visiting the gravesite of a deceased childhood hero or a famous local celebrity.
Getting Prepared to Visit a Cemetery
To commemorate a graveyard visit, keep a record of interesting epitaphs or tombstone art, or just photograph some interesting plants or wildlife. To stay comfortable, wear walking shoes and carry a bottle of water. Many major or historic cemeteries will have administrative offices that can help make a visit more productive by providing maps and summaries of key points of interest.
Planning a Halloween Cemetery Trip
To make a day of it, select a group of cemeteries to visit, tracking down famous poets, inventors, statesmen and outlaws. There is no guarantee of running into a ghost, but cemeteries can teach valuable lessons about history, culture and art.
There are many sites on the Internet that offer information on famous gravesites, complete with photos, directions and hours of operation. What follows is a list of worthy gravesites, but it is only a small sampling.
Worthy Gravesites by State
Famous California Cemetery Residents
- Colma – Holy Cross Cemetery, Joe DiMaggio
- Culver City – Hillside Memorial Park, Michael Landon
- Culver City – Holy Cross Cemetery, Lawrence Welk
- Glendale – Forest Lawn Cemetery, Humphrey Bogart
- Los Angeles – Westwood Memorial Park, Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin
Famous Idaho Cemetery Residents
- Ketchum – Ketchum Cemetery, Ernest Hemingway
Famous Iowa Cemetery Residents
- Anamosa – Riverside Cemetery, Grant Wood
Famous Maryland Cemetery Residents
- Baltimore - Westminster Presbyterian, Edgar Allan Poe
Famous Massachusetts Cemetery Residents
- Concord – Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott
Famous Missouri Cemetery Residents
- Mansfield – Mansfield Cemetery, Laura Ingalls Wilder
- St. Louis – Calvary Cemetery, Tennessee Williams
Famous New York Cemetery Residents
- Brooklyn – Green Wood Cemetery, Louis Comfort Tiffany
Famous Ohio Cemetery Residents
- Brock - Brock Cemetery, Annie Oakley
- Dayton - Woodland Cemetery, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright
- Peoli - Peoli Churchyard, Cy Young
Famous Pennsylvania Cemetery Residents
- Castle Shannon – St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, Andy Warhol
- Pennsylvania – Christ Church Burial Grounds, Benjamin Franklin
Famous Tennessee Cemetery Residents
- Nashville –Woodlawn Memorial Park, Tammy Wynette
Famous Vermont Cemetery Residents
- Bennington - Old Bennington Cemetery, Robert Frost
Famous Virginia Cemetery Residents
- Arlington – Arlington National Cemetery, Joe Louis
Famous Wisconsin Cemetery Residents
- Madison – Resurrection Catholic Cemetery, Chris Farley
To put a little scary fun into a pre–Halloween afternoon or just spend an entertaining couple of hours outdoors, try the cemetery.
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