7 Historic Burial Sites and Cemeteries to Visit Across the United States

Oct 27, 2024

It’s no secret that we love a good road trip! Whether it’s sightseeing national monuments, hiking through national and state parks, or visiting historic sites, there’s no shortage of excitement to be had! Today, we’re leaning into the Halloween Spirit and sharing a guide to some of the oldest and most historic cemeteries in the United States. Each of these memorial sites allows us to connect with the past, learn about our country’s history, and explore the lives of people who came before us. You can learn a lot about the history of a region and its community by visiting local gravesites and cemeteries. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get to exploring!

Tour Some of the Oldest and Most Interesting Cemeteries in the United States

One of the oldest burial sites in the US is the Ernest Witte Site (2700 BCE) located in Austin County, Texas. This site was accidentally discovered by two brothers in the 1930s in their quest to find gold and silver, but instead they unearthed some human remains. This aboriginal, indigenous cemetery sheds light on the prehistoric lives of regional indigenous Native Americans. Remains of more than 230 people were found on the site in multilayered burial plots. You can learn more about the burial site and remains that were discovered by visiting the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin.

Located near Moundsville, West Virginia, the Grave Creek Mound burial site is believed to date back to 250 BCE. The site was home to a local indigenous group, the Adena peoples, a Pre-Columbian Native American community, and is also the site of numerous fossils and preserved ice-age animals. You can check out the historic artifacts found at the site, a museum, and an archaeological research center to learn more about this ancient society.

The colonial Jamestown Original Burying Ground was established in the early 1600s, in an effort to avoid tensions and interactions with local Native American tribes. This original burial site was located within James Fort, but later the bodies were eventually moved and relocated to the Burying Ground, sometime in 1619. Thus far, about 36 burials have been logged and identified, and archaeologists excavate a few more bodies each year to be studied. You can learn more about the historic remains of early colonists by visiting Jame Fort and touring the archaeological site.

Historian’s say that King’s Chapel is Boston’s oldest burial place, created in 1630 as the final resting place for the next surge of colonists exploring “the New World.” It was established by colonizer Isaac Johnson, and later a church was constructed nearby, thus later being named King’s Chapel Cemetery. You can tour this historic cemetery as part of the Freedom Trail tour in Boston.

The Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago was created in 1877 and established by the local Czech community that had settled in Chicago, and now covers an astounding 126 acres of land. Nearly 120,000 Chicago area’s former residents are buried here, including some travelers of the SS Eastland Shipwreck. Throughout the cemetery you’ll find stunning sculptures, impressive monuments, granite statues, and more commemorating the dead who are interned there. Download the map online and take a historic tour of the cemetery to learn more about Chicago’s history and past residents.

Explore the grounds of historic non-profit site at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, burial site of former US President James A. Garfield and more than 100,000 former local residents across 285 acres. When touring the site, you’ll notice many historic markers and sites of major figures in US history and economics such as Henry Chisholm, John Milton Hay, Eliot Ness, and more. You can take a walk through the grounds on a self-guided tour, or sign up for any of the numerous special events run by the cemetery’s organization including history tours, nature tours, and even live musical events.

A fusion of historic, culture, and architecture, and preserved urban green space comes together over a sprawling 55 acres at the historic Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. It’s the third largest private cemetery in the US, and is the final resting place for numerous US politicians and historic figures, as well as former President Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president of the United States. The site features more than 11,000 trees and 137 unique species in its arboretum, and has numerous historic preservation projects to restore tombstone, repair mausoleums, and preserve the incredible architectural structures on site.