Famous Graves: Notable Resting Places in America

From presidents and poets to rock stars and civil rights leaders, America's cemeteries hold the graves of people who shaped our history and culture.

Presidents and Political Leaders

• John F. Kennedy -- Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. The eternal flame burns over his grave. Tens of millions have visited since 1967.
• Abraham Lincoln -- Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois. A National Historic Landmark.
• George Washington -- Mount Vernon, Virginia. Family tomb on his estate grounds.
• Thomas Jefferson -- Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia. Designed his own tombstone inscription.

Entertainers and Cultural Icons

• Elvis Presley -- Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. Over 600,000 visitors per year.
• Marilyn Monroe -- Westwood Village Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California.
• Johnny Cash -- Hendersonville Memory Gardens, Tennessee.
• Frank Sinatra -- Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California.

Authors and Thinkers

• Mark Twain -- Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, New York.
• Edgar Allan Poe -- Westminster Hall Burying Ground, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Authors' Ridge -- Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and Hawthorne along one ridge.

Unique and Unusual Graves

• Marie Laveau -- St. Louis Cemetery #1, New Orleans. Voodoo priestess. Guided tour required.
• Billy the Kid -- Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Headstone stolen multiple times, now in an iron cage.