Back to blog

The 10 Most Beautiful Historic Cemeteries in the USA

Marvin Smit
June 5, 202512 min readHistory
The 10 Most Beautiful Historic Cemeteries in the USA

America is home to some of the most stunning cemeteries in the world. These ten sites combine natural beauty, architectural grandeur, and rich history.

1. Green-Wood Cemetery -- Brooklyn, New York

Founded in 1838, a National Historic Landmark spanning 478 acres with views of the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty. Notable burials include Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

2. Mount Auburn Cemetery -- Cambridge, Massachusetts

America's first garden-style cemetery (1831), 174 acres. Final resting place of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Winslow Homer. A major birding destination with 200+ species.

3. Bonaventure Cemetery -- Savannah, Georgia

Made famous by "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Moss-draped live oaks, Victorian sculpture, over 100 acres overlooking the Wilmington River.

4. Hollywood Forever -- Los Angeles, California

Founded 1899, 62 acres. Final resting place of Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, Judy Garland. Hosts outdoor movie screenings and concerts.

5. Arlington National Cemetery -- Arlington, Virginia

400,000+ graves, 600+ acres. America's most visited cemetery. Read more about military cemeteries.

6. Laurel Hill Cemetery -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

74-acre National Historic Landmark (1836) overlooking the Schuylkill River, with 33,000+ monuments and magnificent marble sculptures.

7. St. Louis Cemetery #1 -- New Orleans, Louisiana

Operating since 1789, oldest in New Orleans. Above-ground tombs create a "city of the dead." Home to Marie Laveau's tomb. Guided tour required.

8. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery -- Concord, Massachusetts

"Authors' Ridge" brings together Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and Hawthorne. Quintessential New England woodland setting.

9. Crown Hill Cemetery -- Indianapolis, Indiana

555 acres, one of the largest non-government cemeteries. 130+ tree species. Burial place of President Benjamin Harrison and John Dillinger.

10. Woodlawn Cemetery -- Bronx, New York

National Historic Landmark, 400 acres (1863). Elaborate mausoleums. Burials include Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Joseph Pulitzer.

Visit these cemeteries: Most are open to the public. Browse our state-by-state listings to find more.

Advertisement

Share this article

Was this information helpful?

Looking for a cemetery?

Search directly for cemeteries in our extensive database with more than 6,000 locations.

Advertisement