Location: Boston
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7 Cemeteries in Boston That You Shouldn't Miss
Walk the Freedom Trail the first time you visit Boston and you'll quickly get a sense of this coastal city's revolutionary spirit and history. But make sure you also explore some of Boston's fine museums (try the Isabella Stewart Gardner, featuring masterpieces displayed in their collector's mansion) and old neighborhoods (like the North End, Boston's Little Italy). You can't claim to have experienced real Boston culture, though, until you've watched a Red Sox game from the bleachers.
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1. Granary Burying Ground
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,602 reviews
The burial ground for famous American patriots like Paul Revere, John Hancock and Sam Adams, is also the final resting place for Mother Goose.
Reviewed By MRayTraveler - Orange County, United States
Granary Burying Ground is one stop on the Freedom Trail, and features the final resting places of Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams, the victims of the Boston Massacre, Ben Franklin's parents and many more. So much history in such a small space. Stop by for 20 or 30 minutes and enjoy the opportunity to experience a small bit of our nation's history.
2. Forest Hills Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Forest Hills Cemetery is an active garden cemetery, an historic site, an open-air museum, and a 275-acre greenspace and arboretum located in Jamaica Plain. Constructed in 1848, famous people buried here included abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, suffragist Lucy Stone, poets Anne Sexton and e.e. cummings, playwright Eugene O’Neill, and sculptor Martin Milmore. The Forest Hills Educational Trust hosts poetry readings and manages a contemporary sculpture path.
Reviewed By A6942JTkevins - Boston, United States
So many spots are referred to as “gems,” but this park-like historic and beautiful cemetery is a true Boston treasure often unfortunately overlooked by tourists. Begun in the 1840s, it has much to offer, including a small lake, well-maintained paths and flower beds, varied prominent sculptures, and elaborate stand-alone tombs, as well as some rare old cast-iron decorations. There are many old shade trees to wander among and there are attractive views to be had from several hills incorporated into the design. The entrance is, of course, free and there is also free parking near the main gate, which is a very short drive from the center of Jamaica Plain. Many prominent individuals are buried here, too, including the poets Anne Sexton and e. e. cummings and the playwright Eugene O’Neill. Don’t miss the large monument of Death and the Sculptor near the entrance! It is a masterpiece by Daniel Chester French, who is perhaps most famous for his statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the center of the famed Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. And the eerie “glass houses,” which are old memorials to deceased children, are certainly worth seeking out, too. This special spot is a peaceful and welcoming place for a walk or bike ride with friends and family — and dogs are welcome, too. You will find it difficult to spend any amount of time at Boston’s Forest Hills Cemetery without taking some photographs . . . and without recommending it later to others.
3. Copp's Hill Burying Ground
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 186 reviews
In preparation for the Battle of Bunker Hill, British soldiers used Copp's Hill gravestones for target practice.
Reviewed By TravelingMerm - Monrovia, United States
This is Boston’s we one burying ground and holds the tombs of the Mather family! Not to mention some very prominent African American tombs as well, such as Phyllis Wheatley, the first published woman of African descent that was also a poet. You can see the tomb of Cotton Mather, the Puritan minister that was a central figure of the Salem witch trials...very cool burying ground! The headstones are remarkably beautiful - very Victorian gothic style! There are many other ancient historical internments here as well, but I did have some difficulties finding some of the graves as they’re very old and worn so it’s almost impossible to read a lot of them. Still, it’s very eerily beautiful and well kept. It’s easy to find but parking can be a challenge...I think there’s some street parking but it was all full. I ended up parking in a garage a block away - was only there for an hour and it was an exorbitant $15!!! So be aware! Probably better to just walk it.
4. Dorchester North Burying Grounds
5. King's Chapel Burial Ground
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 84 reviews
Reviewed By TravelingMerm - Monrovia, United States
You gotta love all the “burying grounds” in Boston - such fascinating history! And while the King’s Chapel burying grounds are smaller and less known, they still hold some notable internments, such as Mary Chilton (a Plymouth Pilgrim and the first European woman to step ashore in New England!) and the father of Ralph Waldo Emerson and also Hezekiah Usher (the first bookseller and book publisher in the British Colonies)! It’s Boston’s oldest burying ground and is a stop on the Freedom Trail. It’s an incredibly peaceful place in spite of being right smack in the middle of the bustling city. And so many of the headstones are truly beautiful works of art! And so old wow - I had no idea we had such history right here in the States lol! It’s easy to find, right off a busy main street in the city. I’m not sure about parking as my hotel was right in the heart of the city and I didn’t have a car...the city is so walkable and there are public parking garages scattered about.
6. Central Burying Ground
7. St Michael Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
