Discover art, nature, and history by visiting these Midwestern cemeteries

As places of repose as much for the living as the dead, cemeteries in essence became America’s first public parks in the 19th century. Providing a place to pay respect to the dearly departed, these sprawling green spaces with winding roads and picturesque vistas also offered a peaceful withdrawal from the discord of the world that was as important then as it is now.

Indeed, during the pandemic, many cemeteries and memorial parks experienced a surge in visitors seeking fresh air and serenity. And for good reason. Many contain National Historic Landmarks, and some are accredited arboretums. Brimming with history, these reverential places serve as natural sanctuaries, outdoor museums, and places of reflection.

The concept of being asleep in nature helped fuel the popularity of the rural cemetery movement in the mid-1800s. With church burial grounds running out of room, a societal shift led to landscaped garden cemeteries and bucolic memorial parks often located outside the city. Embellished with an abundance of trees and plantings, these natural oases provided the grieving—including the well-to-do who could flaunt their wealth—a chance to establish lasting monuments.

Three such cemeteries renowned for their magnificent markers and landscape architecture, as well as for the fascinating stories of those interred, include Oak Hill Cemetery and Arboretum in Evansville, Indiana; Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky; and Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum in St. Louis.

Oak Hill Cemetery and its William Halbrooks Arboretum sprawl over 175 well-manicured acres. Open daily from sunrise to sunset, the cemetery focuses on preserving its monuments and splendid landscape filled with 120 different species of native and exotic trees.

“I always say the history lies here,” said Oak Hill Superintendent Chris Cooke. “One of the things we try to use is our history, whether it’s the trees or the structures, to attract visitors to discover the majestic beauty of the place.”

Each fall, leaf peepers and photographers seek out Willow Lake and cross a stone bridge to Johnson Island, which contains the burial place of Edward Mead Johnson, a co-founder of Johnson and Johnson. The island’s centerpiece, the Temple of Love, was crafted from granite in 1934 in a classic Greek design.

Founded in 1848, Cave Hill Cemetery’s 296 acres overflow with more than 600 different species of plants and trees. With such lovely grounds to showcase, the cemetery hosts occasional photography contests.

“It’s an all-encompassing place with a fine balance of monument art and landscape architecture that is woven together to capture your attention,” said Cave Hill Heritage Foundation Manager Michael Higgs, who oversees Cave Hill’s preservation and programs, including a beekeeping project that yields honey for sale. “Beyond the preservation of the art pieces and grounds, we’re the purveyor of stories—138,000 stories of the people who are here.”

Cave Hill tells many of those stories through guided tours, including ones that focus on the history of the cemetery and Louisville, the American Civil War, and the grounds’ horticultural richness. Free maps are available for those who prefer solitude. Even without a guide, visitors can find the grave sites of the most notable individuals buried at Cave Hill. A green stripe on the road leads to boxer Muhammad Ali’s grave, while a yellow stripe directs visitors to where Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of KFC, is interred.

Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, located north of downtown St. Louis, has encouraged visitors to come and picnic while visiting the departed since 1849.

“A cemetery, as we know it, wasn’t a solemn place to visit,” President and CEO Sherry Smith said. “It was very much an active place. We still encourage people to come and enjoy the grounds, especially our contemporary garden space—Wildwood Valley Gardens. It’s the flip side to the old architecture.”

Bellefontaine’s arboretum boasts more than 9,000 trees along with an eclectic collection of statuary and mausoleums that reflect architectural designs from Egyptian Revival and Classic Revival to Gothic. Millionaire brewer Ellis Wainwright commissioned architect Louis Sullivan to design a stylized domed tomb for his wife, Charlotte, and the impressive structure was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Architect Thomas Barnett used red Missouri granite in the gothic revival mausoleum he designed for Adolphus Busch, St. Louis’ most famous brewer. Bronze hop flowers adorn the building that resembles a chapel, complete with stained-glass panels and a bronze spire.

Another notable grave not to miss is that of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. A bust of the explorer, who died in 1838, sits at the base of a 40-foot-tall granite obelisk. Unveiled in 1903 during the expedition’s centennial, the memorial was rehabilitated in 2004 for its bicentennial.

Bellefontaine has begun to resume activities such as themed walking tours and special events, including its signature Historic Beer Barons Tour (tentatively scheduled for the last weekend in September) that pays homage to St. Louis brewers past and present, complete with beer tastings.

Alton also housed a Union-run prison for Confederate captives. Hundreds died there, many from smallpox. They were interred in what is today known as the North Alton Confederate Cemetery, located just over 3 miles northwest of Alton National Cemetery. A 58-foot obelisk listing the names of the 1,354 Confederate dead marks the burial grounds. Both Alton sites are overseen by Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis.

Jefferson Barracks, the first permanent military post west of the Mississippi River, was established in 1826 and conducted the first burial in its cemetery the following year. As the Civil War raged, the need for burial space exploded, so Congress declared Jefferson Barracks a National Cemetery in 1866 for Union soldiers. However, one section includes Confederate soldiers, distinguished by gravestones with slightly pointed tops instead of rounded tops.

The war’s most famous casualty, however, was President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. When Lincoln’s body arrived at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, in May 1865, it was placed in a hillside receiving vault and eventually moved to a final vault that was completed in 1871. Visitors can enter the burial chamber located on a teardrop-shaped ridge, now the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site.

Superintendent of State Historic Sites Justin A. Blandford suggests taking your time at the site to appreciate the experience.

“It’s easy for travelers to make this a quick stop, but if you do, you will miss the message of the monument, the statuary, and art,” he said. “It’s a monument to one person that opens our minds to the sacrifices of many other important individuals. For example, your visit not only enables you to pay tribute to the commander-in-chief but also empowers you to honor the soldiers.”

Retelling the stories of those who passed before us brings a cemetery to life. Each October, Ste. Genevieve Memorial Cemetery in southeast Missouri and Mount Mora Cemetery in northwest Missouri share their tales. Voiced by reenactors, these living history events serve as fundraisers for preservation and restoration of these historic sites.

Though spanning just 20 acres, Mount Mora has a robust history dating to 1851. The final resting place of up to 18,000 souls, the cemetery holds three Missouri governors, Pony Express riders, and two attending physicians at Jesse James’ autopsy. Its signature feature, Mausoleum Row, contains a collection of 21 mausoleums that became the fashionable last address of St. Joseph’s elite.

The section serves as the main thoroughfare during the cemetery’s annual Voices of the Past. At this year’s event, planned for October 14–15, a cast of interpreters presents intimate encounters with the cemetery’s colorful residents.

Another historical encounter, the Déjà vu Spirit Reunion, will take place this year on October 23 (most years, it occurs on the last Saturday in October) at Ste. Genevieve Memorial Cemetery. Tours begin at dusk, and lanterns or flashlights are provided to visitors who roam the two-block cemetery to talk to reenactors who impersonate the spirits of the deceased.

“The burial ground was given as a land grant from the king of Spain in 1787 to Ste. Genevieve’s Catholics, but everyone in town was buried there: Protestants, Native Americans, slaves, and free men of color,” said Mickey Koetting, a former president of the Foundation for the Restoration of Ste. Genevieve.

After it closed in 1882, the cemetery fell into disrepair, and pigs were later reported to be wallowing on the graves. In response, the Works Progress Administration erected a fence around the site in 1935. Today, proceeds from reenactments help preserve the fence and monuments.

“We add people (spirits) yearly and continue to find new stories to tell,” Koetting said. “People who come often come back. Some even want to return and become a spirit.”

Suzanne Corbett is a contributor from St. Louis.