Cemeteries can be unnerving, if not utterly frightening, settings to visit. Perhaps a rich imagination influenced by horror movies and ghost story clichés flavored with a dose of trepidation for what lies beyond have formed, for some, enough cause to altogether avoid these fields of headstones. But for many, cemeteries are far more inviting and deeply intriguing places. In a temporal world of fleeting seconds and demanding hours, cemeteries are peaceful sites where time rests and haste has no influence. This, along with a deep interest in history and a curiosity for those who"ve gone before us, draws thousands of visitors each year to stroll the winding paths of historic cemeteries and appreciate such exceptional atmospheres.
In 1831 the Massachusetts Horticulture Society understood such feelings when they created Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Today this lush garden cemetery is nothing short of a horticulture masterpiece rivaling the nation's best botanic gardens. In winter more than 80 types of conifers brave the snowy months while springtime slowly turns a kaleidoscope of daffodils, forsythias, magnolias and flowering dogwoods. Summer-blooming trees crowd the gravestones and memorials around Willow Pond while the butterfly garden bursts to life and gestures toward fall's colorful canopy of shade trees.
Founded in 1789 and just blocks from the French Quarter, New Orleans" St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is a far different cemetery experience. This labyrinth of elaborate wall vaults, above-ground tombs and elaborate sculptures tells the tales of rich New Orleans history, culture and folklore. A walk through what is known here as the "city of the dead" is like a walk through some ancient stone town. The most famous resident resides in the tomb of the infamous Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau who, according to legend, will grant wishes in exchange for rituals and offerings.
The haunting beauty of Bonaventure Cemetery is a must-see for anyone visiting Savannah, Ga. It's a peculiar scene made up of ancient live oaks draped in Spanish moss where a host of statues seem to wander all on their own through acres of ornate headstones. Bonaventure is a Southern Gothic-style setting best experienced in the cool of the evening or better yet the murky darkness of an after-hours tour. But follow the lead of a local guide, for while the cemetery's sites are some of the most beautiful in existence, it's the wealth of southern storytelling that truly brings this place to life.
Whether it's a metropolitan oasis backdropped by a Manhattan skyline like the emerald lawns and serene ponds of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, a field of commemoration and honor like the unbroken pastures of uniform white stones overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, or a slice of storied ground where imaginations soar along the legendary walkways of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, New York, historic cemeteries are extraordinarily captivating landscapes worthy of a visit. So make the time to wander the walkways and headstones of these sacred places and discover for yourself the serenity that will find you.
