If you’ve ever felt drawn to the quiet beauty of a cemetery, you’re not alone. There’s even a term for people like us—taphophiles—those fascinated by cemeteries, funerals, and gravestones. In this guide, we’ll explore my Top 5 Cemeteries, from breathtaking historic burial grounds to some of the most famous final resting places in the world.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I LOVE CEMETERIES! There’s something undeniably peaceful about them, and I find them to be some of the most beautiful places to visit.

What I love most is that headstones leave little hints about the people buried beneath them. If you know how to read tombstone symbolism, a cemetery can tell you countless stories. Take it a step further and do some research, and you might be surprised by what you uncover — real lives, forgotten histories, and sometimes even a few mysteries.

No. 5 Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Hollywood, California

📍 Location: Los Angeles, California

📜 Founded: 1899

💀 Notable Features:

• Resting place of Hollywood legends
• Amazing mausoleums and sculptures
• Outdoor movie screenings

Hollywood Forever is one of the most iconic cemeteries in the world, serving as the final resting place for actors, directors, musicians, and more. It was also one of the first cemeteries Matt and I explored together, making it even more special. (Awwwww)

Unfortunately, we arrived just before closing and had to rush through, trying to take in as much as possible before we were politely shown the exit. Even in that short visit, the atmosphere is unforgettable — ornate tombs, towering palm trees, and the lingering presence of Hollywood’s golden age.

No. 4 Green Mount Cemetery – Baltimore, Maryland

📍 Location: Baltimore, Maryland

📜 Founded: 1838

💀 Notable Features:

• Gothic entrance gate and really cool mausoleums
• Resting place of John Wilkes Booth and Lincoln assassination conspirators
• Sprawling, historic burial grounds

Green Mount Cemetery is one of the most visually striking cemeteries I’ve ever visited. The entrance alone, with its castle-like stone gateway, sets the tone for the haunting beauty inside.

John Wilkes Booth’s Final Resting Place

The Booth family plot is marked by a tall obelisk, but you won’t find a headstone for John Wilkes Booth himself—he was buried in an unmarked grave within the plot.

Visitors often assume a small blank stone marks his grave, but it’s actually the footstone for his sister, Asia Booth. That hasn’t stopped people from leaving pennies on it as a symbolic tribute to Abraham Lincoln.

The Mausoleums

My favorite part of Green Mount Cemetery? The mausoleums. There are a ton of them, each with a unique architectural style. One in particular caught my eye—it had an entrance leading down into the earth, the kind of place that practically begs you to peek inside. (I resisted, but barely.)

No 3. Green-Wood Cemetery – Brooklyn, New York

📍 Location: Brooklyn, New York

📜 Founded: 1838

💀 Notable Features:

• Massive 478-acre cemetery
• Historic Civil War catacombs
• Incredible views of the NYC skyline

Green-Wood Cemetery is one of the most breathtaking cemeteries in the United States. Spanning nearly 500 acres, it feels more like a vast, historic park than a burial ground.

A Cemetery with a View

One of the things that makes Green-Wood so special is its elevated location. From certain points in the cemetery, you can get stunning views of the New York City skyline, which creates a surreal contrast between the modern world and this historic resting place.

The Catacombs

Green-Wood is home to some of the oldest burial catacombs in the U.S., dating back to the Civil War era. These underground chambers hold the remains of some of New York’s most notable historical figures and are occasionally open for public tours.

If you love sprawling landscapes, intricate mausoleums, and a mix of natural and historical beauty, Green-Wood Cemetery is a must-visit.

No 2. Père Lachaise Cemetery – Paris, France

📍 Location: Paris, France

📜 Founded: 1804

💀 Notable Features:

• Over 1 million burials (plus 2–3 million in the ossuary)
• Resting place of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Édith Piaf
• The most visited cemetery in the world

Père Lachaise had been at the top of my bucket list for years, thanks to my teenage obsession with Jim Morrison. When I finally had the chance to visit, I (stupidly) didn’t grab a map, which meant I spent a lot of time wandering through endless rows of graves, getting lost.

Eventually, I found Jim’s grave—tucked among thousands of others, covered in fan tributes. But beyond Morrison, this cemetery is an architectural and historical marvel. The mausoleums, the winding pathways, the sheer number of famous figures buried here—it’s no wonder it’s the most visited cemetery in the world.

No 1. Mt. Moriah Cemetery – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

📍 Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

📜 Founded: 1855

💀 Notable Features:

• Abandoned and overgrown in places
• Efforts to restore and maintain its history
• A stunning example of rural cemetery design

Mount Moriah Cemetery is beautiful, eerie, and in desperate need of help. Once a grand rural cemetery spanning over 200 acres, it was left abandoned in 2011 when its last board member passed away. Since then, legal battles have left ownership in limbo, and nature has taken over.

Preserving Mount Moriah

When Matt and I visited in 2016, parts of the cemetery were completely overgrown, and others had been turned into illegal dumping grounds. But despite its struggles, it remains one of the coolest cemeteries I’ve ever seen.

Thankfully, The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery have been working tirelessly to restore it. Their dedication is incredible, but they need support. If you’re interested in helping preserve this historic site, check out their efforts here.

What’s Are Your Top 5 Cemeteries?

Are you a fellow tombstone tourist? Have you visited any of these cemeteries, or do you have a favorite of your own? What makes a cemetery stand out to you, history, architecture, or something else? Let’s talk cemeteries in the comments!