Historic Burying Grounds Initiative
The Historic Burying Grounds Initiative manages sixteen different burying grounds located in Boston.
These burying grounds range in date from 1630 to 1841. Gravestones, tomb markers, and monuments honor the many founding members of the community. This includes Revolutionary War heroes and men and women of national and international fame.
Three burying grounds — Granary, King's Chapel, and Copp's Hill — are located along Boston's Freedom Trail and attract thousands of visitors annually. With the remaining burying grounds:
- eight historic are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- two sites, Central and Walter Street, are National Historic Landmarks, and
- two sites, Central and Dorchester North, are designated Boston Landmarks.
The Granary lies within the Beacon Hill Architectural District. The South End Burying Ground is located within the South End Landmark District. The Eliot (Eustis Street) Burying Ground lies within the Eustis Street Architectural Conservation District.
Three cemeteries are active at the present time: Evergreen Cemetery (1850), Fairview Cemetery (c. 1893), and Mount Hope Cemetery (1852).
Learn more about the iconography of gravestones. You can also find out how we take care of Boston's active cemeteries.
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Read our latest newsletterRead about the history of the Central Burying Ground, Copp's Hill gravestone conservation, and a rare gravestone for a Black Bostonian, Andrew Russell.
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Newsletter signup
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Active Cemeteries
There are three active cemeteries owned and operated by the Parks and Recreation Department.
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NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Maps and visiting hours
Open daily from about 9 a.m. - 4 p.m:
- Granary Burying Ground, Downtown Boston
- Central Burying Ground, Downtown Boston
- King's Chapel Burying Ground, Downtown Boston
- Copp's Hill Burying Ground, North End
- Westerly Burying Ground, West Roxbury
- Walter Street Burying Ground, Roslindale
Opened upon request with 24-hour advanced notice:
- Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown
- Bunker Hill Burying Ground, Charlestown
- Bennington Street Cemetery, East Boston
- Dorchester North Burying Ground
- Dorchester South Burying Ground
- Eliot Burying Ground, Roxbury
- Market Street Burying Ground, Brighton
- Hawes/Union Burying Ground, South Boston
- South End Burying Ground
To request an opening please call the Cemetery Division at Mount Hope Cemetery: 617-635-7361. Please note burying grounds cannot be opened on Sundays.
The maps listed below correspond to the location numbers listed in the database of legible grave markers. In the location numbers for all the burying grounds except Phipps Street and Walter Street, the letter preceding the slash indicates the name of the burying ground. The letter after the slash indicates the section. For Phipps Street Burying Ground, there are no letters that specify the name of the burying ground. For Walter Street, there is no slash separating the site code from the rest of the number.
The maps are of varying quality. Some maps have typed location numbers, some maps have hand-written location numbers, some maps are only partially legible, and on some maps only sections are fully legible (not individual grave numbers). We are working to improve the maps that have illegible areas, but the maps on-line are the best-quality maps that we have.
Burying grounds
Burying groundsNewsletter archive
Newsletter archiveHow you can help
If your family, business, or foundation would like to contribute — or if you would like further information — please contact project manager Kelly Thomas:
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02118
Phone: 617-961-3034
Email: HBGI@boston.gov
Contributions made payable to the Fund for Parks and Recreation can be designated for a specific purpose or project and are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
News and announcements
News and announcements
Who's Involved:
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Read our latest newsletter
Read about the history of the Central Burying Ground, Copp's Hill gravestone conservation, and a rare gravestone for a Black Bostonian, Andrew Russell.
-
Newsletter signup
Sign up for our newsletter:
-
Active Cemeteries
There are three active cemeteries owned and operated by the Parks and Recreation Department.
-
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
