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    Graceland Cemetery

    4.9 (86 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Services - Graceland Cemetery

    Burial services

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    Christy B.

    It is the best cemetery I've been too. So beautiful and peaceful and nostalgic And well manicured. It is an experience especially when the coyotes are about. But I will go whenever I have time to wander in Chicago because it's perfect place to be with your thoughts.

    Lani H.

    If you visit the Visitor's Center, they have clean restrooms and I found material for a tree tour around the cemetery. It seemed as if a lot of people were there to exercise and the roads within the area are wide and nicely paved. As a Cubs fan from California, I finally got to visit and pay my respects to a legend, Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. From what I saw in my short walk, the staff does an incredible job maintaining the facility. Trash cans were clean, the restroom spotless, there was a huge team of men blowing the leaves the clean the plots, let me tell you, these guys were hustling! In simple words, this cemetery is absolutely beautiful. It's peaceful, a lot of history to view, the L and buses stop in walking distance of the entrance.

    Graceland cemetery
    Richard C.

    Great day looking at the beautiful architecture and unique tombs. Impressive nice way to get in a good walk.

    Graceland
    Sophia M.

    I have lived in Memphis all my life and my great grandparents went to high school with him. I went without knowing I could leave flowers and take all of these beautiful pictures and came back. Every time is a beautiful experience and I learn and see more each time. Xoxo Angel Jordan

    Sheyenne H.

    Went here on a weekend for a walking excursion, self-guided, using the maps and pamphlets which are available from a very nice nondescript but distinguished visitor center. Parking is on the adjacent streets.

    Masonic family.
    Aesha E.

    I used to be incredibly freaked out by cemeteries; I used to joke that people came to the midwest to die since there seems to be some humungous cemetery every few blocks. But maybe that's just because I've only lived on the north side, and have lived within a mile or two of at least five different huge cemeteries whilst I've lived in Chicago. Though I've lived in my home for over a dozen years, five minutes from Graceland, I've never made a visit until this weekend. I know Graceland is steeped in history, so why have I never gone? Your guess is as good as mine. What finally forced my hand was a competitive streak, in trying to complete the Chicago Scavanger book first. The day I visited was also an afternoon when the Chicago Plein Air Painters met in the cemetery to paint and practice their craft. Since it was Halloweekend, I checked for tours and the Chicago Architecture Center was hosting two more walking tours before they stop until spring. I did two, one that was focused on cemetery art and monuments, and the other which was the original tour of Graceland and is more general. Both were excellent. Graceland Cemetery was established in 1860, and at that time was two miles outside the city. It was a rural cemetery at the time given its location, and was an answer to overcrowding and health concerns of many European cemeteries. Most often, cemeteries of the time were churchyards, which could quickly get crowded. They began moving some of the burials in City Cemetery (in what is now Lincoln Park), and some of them ended up here in Graceland. It's one of three Victorian garden cemeteries in the city, the other two being Oak Woods and Rosehill. Originally 80 acres, it's significantly larger now and spans a half mile from Irving Park to Montrose on Clark. As of 2022, there are approximately 120 burials/cremains in Graceland. In some areas of the city you will see coping, a type of short wall that surrounds a grave or plot. The board of trustees decided early in Graceland's history that coping would no longer be permitted in Graceland, so the burial sites featuring coping are from the first 10-25 years of the cemetery's history. The practice was discontinued because it did not align well with the vision that Graceland would be a park-like setting, and it was also difficult to landscape around the coping. Now they use landscaping to create various "rooms" to act as coping, which separates one family's area from another yet looks natural. The chapel is from 1889, and was designed by Holabard and Root (who are buried in the cemetery). When I was here there was a wedding taking place so we couldn't visit the chapel (I saw the bride on the second tour I took and she was everything I hoped she would be!). To the east of the chapel is the Chapel Hill Columbarium, and it's my understanding the columbarium is totally sold out. The cemetery no longer offers perpetual care, and guests are not permitted to leave flowers and whatnot. That doesn't mean they don't, though, but the cemetery will clean it up. There were several unique monuments or burials here. I learned that rosebuds would be used to denote the death of a younger person; similarly, a monument that looks like a tree cut down had a similar meaning. Open roses would be used for people who passed after adolescence. Bertha and Potter Palmer have perhaps the most stately resting place; you cannot miss the large greek-inspired structure with two sarcophagi, overlooking the lake. The Getty Tomb is in itself a Chicago city landmark. A tomb built by a heartbroken widower after the untimely death of his wife, it was designed by none other than Louis Sullivan. The Jones plot marks the resting place of a free man of color and his wife, who came to Chicago and who had a home on the Underground Railroad. And a somber family monument for the Hoyt family is surrounded by a mother and four children who died in the Iroquois Theatre fire; the patriarch of the family died two months later. Cubs fans will want to visit the marker of Ernie Banks, aka "Mr. Cub", who is placed near the lake. His monument has some of his accomplishments marked on all sides, and the ivy growing along the base is a nice touch. Graceland is a must-visit if you're interested in cemeteries. If you like a quiet place to walk or run, it's great for that too.

    Denyce M.

    I personally find cemeteries creepy but a necessary evil when I want to get in a good walk with worrying having to stop...I have a Fitbit and I love getting those active minutes. But while there are plenty of dead folks there (no zombies spotted as of yet), I have never felt like this was a cemetery. True there are tombstones and monuments to let you know that these people were important in life and want you to know it, but it actually feels more like a park. This is due in large part to the number architects who were involved in the planning and later residing there. This cemetery is famous as the "Cemetery of Architects", who are responsible for the feel of the place. A landscape architect named Cleveland came up with the plan to make this a beautiful place, William Le Baron Jenney created the Victorian park style atmosphere and Ossian Simonds enhance the design by using native plants to create the cemetery's pastoral landscape. There is no creep factor while walking here for me, just a scenic stroll through a park with a lotta stones. I have strolled through this cemetery many times, most times alone, and never felt like I had to watch over shoulder form someone crawling out of their grave (HAHAHA! Yep I do that in other cemeteries), but here I have to say it feels peaceful. Because we are now in COVID times, there was even more of park feel to the cemetery: parents were strolling with their kids, at least two families with blankets spread out having a picnic, people on bikes, people having lunch while sitting on stone benches that are a part of someone's memorial. There are some amazing tombstones in this cemetery, some of famous people, some of people who wanted to remembered in death. Ruth Page Mr. Cub himself (Ernie Banks), Pullman (railroads), The Palmer family (hotels), Marshall Fields (never Macy, always Marshall Fields), Kimball/Elston/Kinzie (streets in Chicago), Jack Johnson (defeated the Great White hope). There is a lovely lake in the center of the cemetery and an island. You could see people sitting on the banks smoking, drinking and eating. Not sure I can say this for all cemeteries, but this is truly one where you can go and unwind and just enjoy the peace and quiet. If you are a photographer, you have ample subjects to take photos of. You can do a self tour with a provided map as well as audio on their website (https://www.gracelandcemetery.org/self-guide-audio-tour/). They were doing group tours, but I am pretty sure that is not happening now. There is also a tour you can take of the trees as Graceland collection of trees has been certified as an arboretum by Chicago's Morton Arboretum. There isn't a lot of parking in the cemetery itself, but plenty of street parking. If you are looking for someplace to go and get out of the house with plenty of space, consider visiting here. Hell, bring a lunch/drink and chillax.

    Sarah S.

    Is it terrible to see I had a ton of fun visiting Graceland? There is so much to see at Graceland, so many famous Chicagoans have been laid to rest here. It's just fascinating to explore and thank goodness, you can pick up a map right at the front when you enter at the Visitor Center. You can also pick up two different tree tour maps and explore the nature of the cemetery. Going in I was most excited to see Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan's grave. I was surprised Louis Sullivan's was fairly simply though it has an amazing design on it. And Daniel Burnham had an entire mini island accessible via an adorable little bridge - so fitting! I ended up most enjoying the architecture of Peter Schoenhofen's tomb though. It looked almost like a pyramid and no surprise I was drawn to it as Schoenhofen was one of Chicago's first brewers. I don't want to ruin the rest for you, but just trust it's somewhere you should visit if you're a Chicago history buff. Really interesting part of the city!

    At the corner of Irving Park and Clark
    Michelle M.

    Amazing place, for a cemetery! My daughter wanted to go to see historic gravesites... we saw the graves of many including Ernie Banks, Marshall Field... huge monuments, memorials to many. Saw a teacher who had a printed map/information page from the website which was so helpful! We even saw a coyote too. We were there during a Chicago Cubs game and we could hear cheering often and even the 7th Inning Stretch! Yes I'd go back again! Rest In Peace to everyone there...

    Timothy B.

    Bunch of dead folks doing what dead folk do. A perfect place to get your steps in and contemplate how much money you're going to spend to be forgotten.

    The tombstones are really interesting and fun to see and read.
    Christine S.

    This place has SO MUCH history. We spent a few hours here today just walking around and reading the tombs and headstones. Its crazy to think how many people were buried here years and years ago. I dont want to spoil it with too many pictures cause its just a place you need to see for yourself. Its not a typical cemetery. Go check it out!

    Who knew?
    Claudia M.

    You're not a Chicagoan if you haven't visited this Cemetary. I remember coming here for the first time when I was 17 years old. I was part of an "urban camping" experience. This was my first encounter with the North side of Chicago and all I could say was, "Really? Marshall Field is buried here?" If you're like me and are fascinated with cemetaries and ghosts you have to walk through Graceland Cemetary. I could not believe that Daniel Burhnam is buried here! How exciting and how lucky are we to be able to visit his grave site?! Chicago architect and city planner, Burnham along with others designed the plans for the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition. Thanks to Burhnam today we enjoy the Lakefront. His vison was for the Lakefront to be enjoyed by the public and to never become private property. Burhnam is buried on the island at the park which is surrounded by weeping willows that are prettier to look at in the summer. It's a nice quiet place to take a nap or read a book. I don't recommend that you do this alone. The buddy system works for a reason. Charles Dickens brother is also buried here. Who knew!? I stumbled upon him by accident. I could go on and on. There are maps at the front office. Pick up a map and go for a stroll in the Spring. I learn something new everytime I'm there. "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized." Daniel Burhnam

    "Dexter Graves, 1789 - 1844" Apparently, he "brought the first colony to Chicago"
    Elizabeth M.

    The most amazing aspect of this place is that it manages to be so serene & peaceful even though there is parking for Wrigleyfield across the street. It's seriously like walking into a separate little world inside of Chicago. As everyone has already said a number of times, there are some really beautiful things to see here including the little island! Now, does anyone know what that groupings of plots with all the little kids is!? I tried looking up their names but got nada.

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    Very interesting place to visit never knew it's history until now quite peaceful minus the statue of doom plot it's quite frightening

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    Ask the Community - Graceland Cemetery

    Is jogging allowed?

    Yes you can jog, run, walk and bike there. It is great.

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Graceland Cemetery

    There's one momument, called "Eternal Silence" that is probably the scariest statue I've ever seen in my life.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

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