Do you love cemeteries? While some find them morbid, many people find cemeteries to be fascinating glimpses into days gone by. Walking through graveyards is an interesting way to learn about the local history of an area. No matter where in the world you might be visiting, it’s likely that you’ll be able to visit a cemetery. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you plan on strolling through a cemetery whether you’re on vacation or just looking for something interesting to do in your very own town:
-
Follow the posted guidelines for parking, hours and items that you can and can’t bring onto the grounds. Some cemeteries are open certain hours during the day, and others are open from sun-up to sun-down. You may need to avoid bringing glass bottles, and you should only park in designated parking areas. It should go without saying that if you bring anything into the cemetery, you must bring it back out again (unless you are delivering flowers or a flag to a grave area, and even in that case, observe posted rules), and that you must not take anything from the grounds.
-
Be aware of the local area. Some cemeteries are located in areas of towns that are not considered safe. If you are traveling, it pays to do a bit of research on sections of the city or region that you might want to avoid for safety reasons. Another consideration is necessary in rural areas or in abandoned cemeteries: A lack of upkeep could mean that you’ll be walking through long grass or brush. Snakes and rodents might call these places home, so wear long pants and shoes, and keep your eyes open for critters.
-
Take care of necessities before you visit. Cemeteries are not usually considered tourist attractions and are not likely to have bottled water for sale or bathroom facilities, so keep that in mind. If you see spigots, don’t assume the water is drinkable; it’s likely that the water is not treated and is only used for watering the grass and flowers. Carry your own water if you plan on being there for a while.
-
If you are looking for the grave of a relative or for genealogical purposes, contact the cemetery’s sexton, if there is one. The sexton records will allow you to locate your relative’s burial site even if there is no marked stone. Older or abandoned cemeteries might not have a sexton, of course.
-
Bring your camera, a notebook and pen and, if you want, paper and chalk for grave-rubbings. (Note that in some cemeteries, making rubbings is not allowed.) You will be able to get great photographs in many graveyards, particularly when the sun is low enough to glint off of the stones. Don’t ever try to make rubbings of fragile stones, as you might damage them. In that case, photographs are your only option. If the writing is difficult to read, try misting the stone with plain water (bring along a spray bottle for this purpose). This can make a big difference in how visible the writing is in photographs.
-
Make special note of interesting stones and dates that you find. You may, for example, find that a large number of residents died in a relatively short period of time. This can indicate an epidemic of disease, and can often be researched. It’s also fascinating and sad to note the ages of the people who have died in many cases. Particularly in older cemeteries, you might see that many young women died in childbirth, or that several children in a particular family died before they were a year old, or five years old.
- Consider making a day out of visiting historic or famous cemeteries. Some worth making the effort to visit might include St. Louis No. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana; Pere Lachaise in Paris, France; La Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fairview Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, Czech Republic.
Do you love cemeteries? Is there one that isn’t mentioned above which you would recommend to a visitor to your area? Share it with our readers below!
