Visit Forest Hills Cemetery

Forest Hill is one of America's most lovely rural garden cemeteries. It is also a unique Boston cultural resource and historic site. Dating from 1848, this gorgeous, green cemetery is filled with art and whimsy. It is still an active burial ground, but it also plays the role of open-air museum. The walking paths are lined with sculptures paying tribute to individuals and causes from times past, while a contemporary sculpture path winds its way around the historic gravestones, connecting then and now.

Gravestones are dedicated to such famous figures as Revolutionary War heroes William Dawes and Joseph Warren, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and suffragette Lucy Stone, poets ee cummings and Anne Sexton, sculptors Daniel Chester French and Martin Milmore, and playwright Eugene O’Neill. The on-site Forsyth Chapel, in the midst of the greenery, is a spot for peaceful contemplation surrounded by vaulted wood ceilings and stained-glass windows. Concerts, poetry readings and other events are often held in this exquisite space.

You should keep in mind that this place is sacred to many families so while strolling, picnics, bicycling and quiet recreational activities are permitted, please respect the serenity that is so essential to this contemplative environment.