Favorite Five Rural Cemeteries to Check Out Before Halloween

Posted on Oct. 24, 2023  /  Favorite Five  /  Subscribe 0

AUTHOR: Sarah Viaud  Contact

Spooky season is upon us and All Hallows’ Eve is nearly here! Front stoops are getting their final ghostly touches, jumpscare movies are filling up the streaming platforms and drive-in schedules, and the ever-beloved Thriller memes, in all of their zombie, yellow-eyed, cackling glory, are filling social feeds. If you’ve had your fair share of haunted hay rides and Spooky World visits, but are still looking for a way to commemorate the season, why not check out some of these rural cemeteries right here in our own backyard? 

“What is a rural cemetery?”, you might be asking? Well, time for a bit of history! Way back in the 19th century, American city growth was booming and, for reasons of public health and overcrowding, cemeteries began to migrate outside of the denser, more urban environment. Here in Boston, places like Cambridge, Brookline, and Jamaica Plain were sought after locations due to their more peaceful, quiet settings and expansive land allowing gardens and rolling hills to be preserved and dedicated to a peaceful final resting place of loved ones. The community and families alike were able to stroll through the winding pathways, featuring cultivated plant life and mighty trees. And lucky for us, many have been maintained and curated over the centuries giving us the perfect backdrop for ominous, Halloween visits!

1. Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA: Considered to be one of the original examples of a rural cemetery and dating back to 1831, this cemetery has become a local favorite for its beautifully preserved grounds, local bird life, and even those looking for a haunting good time.

2. Walnut Hills Cemetery, Brookline MA: At just over 45 acres, this burial ground offers funeral art, and is considered to be a “rural oasis in an urban environment.” It’s worth noting for hobby geologists that Roxbury Puddingstone, a local stone that is also featured in the construction of many historic New England churches, can be found throughout. 

3. Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, MA: Constructed nearly 30 years before the Emerald Necklace, this cemetery is also unofficially known as Boston’s first public park. Among some of the famous residents are poets E. E. Cummings and Anne Sexton.

4. Milton Cemetery, Milton, MA: A quick 15 minute Uber ride from Downtown Station will get you to the picturesque Milton Cemetery. The Trustees of the Cemetery say that it’s “characterized by rolling terrain, a man made pond, native trees and perennials and bordered by fieldstone walls,” and is a must for the angel statues throughout the grounds.

5. Granary Burying Ground, Boston, MA: Okay, this one may not be a rural cemetery, but you can’t have a local list without this iconic resting place for so many historically relevant individuals. It’s said to be one of the most haunted places in Boston with John Hancock, Paul Revere, James Otis, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Paine; victims of the Boston Massacre; and whole families of settlers ravaged by fire and plague resting in this cemetery next to the Park Street Church…Enter if you dare!

Image: Mount Auburn Cemetery, courtesy of Friends of MAC

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