Stretching 300 acres between the neighborhoods of Lawrenceville and Bloomfield are the sprawling grounds of the Allegheny Cemetery. Since its first interment in 1845, this expanse of rolling hills, ponds, and trees has become the final resting place of over 124,000 people.
While the prescribed purpose for cemeteries is burial and memorial to those who have passed, it would be remiss to neglect the cemetery’s natural beauty. Some may balk at the idea of visiting a cemetery for any purpose other than mourning, for fear of encroaching on the feelings of others or profaning such an important space in their lives; however, the Allegheny Cemetery is actually a National Historic Landmark and a surprisingly calm and pastoral retreat from the bustling industrial city of Pittsburgh. The cemetery also plays host to a number of interesting events, including a Memorial Day Parade and “Doo Dah Days,” a celebration of Stephen C. Foster, the famed Pittsburgh composer who was interred at the cemetery in 1864.
Before the pandemic, the cemetery offered guided walking tours every month of the year for a suggested donation o f$10 per person for contributions to the maintenance of the historic site through the Allegheny Cemetery Historical Association. Currently, the cemetery is not offering tours at this time; however, self-guided tours are available from the cemetery's website.
Because the Allegheny Cemetery is so extensive, tours do not cover its grounds fully, leaving a number of the unseen monuments to be discovered by the many visitors who find themselves drawn back to see more of the hidden mysteries which this labyrinthine realm has to offer.