Located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Allegheny Cemetery is one of Pittsburgh's largest, oldest and most picturesque cemeteries. More than 125,000 dead are interred on the grounds of the 300 acre rural garden cemetery, including such notables as composer Stephen Foster, actress Lillian Russell Moore, Civil War veteran General Alexander Hays, Thomas Mellon and 22 Pittsburgh mayors.

What to Expect:

Allegheny Cemetery is a beautiful, peaceful oasis in Pittsburgh, with miles of paved pathways and rolling hills. The cemetery is rich in history, due to the number of famous people interred there, and its interesting architecture, monuments and gravestones. Dress comfortably and be prepared for walking. If you want to visit the monuments up close, you'll be leaving the pathways and walking over uneven ground.

Allegheny Cemetery Tours & Hours:

Hours: The Allegheny Cemetery grounds open daily at 7:00am. Closing hour varies by season: 5:30pm (September - April), 8:00pm (May) or 7:00pm (June - August). The Allegheny Cemetery office is open 8:30am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday and 8:30am - 4:00pm on Saturdays. Admission is free.

Tours: A self-guided tour pamplet is available at the office, with tours suitable for walking or driving. Regular scheduled tours of Allegheny Cemetery are not offered, but Group Tours are available by appointment.

History:

Allegheny Cemetery opened in 1845, making it the sixth oldest rural garden cemetery in the United States.

100 acres were purchased from George A. Bayard for $50,000 to be used for the cemetery, and this land became Pittsburgh's first public park modeled after other such rural garden cemeteries, including Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Laurel Hill in Philadelphia; and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Allegheny Cemetery is the final resting place for many generations of Pittsburghers. The oldest graves, which were moved to Allegheny Cemetery from Trinity Cathedral, belong to soldiers who fought in the French and Indian War. Some of the cemeteries inhabitants rest in nondescript or unmarked graves, while others have massive monuments and mausoleums to honor their lives. Allegheny Cemetery is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

On May 31, 2002, a "macroburst" hit Allegheny Cemetery, uprooting or snapping approximately 200 mature trees. Roads were blocked throughout the cemetery and many tombstones were knocked over or damaged. No graves were disturbed, however.

Allegheny Cemetery
4734 Butler Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15201
(412) 682-1624