My criteria on what makes a good cemetery to visit are pretty simple.  You may or may not agree with me but this is what I look for.

• Older historical cemeteries dating from the 1700s to the 1800s that are well established (Big gorgeous Maples!)
• Large old maple trees or a mixture that turns the colors of the rainbow
• Interesting old memorial markers, the spookier, the better
• Old buildings with fall colors around them. Great compositional elements

Cemeteries that I have explored

I have also included 3 bonus cemeteries for you down below, so enjoy. 😉

I have so many cemeteries that I have explored that I can’t list them all here. I will give you the name and city and let you decide if you want to go visit one of these or discover some of your own.

Charter Street Cemetery (Old burying ground in Salem MA)

The Charter Street Cemetery in Salem Massachusetts is one of the oldest in the country. It was the second established after one in Plymouth Ma. To say this one has a little history is an understatement. A couple of the notable individuals buried here are John Hathorne a magistrate involved in the Salem witch trials (Ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne). Simon Bradstreet, one of the founders and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Edgewood Cemetery, Nashua New Hampshire

This cemetery was fairly easy to find but when you get off route 3 and start heading N. On Main St., you have to be careful and not end up in a cemetery before Edgewood.  I had gotten a tip from a friend who told me that he had driven by a cemetery on Main Street in Nashua and how incredible the color was.  So I drove straight to Nashua and was looking for the Cemetery he was talking about (he did not give me a name).

There is a much smaller cemetery that I drove into at first and I was wondering if his definition of “wonderful color” was the same as mine. But I eventually pulled into the Edgewood Cemetery.  As you can tell I did find the cemetery with the wonderful fall foliage.

Waterside Cemetery Marblehead Massachusetts

This cemetery is right on West Shore Drive.  What I like, is the different colors that develop with the Maples near the main entrance. There was an obelisk in the middle of the cemetery that I thought was interesting.

Overall I really enjoyed the palette of colors that showed to varying degrees throughout the Cemetery.

Ipswich Cemetery, Ipswich Massachusetts

Ipswich was and is a ship-building town. No, they don’t build the number of ships that they did in the 18th/19th century but there are still a few historically accurate ships built there. I pulled in one sunny day to their cemetery to enjoy the fall colors.

You will find this cemetery just off Route 133 on the outskirts of Ipswich.

Swampscott Cemetery, Swampscott Massachusetts

This cemetery is a favorite because it’s down the street from where I live.  Living near the coast has the benefit of short drives!

This was taken on 28 October and to be honest by the time the end of October rolls around, I have amassed several thousand miles on my vehicle driving all over New England. So the simple fact is that at the end of October when my area of Salem is coming into its peak fall foliage is a blessing. Lisa and I are usually worn out by this time and an 8-minute drive is very welcome…

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord Massachusetts

Concord is better known for the shot heard round the world and the beginning of the American Revolution, rather than who’s buried in its cemetery. Sleepy Hollow cemetery is just off the town square and if you take Bedford Street to Route 62, you will be there in a few minutes.

Once you find a spot to park (there are no parking spots) you will find a map and directions to Authors Ridge. Here you will find Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorn, and Henry David Thoreau. If you are a reader then this is the place for you!

There are so many more and I hope this gives you some ideas for some destinations during your fall foliage travels!