Hollywood Cemetery

Love, love, love Hollywood Cemetery! Beautiful at night or during the day! And so much history too. Don’t forget to ask about the hidden caves! :-)

It is not often that you visit a city and make a mad dash to visit a cemetery, but if you are a history buff then this is well worth a visit. You can purchase a map for one dollar or if that is too rich for your blood then take a picture of the large map at the entrance to use to guide you. The cemetery is conveniently laid out with a blue path to follow by car or foot that will take you by the most historical tombs. The further in you venture, the more massive you realize this place is. There are six Virginia governors buried here. The highlights to see are Confederate President Jefferson Davis and U.S.A. presidents James Monroe and John Tyler.

Fabulous place! As stated, many notable people here, and the not so notable. I walked the whole thing, and it took all day. I truly lost track of time.
The iron dog is a fascinating site, and there’s a lot of sorrow with it. I felt it, and it absolutely drained me sitting there, looking at the little girls gravesite. Legend states the dog moves throughout the Cemetery. When you look at the dog from differAnt spots, it does seem to move.
Then you have the angel with large wings crying hunched over a marker. Then you have a baby angel under a low tree, hidden, a child lost.
You also have the creepy parts, and at times I felt negative energy. Many parts are peaceful and serene :)

The cemetery is absolutely beautiful, and it offers a great view overlooking the James River. It seems to go on forever, and yet each area seems private and intimate. It is absolutely worth spending several hours (an afternoon?) wandering through the cemetery. Or at least taking a casual drive or bike ride through its grounds.

«Did you think that we’d cry tonight?
«Oh, did you think we’d cry?»
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ — — — — — — — –
Quick Review™:
I don’t think so. Abe don’t play that.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ — — — — — — — –
I’ve been here. Check the check-​ins.
My personal experience in a sentence:
I visited Hollywood Cemetery and did not leave with the same glowing impression as did others that have posted reviews.
Guess I’ll be that guy. The one who couldn’t cry.
Note: worry not! The massive amount of five-​star ratings will hold strong and remain unaffected by my rating. Flag anyway because you’re offended, of course.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ — — — — — — — –
I saw the Jefferson Davis (and spouse) resting place. There were Daughters of the Confederacy or something there to celebrate (heh, celebrate) some anniversary of someone or something. They were in town for a large convention/​gathering. Gathering …
Anyway, they asked if we could take a picture of them. We – a pair of minority ‘patrons’ of this establishment — looked at each other. How is this all going to turn out?
At the Davis plot — if you can call it that (more like a memorial with cul-​de-​sac and all — was a huge, clearly expensive, floral arrangement of gorgeous roses in the perfect, large (meter by meter perhaps) recreation of the Confederate Battle Flag. That must’ve cost more than a couple Abrahams.
There, we were lectured on how people don’t get the history right and it was never a Civil War and instead Northern Aggression. Mind you: we did not illicit this ‘lesson.’ My buddy was asked if he knew how many Confederate flag versions there were. He answered correctly and named them off. (I started to wonder how he knew so much about it and why he suggested we come here. I figured I would be getting lynched soon.)
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ — — — — — — — –
Additionally, there is the gigantic pyramid in tribute to the fallen traitors … I mean Confederates. No: I mean traitors. There are ten thousand or so Traitor Battle Flags in this cemetery as well. I digress.
The Pyramid
An impressive sight until one puts thought into how it was built. I am not Historian of Virginia; however, I have my doubts that the Jefferson Davis or Robert E. Lee families toiled in the heat to move and put these boulders together.
Back to the ten thousand flags. I figured I would not see a single American flag in this entire cemetery until we ventured beyond the dog tombstone and there were some recent veterans who had flags on their plots. And here I thought we were in America the whole time.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ — — — — — — — –
In conclusion, I am leaving this review so that all reading can benefit from the thoughts of someone who did not leave these historical landmark thinking it is a five-​star experience. Below is my rating.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ — — — — — — — –
Rating: One-​star, «Eek! Methinks not.»

A beautiful historic cemetery that my family enjoys walking and exploring at least once a month. From the spectacular view of the James River and the well known gravesite (including 2 U.S. Presidents) to the stories and lore that make this cemetery special… You can’t go wrong.

I discovered this place as a teenager back in the 70’s, and practiced my Black & White photography on the endless fascinating burial accommodations.
It is scenic, historic, and filled with lots of things you have never seen before.
But I wouldn’t want to spend the night there.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve been to Hollywood Cemetery. At least a couple of dozen times, probably more than that. Friends who have visited and are interested in history have all enjoyed everything about it. There are, as each of you probably know two U.S. Presidents burial plots are there. The name Hollywood came from the significant number of Holly trees at the cemetery. The place will, in areas, leave anyone reflective concerning the Civil War… so many thousands of unmarked graves and thousands listed buried in a small area. Jefferson Davis and his family is buried there. Many very distinguished lives ended here. It is an historical graveyard. One of my favorite sites is a tribute or acknowledgment of Maury, the master of the sea. He has a statue on Monument Ave., also There are some of the most beautiful views of the James River that you can find. The cemetery road has a marked guide of certain places to visit and at the entrance a list of prominent Virginian’s listed. Numerous governors, Gen. Pickett and J.E.B. Stuart are buried there… Hollywood closes early, so don’t arrive late in the afternoon. I could list a number of other prominent Virginian’s. If you have historical interest or a unique cemetery that dates back to the mid 1840’s in your veins, this is a must see in Richmond. I always see students studying near the overviews of the river in the spring, summer and fall.

I lived in a 2^nd floor apartment on Cherry St back in the 70’s. My kitchen window overlooked Hollywood Cemetary and it became one of my favorite walks. I remember the beautiful angel headstones the most and the pyramid for the unknown confederate soldiers. It was just so lovely and peaceful and green. I hope to return one day. I miss the trees.

I visited this cemetery for the first time today with a group of my girlfriends. The view of the James River is great. The grounds are in good shape and it was easy to walk around to get a good look at the history that is there. I’m definitely going back soon to check it out more carefully.

Quiet, beautiful, and full of life. Walking through the Hollywood Cemetery can become a favorite pass time. The hills, the historic gravestones, and the trees all bring an oasis of serenity. One would think a graveyard is sad or depressing, but I did not get that feel at all. I was taken in by the stories that come from the few words engraved on the gravestones.

This is my favorite place to walk around, it is just lovely. The graves are interesting, some much more interesting to see than others, and it makes the area more fun to be in than a regular park.
I particularly love being up on the president hill-​there is a spot that overlooks the river and Belle Isle and it is wonderful. I usually pack a to-​go meal with me to eat while I sit up there.
The size and it being a graveyard also makes it nice because it never really gets «crowded» there. There are a lot of ways you can approach this place-​as a park, as the historical resting place of multiple presidents, or just as a cool cemetery.

I had a blast (pun intended) walking the grounds and finding the Monroe and Tyler and Davis graves. And had fun looking at the art and mausoleums.

I’m a fan. It’s one of the «must-​sees» in Richmond. It’s a historic, huge cemetery with much history. Two US Presidents (Monroe and Tyler) are buried there, Jefferson Davis, and many governors. On top of that, it’s a beautiful view of Richmond and it’s waterfront. The cemetery is, of course, free.

A bit macabre to go classifying a cemetery as tops for perambulation but a classic pastime as it turns out. The rolling hills and frankly elegant statuary are both soothing and, if one is inclined toward research and symbology, utterly fascinating as well. The area is quite welcoming to visitors, be it for a quiet walk or a pleasant picnic, so long as you are respectful of the graves themselves and any funeral services being held in the cemetery on a given day. Truthfully, I wish I spent more time here.

What a lovely morning I spent walking through this historic landmark! Made it to Monroe and Tyler’s memorials. A beautiful day for a stroll. This cemetery sells maps for a $ 1. Bathroom in the front of the place. Bring tennis shoes-​135 acres!

This is going to sound strange, but it’s the coolest cemetery I’ve ever been in. And the creepiest.
If you like going to haunted places, you’ll love Hollywood Cemetery. It is genuinely unsettling, with its winding roads and pathways and row after row of headstones. There are quite a lot of notable people buried here (you can find a complete list on its wikipedia page) but the most notable are:
1. Jefferson Davis
2. James Monroe
3. Gen. George Pickett
4. John Randolph
5. John Tyler
There are also a monument to the soldiers of the confederacy and there are a good number of confederate soldiers buried here. I’d recommend driving around the cemetery because it is so large, but you can walk it as well if you don’t mind the hills. Walking truly is the best way to go if you want to get creeped out — I always felt we were being watched, and I would describe the energy in the cemetery as mostly peaceful but a little uneasy.
I highly recommend if you love history or haunted places.

The Hollywood Cemetery was designed back in 1847 by John Notman of Pennsylvania, which has been operating since 1849. There are 135 acres of valleys, over hills, trees, monuments, statues, buildings, tombs, and the final resting places of some of the American presidents, governors, Supreme Court justices, Confederate generals, and Confederate soldiers. They have walking tours available, or you can just mosey right in, do a self-​guided tour, or drive around in your car. Just be careful in following the arrow signs, as some cars tend to ignore those and the paths might be a tight squeeze.
+walking tours available
+self-​guided tour

This place is simply amazing. I have been here several times in the past 5 months and each visit has been filled with amazing views, awesome weather, and people watching galore.
It’s a great place to chill, shoot the breeze (literally?), and enjoy what RVA has to offer. I’ve come on two occasions where I ride my bike through here and some of the hills are INSANE. You can be going speeds up to and around 25 MPH and going up hill will destroy your thighs but it hurts sooo good.
The security guard is a little weird though as ive had conversations with him and he keeps talking and talking which is nice, but sometimes I just wanna peace out. This place closes at 5 during the winter time but there’s still day light out so I dont really understand that part. If you haven’t been here, come and check it out!