ABOUT FOREST HILLS CEMETERY

Forest Hills Cemetery is one of the finest examples of the rural cemetery garden in the United States. It was designed in 1848 to provide a magnificent park-like setting to bury and remember family and friends. Today, Forest Hills is still an active burial ground; it is also a historic site, an open-air museum, and a 275-acre greenspace and arboretum. The distinctive Victorian landscape design features meandering paths, scenic vistas, and a lovely small lake. Many prominent historic and cultural figures are buried here, including inventors, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, artists, and social activists. Some examples are abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, suffragist Lucy Stone, poets Anne Sexton and ee cummings, playwright Eugene O'Neill, and sculptor Martin Milmore.

The Forest Hills Educational Trust
Recognizing the importance of Forest Hills as both a national treasure and neighborhood resource, the Trustees of Forest Hills Cemetery created the Forest Hills Educational Trust in 1991. A non-profit organization, the Trust raises funds for educational programs, preservation projects, contemporary sculpture exhibitions, and community events. For more information about the Trust and a calendar of upcoming events visit www.foresthillstrust.org.

Visiting the Cemetery
Forest Hills is open every day from dawn to dusk. Visitors are always welcome to come and explore the beautiful landscape and our nationally known collection of memorial sculpture, either on their own or through a guided tour. Garden of Memories, a fascinating guidebook by Susan Wilson, contains five self-guided tours exploring different neighborhoods of the Cemetery and can be purchased at the main office or ordered by mail.

The Sculpture Path
Currently, visitors can also enjoy a marvellous exhibition organized by the Trust. Twenty-four works of contemporary sculpture have been installed on the grounds for a one year exhibition. Brochures with a map and artists statements are available at the map stand by the main entrance.

The Lantern Festival
Once a year, Forest Hills hosts the Lantern Festival, an extraordinary community event attended by 3,000 people in 2000. Inspired by Buddhist traditions, this non-denominational ceremony offers a magical way to remember family and friends. After enjoying a program of music and dance, people inscribe the paper shades of simple wooden lanterns with greetings. At dusk, we light the lanterns and watch them float across Lake Hibiscus, bearing their messages to the world of the spirits.