At Forest Hills Cemetery, we have served families in Boston, MA since 1848, offering more than 175 years of trusted care, heritage, and memorial tradition. As one of the most distinguished cemeteries in Boston, MA, we are known for our beautiful 275-acre garden landscape, historic significance, and enduring role as both an active burial ground and a place of remembrance. Our cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, reflecting the exceptional beauty, cultural value, and lasting importance of our grounds. Located at 95 Forest Hills Ave, Boston, MA 02130, we continue to provide families with a peaceful, respected setting for burial and memorial services in the heart of Greater Boston. When families want a local cemetery they can trust, they turn to us with confidence.
What Are the Challenges Families Face When Planning Burial and Cremation Services in Boston, MA?
Planning final arrangements in Boston can feel especially difficult, and at Forest Hills Cemetery, we understand that many families come to us already carrying emotional, legal, and logistical stress.
Families often face challenges such as:
- Urgent decisions during grief: You may be expected to make important choices about burial, cremation, memorialization, and scheduling within a very short timeframe, even while processing a recent loss.
- Strict Massachusetts requirements: State law includes documentation rules and a required waiting period before cremation can usually take place, which can add stress and delay during an already emotional time.
- Complex paperwork and approvals: Death certificates, permits, and authorizations can create confusion, especially when multiple relatives are involved or when final wishes were never formally documented.
- Scheduling challenges in a busy urban area: Coordinating with funeral providers, clergy, family members, and cemetery availability in Boston can be difficult, particularly when loved ones are traveling from different locations.
- Limited space and changing preferences: In a historic city like Boston, cemetery space can be more limited, and families may also feel pressure when deciding between traditional burial, cremation, mausoleum placement, or cremation memorial options. The cemetery’s site reflects these needs through burial services, cremation, memorialization, pre-need planning, and mausoleum and niche offerings.
This is why many families want clear information, thoughtful options, and a setting that understands the real pressures they are facing.
Our Cemetery Services in Boston, MA
At-Need Cemetery Services
When you need immediate help after a recent loss, we guide you through urgent cemetery arrangements for burial, cremation, or interment in Boston, including help selecting a grave, niche, or crypt for immediate need. Unlike many Boston cemeteries, we make the process more manageable with helpful staff. We are also clear that at-need arrangements are coordinated through your funeral director, and families who already own an interment deed should provide the deed owner’s name and location number so scheduling can move forward smoothly.
Burial Services
We offer flexible cemetery burial services that can be tailored to your wishes, including casket burial, cremation burial in a grave or cremation plot, graveside services, chapel services, or simple arrangements with no formal service. We serve families better by combining a wide range of burial choices with a long-term commitment to perpetual care, supported by an endowment fund that directs one-half of grave or lot purchase costs toward the ongoing maintenance of burial sites, buildings, and grounds.
Historical Areas Burial Options
If you want a burial place with deeper character and meaning, we offer access to select spaces in historic sections of the cemetery, including areas near Lake Hibiscus, Milton Hill, and other landmark settings throughout our grounds. This gives local families a rare opportunity to choose among more distinctive landscapes and, in many cases, more flexible memorialization styles than newer sections allow, though some historic gravesites are limited to flat markers to preserve the visual character of the surrounding area.
Cremation Services
Our cremation services include on-site cremation, in-ground burial of cremated remains, scattering, indoor and outdoor columbarium placement, and urn options, giving families meaningful choices based on their preferences and traditions. We stand apart by operating the first crematory established in New England and by offering multiple memorialization paths after cremation, including the Fern Hill Cremation Garden, memorial tablets, and the Tree of Remembrance for families who want a permanent place to honor a loved one.
Indoor and Outdoor Columbaria
We provide both indoor and outdoor columbarium options for families seeking a dignified, lasting place for cremated remains within a serene cemetery setting. Our indoor chapels offer bronze-framed, glass-fronted niches with comfortable visiting spaces. At the same time, our outdoor options at Fern Hill and Twin Peak combine beauty, year-round maintenance, and thoughtful design, with many niches able to hold up to two urns, depending on size and shape.
Pre-Need Planning
Our pre-need planning services help you make burial or cremation decisions in advance so your family is not left making stressful choices under pressure after a sudden loss. We deliver more peace of mind by offering a complimentary planning service, personalized tours, and interest-free monthly installment options for cemetery-related expenses, while also being transparent that this program does not include funeral home expenses.
Monument and Memorial Guidance
We also help families plan how they want a loved one remembered, whether that includes a gravesite memorial, an engraved tablet, or other forms of permanent memorialization within the cemetery. What sets us apart is that we pair that guidance with clear expectations, including monument regulations and the requirement that monument installation itself be handled through a separate monument dealer, helping families avoid confusion later in the process.
Why Boston, MA Families Choose Us
Families turn to Forest Hills Cemetery because they want more than a burial ground. They want a place in Boston, MA, where beauty, history, compassionate guidance, and meaningful memorial options come together to help them make confident decisions during a difficult time.
- A historic setting with lasting significance: Founded in 1848, Forest Hills is one of the finest examples of a garden cemetery in the United States, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. For families comparing cemeteries in Boston, choose a place of remembrance with genuine cultural and historical value, not just another cemetery property.
- A peaceful, beautifully maintained landscape: Our 275-acre grounds offer rolling hills, mature trees, sculpture, memorials, and scenic spaces designed for reflection and remembrance. That means your family can choose a setting that feels serene, dignified, and comforting when it matters most.
- Burial, cremation, and columbarium options in one place: We offer burial services, on-site cremation, indoor and outdoor columbaria, and pre-need planning so you can find an option that fits your family’s wishes. Having these services available at one cemetery makes planning more convenient and helps you avoid piecing together arrangements across multiple providers.
- Trusted guidance for immediate and advanced planning: Whether you need help now or want to plan, our staff provides support, answers questions, and offers personalized tours and consultations. We also offer interest-free monthly installments for cemetery-related pre-need expenses, helping families plan with more clarity and less pressure.
- A respected cemetery with professional affiliations: Forest Hills Cemetery highlights its membership in the Massachusetts Cemetery Association, ICCFA, and CANA, reinforcing the professionalism behind the care we provide. For local families, that adds another layer of confidence when choosing a cemetery they can trust.
Where Peace Meets Purpose: A Cemetery Review from Boston, MA Visitor
When visitors travel a long way to experience something meaningful, it says a lot. In this heartfelt cemetery review from a Boston, MA visitor, one guest described their time with us as visiting “one of the biggest and most beautiful cemeteries in New England.”
After a long ride to get here, they shared how relieved they were to find simple comforts waiting for them, “I was so happy they had a bathroom, and it was clean lol.” Sometimes, it’s the thoughtful details that make all the difference.
What stood out most was the experience itself. Our grounds were described as “unique, well-maintained, and plenty to see. Peaceful.” For first-time visitors, the advice was clear: “Park outside or drive through. I, too, suggest driving through first to get a feel of the place. It’s enormous.”
With over two hours spent exploring and still not seeing everything, they encouraged others to “Bring your walking shoes and camera.” The beauty, the history, and the sense of calm left such an impression that they shared, “I will be back and definitely recommend, even just once… So much to see!”
For families, historians, artists, and those simply seeking reflection, experiences like this remind us why we care so deeply for these sacred grounds. We are honored to provide a place that is not only well-maintained but truly meaningful to those who walk through it.
If you’re planning a visit or searching for a peaceful space to reflect, we warmly invite you to come see for yourself why so many recommend it, even just once.
Cemetery FAQs
How does a cemetery preserve historic sections while allowing new burials in Boston, MA?
We preserve historic burial sections by treating them as protected memorial landscapes while guiding new interments into carefully planned spaces for traditional burial, mausoleum entombment, and cremation placement. Because our grounds date back to 1848 and are recognized for their historic significance, we make every burial decision with long-term preservation, documentation, and care in mind. Instead of disturbing older graves, we rely on thoughtful plot planning, monument standards, and space-efficient memorial options such as columbaria, scattering areas, and in-ground cremation burial to meet present-day needs while protecting the character of the cemetery. Our approach combines preservation, horticulture, and ongoing burial services so families can choose meaningful memorial options without compromising the integrity of historic sections.
What is the difference between single graves and family lots in Boston, MA?
Single graves are generally meant for one person and are often chosen by individuals or couples who want a simpler burial arrangement with a more modest memorial. Family lots, by contrast, include multiple adjoining spaces under one ownership arrangement, giving families the ability to stay together and plan for future burials across generations. We often explain that family lots also offer more flexibility for larger monuments, coordinated memorial design, and the option to combine burial and cremation memorialization within one dedicated area. Our setting supports both immediate arrangements and long-term legacy planning, with features such as burial spaces, cremation options, and our two beautiful chapels helping families choose what best fits their needs.
Are monument dealers separate from the cemetery in Boston, MA?
Monument dealers are usually separate from the cemetery, with us overseeing the grounds, burial requirements, and approval process. In contrast, an independent monument company typically handles the design, fabrication, and installation of the marker. We focus on services such as burial, cremation, columbarium options, and planning, while monument work is often completed through outside professionals who are familiar with cemetery regulations. This arrangement is common because cemeteries often set the rules for size, material, and placement but rely on monument dealers to complete the memorial. This gives families more flexibility in personalization while allowing us to preserve the character of the grounds and honor our rich history.
A Place of Remembrance Boston Families Can Trust
When families compare Boston cemetery service providers, they often want more than a final resting place. They want lasting beauty, meaningful burial and cremation options, and the confidence that their loved one will be honored in a setting defined by history, dignity, and care. At Forest Hills Cemetery, we provide all of that through our peaceful 275-acre landscape, trusted memorial choices, and long-standing commitment to serving Greater Boston families with compassion and respect at 95 Forest Hills Ave, Boston, MA 02130. We invite you to take the next step with confidence, knowing our team is here to help you make thoughtful decisions for today or for the future.
