Cemetery Picnics: How Cemeteries Became Community Gathering Places

For many people today, cemeteries are quiet spaces reserved for mourning. But not long ago, they were vibrant gathering places, where families picnicked, children played, and communities came together among the gravestones. Today, many memorial parks are once again inviting families and the public to stroll along manicured paths, waterfalls, and lush landscaping as a way to pause, reflect, and escape the stress of 21st-century life.

Why Cemeteries Matter as Community Spaces

From the days of cemetery picnics to modern memorial ceremonies and hometown hero events, cemeteries have always been more than burial grounds. They are green spaces, cultural landmarks, and community gathering places that bridge the past and present.

Though the ways we use cemeteries have changed, their essence remains the same: they are spaces where people remember, learn, and find comfort in community.

Cultural and Religious Celebrations in Cemeteries

During Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico and many U.S. communities, families gather in cemeteries with flowers, music, and food to celebrate the lives of loved ones. Similarly, observances such as All Saints’ Day, Qingming Festival, and Chuseok draw families to burial grounds to clean graves, offer prayers, and pay respects to their ancestors. These practices show how cemeteries are not only places of mourning, but also vibrant centers of cultural memory and community life.

Veteran and First Responder Recognition 

Across the nation, cemeteries, including Highland Memorial Park and other Altogether locations, hold wreath-laying ceremonies and Memorial Day services that attract thousands of visitors. These events honor Veterans and fallen heroes, keeping alive the connection between cemeteries and communal remembrance.

Charitable and Volunteer Cemetery Events

Cemeteries frequently host volunteer clean-up days, restoration projects, and fundraisers. These events not only enhance the beauty of sacred grounds but also foster a sense of civic pride and service. Highland Memorial Park is one of many hometown cemeteries that host Wreaths Across America each holiday season to adorn the graves of Veterans. 

Educational and Historical Cemetery Tours

Cemeteries often serve as open-air classrooms where history comes to life. At places like Sunnyside Cemetery in Florida and Chico Cemetery in California, school groups and local historians lead tours that highlight community figures and cultural traditions. These sites remind us that cemeteries are not only resting places, but also living archives of local history.

The Forgotten Tradition of Cemetery Picnics

In the 19th century, “cemetery picnics” were not strange curiosities, but a common part of community life. Families gathered at burial grounds not only to mourn the dead, but also to celebrate life, enjoy green spaces, and share meals together.

This blending of sacred and social space may sound unusual today, but according to Joel Colson, Director of Sales & Cemetery Operations for Foundation Partners Group, cemeteries are still meaningful gathering grounds. “Our most recent event, Hometown Heroes, was at Highland Memorial Park. We had about 225 people at the cemetery, and the feedback was very positive.”  

Colson’s point underscores a continuity between the past and present; cemeteries remain places where people come together, whether for remembrance, service, or community connection.

Why Cemetery Picnics Were So Common

In the 19th century, cemetery picnics, promenades, and carriage rides were a popular pastime. A look at what was happening in America during that time helps explain the growing number of families spending leisure time in cemeteries.

• Lack of public parks: At a time when cities had few public parks, cemeteries offered some of the only accessible green spaces. Families seeking fresh air and open lawns found them among the gravestones.
• The rural cemetery movement: Cemeteries were intentionally designed as park-like spaces with tree-lined paths, gardens, and symbolic art. Grim reminders of death were replaced with flowers, angels, and hopeful motifs that invited the living to linger.
• Community and comfort: During eras of high mortality, when epidemics and disease touched nearly every household, cemeteries offered a place of solace. They allowed families to gather both to remember their departed loved ones and to strengthen bonds among the living.

A Typical Cemetery Picnic

Cemetery gatherings in the 19th century were often family outings more than somber visits. Families spread blankets or set up folding tables near loved ones’ graves, particularly on Decoration Day (which later evolved into Memorial Day). Couples strolled, children played, and most people wore their best “going to town” outfits, not mourning black, but the most fashionable pieces in their wardrobes. 

Families brought meals in decorative wicker baskets or hampers. They might serve a picnic on fine china, as if the cemetery were no different than a public garden. Typical fare included sandwiches on homemade bread, cold roast beef or lamb, boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and cheese. For dessert, people enjoyed jam tarts, fruit cake, or butter cookies. And since clean drinking water wasn’t as plentiful as it is today, the most common beverages were lemonade, ginger beer, soda water, or cider.

Why Cemetery Picnics Declined

By the early 20th century, cemetery picnics were fading into history. People started driving automobiles in the early 20th century, but the mass production of cars meant that families no longer had to stay within walking distance of their homes. There were also shifting cultural views. Funerals and visitations were no longer in people’s homes but at funeral homes. Picnic baskets disappeared, replaced by ceremonies and memorials.

The sudden and massive death toll of the 1918–1920 Spanish Flu pandemic overwhelmed resources and temporarily disrupted cemetery traditions. Additionally, as more cities developed municipal parks, cemeteries were no longer the only option for green space and leisure. Cemetery promenades and picnics gave way to structured ceremonies and memorials. 

Cemeteries as Parks, Gardens, and Social Spaces

Yet even after the picnics ended, the design of cemeteries left a lasting impact. The landscaped grounds, shaded walks, and quiet reflective spaces directly inspired the design of public parks across America. In many ways, cemeteries were the country’s first urban green spaces.

They also remained places of culture and beauty, where families admired sculptures, symbolism, and monuments as though walking through an open-air museum. Cemeteries were never just about death; they were about life, art, memory, and community.

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