Mount Hope Cemetery is the oldest Victorian municipal cemetery in the United States. Located on Mt Hope Ave in the City of Rochester, the 196-acre cemetery was dedicated in 1838, and since that time, over 350,000 people have been laid to rest in this beautiful and historic cemetery. This cemetery has beautiful examples of Victorian funeral art and some of the oldest tombstones in Rochester.
Famous Residence of Mount Hope
Not everyone enjoys trumping around cemeteries, but they can be a fascinating lesson in history, especially when the cemetery is the final resting place of famous people. There are several cemeteries in the Rochester area that are old and historical but Mount Hope Cemetery is the only one with the bragging rights to having two of the most famous activists in American history, Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass. There are at least 15 other notable people buried here, including George B. Seldon (the inventor of the automobile), Dr. Hartwell Carver (father of the transcontinental railroad), and Rochester founder Nathaniel Rochester. However, Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass are by far the most famous.
Each year, on Election Day, women from all over America travel to Mount Hope Cemetery to visit the grave of Susan B. Anthony to honor her for her pivotal role in women’s suffrage and winning the right to vote for women in the United States. They leave I Voted stickers and Susan B. Anthony coins on her grave. People wait in line for hours just to see her grave on this day and say, “thank you.” It is an amazing thing to witness.
The Natural Beauty of Mount Hope Cemetery
What sets Mount Hope Cemetery apart from other cemeteries is the topography. Created by glaciers, it is full of hills and valleys. I found this cemetery to be one of the most beautiful cemeteries that I have ever been to. It is more like a park than a cemetery. There are sections of woods within the cemetery. It is surprising to come upon an old tombstone in sections of the cemetery that is not groomed into the lawn and is basically in the woods. It gives this old cemetery a spooky atmosphere.
Fall Colors at Mount Hope Cemetery
There are places where the autumn leaves are just incredible, and Mount Hope is one of those places. I believe this is due to the topography of the cemetery with its rolling hills and abundance of old trees. Fall is our favorite time of year to visit the cemetery. Mount Hope just looks like the quintessential October cemetery that one would find in a movie.
Haunted Mount Hope
However, the rough tombstones aren’t the only reason for Mount Hope’s spooky atmosphere. It is said that Mount Hope Cemetery is the most haunted cemetery in New York State. According to Native Americans who lived in the area before the cemetery, the land was haunted by strange lights and sounds of screaming. People have sworn that even to this day, they have witnessed strange lights inside the cemetery at night.
Watch this video about Haunted Mount Hope Cemetery.
Tour of the Cemetery
My favorite time to visit this cemetery is in the fall. You can take themed tours of the cemetery, such as the Mischief, Murder, and Mayhem Tour, where you can meet some permanent residents who bent, broke, or enforced the law; or whose lives met unfortunate or grisly ends.
Mount Hope Cemetery is very large, and you should plan to give yourself plenty of time to visit and fully appreciate this cemetery. There are guided tours on the weekends that are very informative and cover all the famous people buried there.
As I said before, cemeteries aren’t for everyone. However, if you are thinking of visiting one, I highly recommend Mount Hope Cemetery. It is beautiful, old, and full of antiquity. It is the very essence of what an old historic cemetery should look like.
Getting To Mount Hope Cemetery
Address: 1133 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester
Google Map Link
