A Remarkable Resting Place for Souls of All Faiths
Lush landscape, breathtaking sculptures and notable history combine to make Rock Creek Cemetery the most beautiful and evocative public cemetery in the nation’s capital.
Dating from 1719, the Cemetery is also Washington’s oldest cemetery and was designed as part of the rural cemetery movement first advocated by the architect Sir Christopher Wren in 1711. The burial ground in the churchyard’s urban space, with its natural 86-acre rolling landscape, functions as both cemetery and public park. This, the Cemetery’s famous residents, and stunning variety of sculptures and monuments make Rock Creek Cemetery a place of pilgrimage for people of all faiths.
Hours
The grounds are open to visitors daily – including holidays:
Fall/Winter Hours (October – March): 7am – 5pm
Spring/Summer Hours (April – September): 7am – 7pm
The Cemetery office is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office is closed on all holidays.
Upcoming Services
“The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun.”
John Greenleaf Whittier