BUFFALO, N.Y. — A tranquil place where you can reconnect with nature while learning about history; perhaps a cemetery isn't the first thing that comes to mind for that. But Forest Lawn’s Sunday in the Cemetery walking tours provide visitors with opportunities for enlightenment and reflection.

What You Need To Know

  • Forest Lawn’s Sunday in the Cemetery walking tours provide visitors with opportunities for enlightenment and reflection

  • The cemetery serves as an arboretum, a gallery and an outdoor museum

  • The guided tour covers a portion of the 269 acres of ground, highlighting some of the cemetery’s most notable features, like the burial site of Millard Fillmore.

  • In addition to the elaborate burial monuments, there are also sculptures that adorn the ground, holding stories of the history of the city and the cemetery

  • There are more than 150,000 residents buried in the cemetery.

“You’re going to learn a little bit about everything," said Laura Fitzgerald, digital marketing coordinator and tour coordinator. "You’re going to hear stories about what we like to call our "permanent residents" here; some of them are notable names, some of them are not. You’re going to hear about the works of art that are here and the memorials, and a lot of times you’re going to hear why those specific residents chose those works of art to commemorate themselves, and you’re going to have a chance to see plenty of wildlife along the way.”

Serving as an arboretum, a gallery and an outdoor museum, Forest Lawn caters to the living as much as it does the departed. The rural cemetery was born out of the Industrial Revolution to accommodate growing populations, but also provide a space for people to find peace within a buzzing city.

“People were often working six days a week, 13-hour days and they were cooped up in crowded tenements or boarding houses and they needed a place to come outside and commune with nature," said Fitzgerald. "So they would often spend their days off here at Forest Lawn visiting loved ones that were buried here, but also picnicking on the grounds. At that time there were no public parks, so rural cemeteries, which is what Forest Lawn is an example of, really helped bring about the park movement in the United States.”

The guided tour covers a portion of the 269 acres of ground, highlighting some of the cemetery’s most notable features, like the burial site of Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States.

In addition to the elaborate burial monuments, there are also sculptures that adorn the ground, holding stories of the history of the city and the cemetery. Though there are more than 150,000 residents at Forrest Lawn, there is still room for those who wish to reserve a spot in the necropolis for their final resting place.

“There’s a misconception out there that Forest Lawn is completely full and the case is that we have plenty of room, so if people are interested, they can certainly contact our office and get more information about either being interred here or cremated here and we have lots of various choices here that might surprise you.”

With its serene atmosphere and breathtaking sights, a walk through Forest Lawn can show how a Sunday in the Cemetery can be a beautiful departure from the ordinary.