1. You may have visited: Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta
Atlanta’s preeminent cemetery showcases the city’s rich culture and racially fraught past in a landscaped oasis. The resting place of author Margaret Mitchell, golfer Bobby Jones, six Georgia governors, and 27 Atlanta mayors also contains dedicated parcels for African Americans, Jews, and Confederate soldiers.
2. You may have missed: Westview Cemetery, Atlanta
With its soaring abbey and medieval-like entryway, the largest cemetery in the Southeast rivals its cross-town counterpart in majesty. Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler, former mayor William Hartsfield, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conductor Robert Shaw are among the prominent Atlantans interred here.
3. You may have visited: Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah
Considered one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries, Bonaventure blends fascinating history, verdant beauty, and romantic sculpture. The famous “Bird Girl” statue that graced the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil now resides in a museum, but you can visit the winsome monument of little Gracie Watson and the graves of lyricist Johnny Mercer and poet Conrad Aiken, among other notable residents.
4. You may have missed: Oak Grove Cemetery, St. Marys
Like Bonaventure, Oak Grove is a Southern Gothic postcard of aged tombstones under moss-draped boughs. Established in 1788, the graveyard is the final resting place of soldiers from all American wars. Don’t miss the cemetery’s photogenic monument, the Resurrection Angel.
5. You may have visited: Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon
Situated on the banks of the Ocmulgee, Rose Hill is perhaps best known as the final home (and, during their lives, hangout spot) of Allman Brothers bandmates Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Even if you’re not a classic rock fan, you’ll enjoy wandering the picturesque rolling terrain dotted with historic monuments and crypts.
6. You may have missed: Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Rome
Another regal riverside cemetery is Rome’s Myrtle Hill, which presides over the confluence of the Etowah and the Oostanaula. Tombstones encircle a terraced hill, affording a panoramic view of the rooftops of downtown Rome. Among the points of interest are the Veterans Plaza and the grave of First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson, wife of former president Woodrow Wilson.
7. You may have visited: Andersonville National Cemetery, Andersonville
Some 13,000 Union soldiers died in fourteen months at Andersonville, the Civil War’s most notorious prison camp. Row upon row of closely packed headstones—over which Clara Barton first raised the flag in 1865—paint a somber picture. An active national cemetery, Andersonville remains open for veterans’ burials today.
8. You may have missed: Marietta National Cemetery, Marietta
Nearly 10,000 Union soldiers—along with veterans of other wars—rest beneath a gently sloping lawn in the northwestern Atlanta suburb, their gravestones unfurling in neat circles. Special monuments include a badger-topped memorial for the Union’s Wisconsin dead as well a tribute to those killed in Pearl Harbor.
