Historic Oakwood Cemetery is a private, nonprofit, independent cemetery,and remains open to all without preference or discrimination relating to race, religion, or national origin. We have a public restroom, parking, and a visitors center with walking tour maps.
The Friends of Oakwood Cemetery and the newly formed Oakwood Cemetery Foundation are dedicated to promoting and preserving Oakwood Cemetery’s natural beauty and history. The cemetery is free to visit, and your financial contributions to the Foundation help preserve monuments and grounds and educate our community about the history of its people.
For 150 years, Historic Oakwood Cemetery has told the stories of generations: families who formed our city, soldiers who honored our country, and people of today who chose to rest among the historic oaks. With over 200 years of active burial space still available on our grounds, we are here to serve families for generations to come.
Join us throughout 2019 to learn about the past and create stories of your own as we commemorate our 150th Anniversary.
Education for All Generations
Visitors of all ages come to learn about the lives of over 25,000 people, including many prominent city, state, and national leaders. School groups, book clubs, church groups, photography clubs and more schedule visits throughout the year, and on any given day, walkers, joggers and visitors from around the world drop in to visit the beautiful grounds. We share detailed research about notable and colorful individuals buried on our grounds, and we offer themed tours about Raleigh history, women’s history, love stories, and other ways to learn about the historical and cultural significance of this community treasure.
Honoring Generations of Sacrifice
Oakwood Cemetery recognizes the many North Carolina servicemen and women who have served our country, from Revolutionary times through the Civil War to modern day. The House of Memory and the Veterans Memorial are memorials to those who served, and the Field of Honor is dedicated exclusively to veterans, their spouses and qualified dependents. Each year we commemorate Memorial Day with a public event.
Preservation for Generations to Come
Our grounds are an impressive sculpture garden of exceptional artistic interest. The excellence and diversity of the carvings, statues, bas reliefs works, and other decorations on the many memorials and monuments are preserved with care, and each stone tells a story about an era or a person. Our 72 acres are beautifully landscaped and filled with a wide variety of oaks, cedars, maples, azaleas, dogwoods, hollies, and other attractive shrubs and flowers.