Lake View Cemetery, at 12316 Euclid Avenue, is Cleveland's great outdoor museum of memory, and it is one of the most rewarding free-roaming stops in the city for anyone who likes history, architecture or a quiet walk. The grounds are the resting place of President James A. Garfield, whose memorial is one of only forty presidential burial sites in the United States, a monumental tower that anchors the landscape. A little further along stands the Wade Memorial Chapel, whose interior was designed almost entirely by Louis Comfort Tiffany, with stained glass and mosaics that the cemetery describes as one of the only remaining Tiffany-designed interiors of its kind. Between the two lie winding lanes, mature trees, family monuments and sculpture from the age when Cleveland's industrial fortunes built elaborate memorials. The cemetery lists guided tours, self-guided tours and a yearly Run Through History 5K, so there are several ways to learn who is buried where.
Getting in and when
The gates open at 7:30am every day of the year, and the closing time shifts with the seasons, so check the cemetery's hours and map page for today's closing time before you set out, especially in the short days of November and December. The interior of the Garfield Memorial and the Wade Chapel keep their own visiting arrangements, which are not the same as the gate hours, so look at the cemetery's website before you assume you can go inside either building. The grounds are large enough that you will want a car or a long walk, and the roads inside are shared with mourners, so drive slowly and respect any funerals in progress.
How to see it
If you are short of time, drive straight to the Garfield Memorial and the Wade Chapel, and give those two stops about an hour together. If you have longer, the cemetery's self-guided tour material and its guided tours, announced on its website, will point you to notable graves and to the sculpture that makes the place worth a slow circuit.
John D. Rockefeller is buried here as well, and the lanes around the family plots are an easy stroll. Bring sturdy shoes, because the hillside paths are uneven, and a warm layer, because the site is exposed to the wind off the lake in winter.
Where it fits
Lake View is at the east end of the museum district, close to Little Italy and a short drive from the Cleveland Museum of Art, so it combines naturally with a University Circle day. It is a sobering rather than a cheerful stop, and a working cemetery rather than a theme park, but it is also one of the most beautiful green spaces in the city. History lovers and anyone interested in Tiffany glass should treat it as a first-rank stop, while families with small children may find an hour on the grounds is enough, and anyone interested in the city's industrial past will find the family names on the monuments a useful companion to the History Center's exhibits.
The Cleveland ghost tour downtown covers a very different, more theatrical side of the city's past, and the two make an interesting contrast. Allow a little extra time to find your way around, because the lanes are numerous and the memorials are spread across a large hillside, and consider picking up the self-guided tour material from the cemetery's website before you arrive so that you can plan a loop instead of wandering.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided drive or walk through a hilltop cemetery, with the Garfield Memorial, the Wade Memorial Chapel and guided tours available through the cemetery.
Best time
Morning or early afternoon on a dry day, and autumn when the trees are in color.
How long
One to two hours; an hour is enough for the two main monuments.
Tips
Check the website for gate closing times and for when the Garfield Memorial and Wade Chapel can be entered, wear sturdy shoes and drive slowly on the shared roads.
Quick picks
- Best for
- History lovers, architecture fans and anyone who likes a quiet outdoor walk.
- Families
- Best for older children who like history, since it is a working cemetery that calls for quiet.
- Couples
- A slow autumn walk among the monuments, followed by dinner in nearby Little Italy.
- Pair with
- Little Italy and the Cleveland Museum of Art, or the Cleveland History Center.
- Time needed
- One to two hours.
Good questions
What time does Lake View Cemetery open?+
The gates open at 7:30am every day of the year. Closing time varies through the year, so check the cemetery's hours page.
What is the Garfield Memorial?+
It is the monument to President James A. Garfield, one of only 40 presidential burial sites in the United States. It stands in Lake View Cemetery.
What is special about the Wade Memorial Chapel?+
Its interior was designed almost entirely by Louis Comfort Tiffany and has stained glass and mosaics. The cemetery calls it one of the only remaining Tiffany-designed interiors of its kind.
Does Lake View Cemetery offer tours?+
Yes, the cemetery lists guided tours and self-guided tours on its website, and also holds a yearly Run Through History 5K.
Where is Lake View Cemetery?+
It is at 12316 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, near Little Italy and University Circle.
