Richmond, VA: Hollywood Cemetery

At best, I normally skim through the tourist information guides which are found in most hotel rooms. However, without anything else to read during our trip to Richmond, I actually read the guide a bit more closely, & boy am I glad I did. Somehow, in all my research to plan our trip, I had missed the historic Hollywood Cemetery.. but the guide didn’t.The final resting place of two U.S. Presidents (James Monroe & John Tyler), the president of  the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis, 25 Confederate generals, & numerous Confederate soldiers, the Hollywood Cemetery is a must-visit for history buffs. Opened in 1849, the cemetery has expanded to its current 130 acres. There are guided walking tours available for visitors, but know in advance that the cemetery is huge & hilly. For those unable/unwilling to walk, a map just inside the entrance & well marked streets allow visitors to drive through the cemetery, park their car at different points & walk shorter distances to the key sights.

As you walk among the more than 18,000 Confederate soldiers graves, you can’t help but ponder their lives & the war they died in. The cemetery provides a quiet place to think & reflect on our nation’s history.