Historic Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh

This place is stunning!!! We are new to the area and wanted to see this cemetery around fall/Halloween time. We read about Etta so she was our main reason for going but we found so many other beautiful graves. I love the mausoleums. The grounds are beautiful all while being a bit ‘spooky’ we took a bunch of pictures and Bri even stopped us to see if we needed any help finding anything. She told us about Etta and Prikyl. So neat to hear from someone who works there! Will be back next year to see the grounds again!

Robin gave me a tour on a perfect fall day. I truly did not expect to feel so energized after seeing a cemetery, but she brought the entire place alive for me and connected so many of her "residents" to real life history. It felt like I was touring a fascinating museum instead of a cemetery. Robin gives the residents of her "town" (population 25,0000) a voice through understanding their history. She helped to connect their individual lives to stories I could understand and identify with. I'm excited to now possess a copy of the book she and Bruce Miller wrote detailing a history I feel very much a part of, having grown up in the Triangle area myself. I'm also impressed to know that the cemetery is far from full and offers green burials in a beautiful section in the back, along with traditional burials, cremation plots, and 2 mausoleums. Having lived in Cambridge, MA for several years enjoying long walks at Mt. Auburn cemetery, I'm sure I'll be back to enjoy the trails and monuments here and explore the history of the individuals who quietly reside at Oakwood.