Hope Cemetery, established in 1852, is a historic rural cemetery owned by the City. Its landscaping and funerary art are exemplars of the rural cemetery movement inspired by romantic perceptions of nature, art, and the themes of death; visitors can contemplate monuments and statues while strolling through an area of fine trees and plantings.
Hope Cemetery replaced as many as six earlier burial grounds that were overwhelmed by the growing city. By the end of the century remains from Mechanic Street, Tatman, and Pine Meadow cemeteries were reinterred at Hope, and in the 1960s graves were moved here from Worcester Common.
The cemetery occupies approximately 168 acres of rolling land between Kettle Brook to the south, Curtis Pond to the west, and Middle River to the north. In 1998 Hope Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition assists in the preservation of the cemetery as part of the city’s great heritage.
Roadside viewing
Restrooms on site
Wheelchair accessible trail
Entrance fee
Content from Official Website
Last updated December 13, 2023