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A beautiful Victorian-era cemetery, complete with a miniature village.
In Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, the Victorian-era Forest Hills Cemetery lies on 275 acres of green space. Centered around a peaceful lake, the cemetery showcases both natural and human-made beauty. Many of the graves are adorned with beautiful sculptures, and the mausoleums that dot the hillsides display attractive architectural details. Several contemporary sculptures add a sense of playfulness—look for the family of dressed-up trees and the miniature village.
Exploring the Miniature Village
The miniature village was added in 2006 as part of a larger exhibition in the Boston cemetery. According to artist Christopher Frost, each miniature building is a replica of the home of someone buried within the cemetery. He modeled the structures after thousands of potential houses to include a medley of architectural styles.
The houses are meant to be just as diverse as the people now buried within the graveyard. Keep an eye out for the tiny concrete model home of Ralph Martin, a wagon-driver who perished in Boston's most unusual disaster, the Great Molasses Flood.
The Victorian cemetery is home to a number of prominent historical figures, including poets Anne Sexton and E.E. Cummings and playwright Eugene O'Neill. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Know Before You Go
The cemetery gates open daily at 7:00 a.m. Seasonal tours are offered. You can also download a map of the cemetery for a self-guided tour.
Content originally created for Atlas Obscura.
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