Rock Creek Cemetery

The cemetery is serene & classic — full of history & beauty… My father was laid to rest here… His funeral was smoothly conducted with great respect, efficiency, and solemnity… Brandon our host was excellent & knowledgeable… A special place with personal care… Thank you for welcoming us through a difficult process..

This is an outstanding cemetery. The funerary art on display across the well preserved array of graves was to die for (sorry). The grounds are well maintained and they have MANY notable people buried there. This a historical treasure and one of the most aesthetically pleasing cemeteries I've visited. My one suggestion for improvement is more visitor services support for historically inclined visitors. They do have a map available at the visitor center that had the rough locations of some notable graves but it didn't do a great job of helping actually find graves. Find a Grave app is a necessary companion. Still, this place is fantastic. Go!

I'd like to commend Mr. Brandon Hickson-Hamilton, Family Service Specialist, for helping me through a very difficult and sorrowful time in my life. He was always very kind, very polite, and very professional. And always there to help me. Thank you so very much, Brandon. You are the VERY BEST!! Sincerely, Leslie King

I visited Rock Creek after spending several crowded days at the Smithsonian, and was double struck by the peacefulness of this cemetery. The grounds are lovely and in April there were many trees and shrubs in blossom. I spent a couple hours there on a Sunday morning and was surprised at the paucity of visitors.

Visited Rock Creek Cemetery on April 15…on a lovely spring day. Nice place to take a walk while viewing the grave sites. Lovely cherry trees in bloom.

The worst experience possible. Stay away. Non attentive to this emotional period in someone’s life (showed 6 plots immediately following the passing of my brother in law before they located one that was available, 5 hours wasted), non responsive (have to call multiple times and always the phone call drops), got the headstone in and was argumentative about contacting the widow; only to apologize that they sent to the wrong email. Then headstone is mounted in the wrong position, it is clearly within someone’s plot because they have four corner markers and his headstone is right next to the other families. Lastly his information on the web site is incorrect. They messed up a literally every step. Horrible and embarrassing.

Rock Creek Cemetery provided exceptional care for my mother’s funeral. The Family Service Specialists, Keena, Brandon and Edelmira, were compassionate, patient, and incredibly helpful in planning the service and designing a beautiful tombstone. The cemetery is peaceful and well-maintained, offering comfort during a difficult time. I highly recommend their services.

I would like to thank Rock Creek Cemetery for their help. I also want to mention that whenever I reached out to the manager, she was always available to answer my questions and concerns. Furthermore, I am very happy to have chosen them to make this journey easier in my life. No one likes to talk about death, but it is a reality that we must face, and sometimes people do not have anything arranged. I am a planner, so I want to have everything in order when God calls me. Thank you for all your help, and if anyone is looking for a cemetery, I strongly suggest this one. They simplify the process and even offer a payment plan with no interest for preened for three years. Thank you!

If you're also oddly inspired by cemeteries, you hit the jackpot with Rock Creek Cemetery. Not only if this cemetery sizeable and with many gems inside, it's next door to another equally interesting cemetery- Soldiers Home Cemetery. Both are located in the Northeast neighborhood of Fort Totten close to several restaurants, parks, and even breweries. As you walk through the main gate, you'll read a sign that notes the cemetery was established in 1887. However, its story begins in 1719 when Maryland was under British rule. The cemetery was in the churchyard of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. When the British left, the area became part of D.C., and years later, it became Rock Creek Cemetery. The cemetery itself has well-kept paths through the property. There are thousands of gravestones, mausoleums, and sculptures. There's also a chapel in the center of the property. The cemetery houses not only politicians but also athletes, writers, journalists, etc. One of the best-hidden gems inside is the Adams Memorial in honor of a photographer. You'll know you stumbled upon it when you see a circle of well-kept bushes. There's a small path leading inside to the eerie memorial.

This is a review of the church (since I can't review it separately), and the cemetery combined. There is almost nothing I found to enjoy or admire about this church. The large grounds and stately entrance are intimidating + unwelcoming. The interior is not fully accessible for disabled individuals, notably for a potential priest. It indicates that it is unlikely that someone requiring reasonable physical accommodation has ever been employed here, in the capacity of officiant. The service is non-descript and uninspiring. I attended a Bible study and was woefully disappointed by the lack of inclination from the regular attendees to accept and tolerate differing viewpoints, or challenging / uncomfortable posits. This congregation is growing smaller, and failing to appeal to younger generations. Situated in a cemetery rife with representations of class discrepancy even in death, and frequently an almost curious disregard for the espoused simplicity and equality of Christianity, this church feels as if it will, in the not-too-distant future, become the largest mausoleum on the lot.

I read the reviews for Rock Creek Cemetery and looked at the pictures. I decided I had to go here for myself and I was not disappointed. Walking the grounds of this cemetery was as if I were walking through an outside art museum. The hills flow up and down throughout the cemetery. The cemetery was very tranquil. As I walked through the cemetery the only thing missing was a babbling brook in the background for sound. There were several workers there maintaining the grounds and the mausoleums. I highly recommend going to Rock Creek Cemetery to see the beautiful statues and mausoleums in person. The grounds are open daily from 8a - 7p (including holidays). The office is open Monday - Friday from 9a - 5p (closed on holidays). You are allowed to drive through the cemetery. If you decide to walk there is onsite parking. The closest metro stations are Brookland, Fort Totten and Georgia Avenue/Petworth. If you are unable to make it to the cemetery, I uploaded several pictures. I wrote a blog about this particular cemetery that will give you a little more insight from my vantage point. You can visit the blog here: http://somewhereindc.com/st-pauls-rock-creek-cemetery

(WARNING...this is probably going to get a little long winded. If you want the cliff notes...GO VISIT ROCK CREEK! OMG!!!!!!!!!!! THIS cemetery is the GRANDADDY of the District's silent cities.) I could almost begin this review with "It was a dark and stormy night. " but when I arrived back in late July, it was neither dark nor stormy. Yet. I had heard about Rock Creek's positive plethora of exquisite statuary from several acquaintances who share in my odd little graveyard fixation, most notably "Grief", the dark shrouded figure in Section E, marking the tomb of Clover Adams. (there's a whole book dedicated to this memorial...it's a pretty stirring figure). I never found it, simply due to the overwhelming amount of incredible memorials, both large and small, laid out before my eyes as soon as I entered the gates. Overwhelming, to say the least! I wasn't ten steps onto the grounds when I was "ooh-ing" and "aahh-ing" and cursing myself for not having more than one memory card on hand because I KNEW I was going to need lots of space to accommodate all the photographic opportunities Rock Creek afforded. The Cemetery itself, established in 1719, is GINORMOUS. 86 acres packed with notables who knew how to throw a funeral and honor their dead. And from the looks of it, I had the place to myself on that Sunday afternoon. That's probably because everyone else checked the weather channel and knew what was coming. But I didn't. In the early afternoon sun, Rock Creek still gave of an air of darkness, just a tinge of something not-quite-right on the worldly plain. I'm a pretty down to earth person, but the hair on the back of my neck was standing up, even in my excitement, early into my visit. It's a little creepy in there. So imagine how I jumped with the first crack of lightning struck from behind St. Paul's, the Episcopal Church located in the cemetery. I was so enthralled by the beautiful, intricate, and interesting markers, that I didn't notice the greenish black clouds gathering on the other side of all that acreage. I also hadn't noticed how far I now was from my truck. Uh-oh. The creep factor in blazing daylight was about a 5, but now it had jumped up to a +10! Like a moron, I made a dash for the church to wait it out. Rock Creek is densely planted with some stunningly large trees...the kind that get hit by lightning. I really don't want my body found, camera around my neck, fried by electricity in the middle of a graveyard. It's too much like a CSI plot. So the church seemed safest. One hell of a storm blew through. Anyone with a lick of common sense would have marched back to their vehicle and resumed the visit on another day. I never claimed to possess common-sense and now, in the light drizzling rain...the backside of Rock Creek resembled something out of a Gothic novel. Dark, dreary, wet and mossy...I was scared out of my wits but there was no way I was going to miss walking those paths lined with some of the most ornate crypts and unique markers I have ever seen. Besides, there was a security guard rolling around and around the grounds slowly in his car, so I could indulge my scare-fest without really fearing for my personal safety. And indulge I did! This is quite simply one of the most beautiful, Gothic, memorial parks in Washington. Deer actually roam the grounds. Very old markers still exist, some of which are still legible. And like I said, it's occupied by people who desired their final resting places to be as stylish as the homes they once dwelled in. The orthodox graves at the bottom of the grounds are quite special as well. The simplicity of a few is heart-rending. Rock Creek is a visual feast of sculpture, art, botany, and beauty. Plan a full day, pack a lunch, wear comfortable shoes and bring more than one memory stick. You'll need all of the above. Check the Weather Channel too...just in case. I've posted photos, but more can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cynroux/tags/rockcreekcemetery/ A map of the grounds would be helpful and I understand that they are available in the cemetery office, a pretty granite building just inside the gates to the left. Disclaimer: I'm reviewing cemeteries for the purpose of a good relaxing walk, photographic opportunities, historic and unusual markers and maybe a little ghoulish thrill here and there. I'm a Victorian Taphophile at heart. Happy Halloween Kids!

Until this evening I had always wanted to be cremated and had my ashes scattered across the Badlands of South Dakota. Then I spent an hour exploring Rock Creek Cemetery. I have changed my burial plans, and would update my final directive if such a thing existed. This place is creepy, gothic, hallowed, elegant, or any other adjective denoting cool cemetery that you might find in Roget's Thesaurus. It is a little tricky to get to from 14th Street, as Webster (the street the main gate is on) becomes a one way heading west midway between 14th and North Capitol. Just wind around the somber hard luck fringes of Petworth until you find your way back. Once you pass through the gates into these Elysian Fields, which oddly are not within a mile of Rock Creek, you are transported far south. The eerie sculptures and plentiful mausoleums (and yes that is the correct plural form, I checked) recall the Confederate burying ground of Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. How I made it to damn near middle age living here and never found my way past the wrought iron into this church yard of solitude can only be ascribed to me generally being averse to dealing with death. On a Sunday eve I could hear the domestic turmoil from the surrounding neighborhood as I traipsed among 150 year old tombs that grace this green hillside near the US Soldiers' Home. I even found an odd Eastern European, or is it Russian, section with icons and distinctively shaped wooden carved crosses. I was looking for the graves of Upton Sinclair and Edgar Allan Poe's sister, and failed to find either, as I got sucked into the labyrinth of crumbling walkways and winding roads. I didn't care that the object of my visit was a fail, as the atmospherics of the cemetery itself were enough to make a grey cloudy day even gloomier. For whatever reason, cars can travel at will disturbing the peace with knocking motors and "Call Me Maybe" on the speakers, but bikes are verboten. That said, I don't know who would stop you from riding here, although the roads are poorly maintained and with skinny tires you might end up a permanent resident if you hit the wrong bump.

Sounds odd to review a cemetery, but this place is special. All the azaleas peek in spring then the lotus pond in August. The trees are old growth and some of the old buildings, mausoleums and markers date back 100+ years. A beautiful walk through the rolling hills is like a meditation.

A beautiful place to wander and wander, with a wide variety of graves both notable and obscure. Don't miss the Augustus St. Gaudens "Grief" sculpture over the grave of socialite Marian Clover Adams, Henry James' muse for "Portrait of a Lady," who combined a love of amateur photography with crippling depression by, um, drinking all of her developer chemicals one day. Also: Tim Russert! And my grandparents. I'm not docking a star for the ambiance - which is incredible - but as a family member of the deceased and likely future plot holder. The place is a labyrinth, and when I go to visit my grandparents using the official map, I somehow manage to get lost every time. Also, there was apparently a little bit of a cave-in issue with my grandmother's grave, which is...awkward. But in general, they're a nice team here.

Serenity in DC is as rare as a ego-free attorney. This is a place where it can be found in great abundance. (If you are not afraid of cemeteries, that is) I love the turn of the (19th ) century statuary... Pensive angels, granite children-the majestic mausoleums. And the winding lanes which guide them to us, or us to them... Perspective is always a good thing-but let us be "real". In a power driven place like DC, where many of us thrive on certainty-the reality that one really controls nothing can (how I'd love to bring my boss here) provide either immense solace, or like a three inch snowstorm, more internal chaos.... I pray that you choose the latter, and spend some quiet time here....

A review for the wheeled among us. This place is, generally speaking, wheelchair accessible. Be aware that it is extremely hilly and longer visits will be a challenge. Also most of the sites are located up off the road, separated by a curb, so getting up close would generally be extremely difficult. Didn't see as much as I would have liked, but it is an interesting historical experience. Be sure to use the entrance located on yelp, GPS can sometimes use other entrances that may be locked.

Since the last review, it appears Yelp fixed the address, as the map is now correct. This is a great place to walk around for solitude and to take in the variety of statues and memorials created for the resting places of DC's historical residents. Perhaps it takes a certain type of personality to want to wander around a cemetery, but if you are that type this has to be the top spot in DC. It may not have the historical giants of Congressional Cemetery, but the sheer abundance of large-scale art serving as grave markers makes it worth a visit.

The map is wrong! Do not use the map to Rock Creek Cemetery on this page. It is about 2 miles north of the location indicated on this map.

One of the nicest cemeteries I've been to, ever. My great-great-grandfather was buried here in 1927 and so was his wife, his daughter, and her daughter. The grounds are kept up quite well around his tombstone and throughout the cemetery. I always feel quite safe and enjoy my visits here - it invokes a spiritual and a being at one with nature feeling. It is well worth a visit even if you don't have a relative buried here. The grounds are not monotonous - every curve in the winding roads show new vistas of beautiful tombstones, memorials, and trees. From some parts of the cemetery you can see a long way off as you are high up and over the city. Rock Creek cemetery is large and sprawling so you may want to go to the cemetery's website first and print out a map - http://www.rockcreekparish.org/pages/Our_Cemetery:_CemeteryMap Even with a map, you may have trouble locating points of interest. I had a hard time finding the "Grief" statue - which is actually named the Adams Memorial. Or, as the sculptor Saint-Gaudens's named the bronze figure: The Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_Memorial_(grave_marker) Luckily a cemetery employee saw me and my sister wandering around and directed us to it - it is shielded by tall evergreens and we would not have been able to find it without her help. This sculpture - "Grief" or the Adams Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on n March 16, 1972. Saint-Gaudens also designed beautiful coins for the U.S. Mint so seeing his sculptural work is a study in contrasts. And if you are visiting your relative's tombstone - and you need help finding it - be aware that the cemetery office is absolutely closed on the weekends. No one will answer the phone or your knock on the cemetery's office door. I found this out the hard way, and I was not the only one seeking help on that snowy Sunday afternoon. So be sure to write (snail mail) or call during the week to get that information so you can actually go to these important places. The cemetery is near the Soldier's Home, Ft. Totten Park, and the Catholic University Stadium. The closest metro station is Ft. Totten.

The cemetery itself is beautiful and for sure worth a look, 4.25 stars. But the staff or security working here was VERY rude which takes away 2 stars, she was that rude. My gf wanted to take a picture of the statue (NOT grave, duh, we would never do that) and the secruity rolls up in her car and snaps back at my gf in a nasty voice "No taking pictures" as if we would have known and were dumb for not knowing, you folks know the tone. Any way, I said "Fine, but there is no indication that it (pic taking) is not allowed. No response. Regardless, after the fact, I looked around the area looking for posted rules and saw the hours to RCC + some other rules, but nothing about not taking pics. No indication. Maybe the caretakers of this place need to make it more clear with a....I don't know, SIGN that states No pictures of anything, even the statues. Otherwise, condescending security will absolutely be taken the wrong way!

Dealing with the Cemetery office since the passing of my mother has been awful. We have been trying to select and place a headstone on my mother's grave for almost a year now. The sales agent does not respond to phone calls or email. There apparently is no one else on site you can work with, and more importantly, no one to whom to report the abysmal office management, so you are left hoping at some time to get a return call from the people who are overseeing the site where your loved one is buried. When we finally were able to schedule a meeting to select a stone we received no thoughtful input, no advice - just a bunch of photographs and some information on price. I guess I expected people in this line of work to have certain skill set for dealing with families making difficult decisions, but the philosophy of Rock Creek seems to be "Now that you're family member is buried here, it's not like you're going to go elsewhere. Deal with it.". When the stone finally arrived, it was placed in the opposite direction from every other stone on site. Never mind it had a misplaced comma and will need to be reset, meaning I will have to continue to make calls to someone who is never at her office, does not return calls, does not respond to emails, and promises to follow up then doesn't. It is a beautiful cemetery. Knowing what I know, I would not have buried my mother here.