National Park After Dark – Episode 329: "Cemeteries: Our First Public Parks"
Air Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Danielle (A) and Cassie (B)
Podcast by: Audioboom Studios
Overview
In this engaging and deeply informative episode, hosts Danielle and Cassie challenge the spooky stereotypes surrounding cemeteries, revealing their forgotten roles as America’s original public parks, sources of artistic and environmental inspiration, and even sites of innovative social and conservation change. Tracing the transformation of burial grounds from grim, overcrowded churchyards to lush, landscaped spaces that pre-date most of our beloved urban parks, they inspire listeners to explore the beauty, history, and multi-layered meaning of cemeteries this spooky season and beyond.
Episode Structure & Key Discussion Points
1. Introduction: Reimagining Cemeteries
- [00:03] - [02:00]
- Danielle sets the tone by describing cemeteries less as haunted grounds and more as places that reflect art, history, and changing attitudes about death and public space.
- “Cemeteries acted as the first form of free, open religious expression ... and gave birth to landscape architecture that inspired suburbs and places like Disneyland ... They were the catalyst for the country’s first conservation project ... And wouldn’t you know it? Cemeteries were among America’s first parks.” – Danielle [01:19]
2. Personal Memories & Shifting Perceptions
- [02:00] - [03:50]
- Cassie recalls learning to ride her bike in a cemetery, highlighting how these places can be peaceful, practical community spaces.
- “When I was a kid, I didn’t think of it as this morbid place ... it had flowers and it was open and I could fall without hurting myself.” – Cassie [02:24]
3. Social Media & Cemetery Exploration
- [03:50] - [07:02]
- Danielle and Cassie discuss the challenges (and humor) in creating cemetery content for social media.
- “If there’s one thing about me ... I am not a great content creator. It’s difficult for me, but I want to share information.” – Danielle [04:48]
4. Episode Roadmap & Sensitivity Note
- [07:03] - [09:33]
- Danielle outlines the episode: a “101” on cemetery history, symbolism, and events.
- She acknowledges cemeteries as poignant reminders of difficult histories, including forced Indigenous removal, slavery, segregation, and socioeconomic inequality.
5. The Origin of Cemeteries & Early Burial Customs
- [09:34] - [13:28]
- Pre-1831, burials in America were mostly in churchyards or family plots tied to religious beliefs about resurrection.
- Danielle relates gruesome historical realities: graves were stacked, re-used, and even washed out by floods.
- Churches often masked the odors of decomposition with incense—possibly influencing religious customs.
6. Europe’s Burial Crises & the Paris Catacombs
- [18:06] - [25:53]
- Paris faced massive health hazards from overcrowded burial grounds; decomposed bodies infiltrated homes and water supplies. Remains were transferred en masse to the underground catacombs (now a tourist site).
- “The sheer number of corpses led to horrible conditions. Piles of decaying bodies would emit fat that oozed across the cemetery grounds ... the smell of rot overwhelmed the neighborhood.” – Danielle [23:02]
7. The Birth of Modern Cemeteries: France to America
- [25:54] - [36:51]
- Inspired by Paris’s solution (Père Lachaise Cemetery), Americans pioneered their own: Mount Auburn Cemetery (Cambridge, MA, 1831).
- Danielle describes how Mount Auburn was intentionally designed for beauty, recreation, and conservation—setting the stage for modern parks and landscape architecture.
- “Mount Auburn had several hundred trees planted ... It began incorporating conservation ideas ... sculptors were installed, becoming the first outdoor sculpture gallery in the country.” – Danielle [35:00]
8. Cemeteries as Community, Art, and Inspiration
- [36:52] - [41:55]
- Rural cemetery movement expanded: cemeteries like Greenwood (Brooklyn, NY) became epicenters of funerary art and outdoor sculpture, attracting artists, writers, tourists—even picnickers.
- “It became the country’s most visited urban tourist attraction nationwide.” – Danielle [41:38]
9. Life, Death, and Recreation: Cemeteries as Parks
- [41:56] - [46:59]
- Cemeteries became the main public green spaces before the advent of dedicated recreational parks.
- “They would lay out blankets with baskets full of sandwiches and drinks right alongside the headstones ... At times having full-fledged multi-course holiday meals with the dead.” – Danielle [42:53]
- Overuse led to later restrictions on activities like picnicking.
10. Cemeteries and Early Environmentalism
- [47:00] - [51:06]
- Authors and thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau, inspired by the woods near Concord (Sleepy Hollow Cemetery), advocated using cemeteries as mechanisms for forest conservation.
- “Each town should have a park, or rather a primitive forest ... where a stick should never be cut ... a common possession forever for instruction and recreation.” – Thoreau, quoted by Danielle [47:44]
11. Modern Challenges: Declining Burials, Environmental Impact
- [51:07] - [56:38]
- Growing preference for cremation, aquamation, green burials, and other alternatives mean cemeteries are visited less and can fall into neglect.
- Traditional burials have significant environmental costs, including pollution and vast land use.
- “According to the Green Burial Council, Americans deposit every year 4.3 million gallons of toxic embalming fluid ... and all of it eventually seeps into underground waterways.” – Danielle [54:13]
12. Reviving Engagement: Cemetery Events & Community
- [57:11] - [69:41]
- Danielle spotlights creative events hosted in historic cemeteries:
- Mount Auburn: Bird-watching tours, meditation, drawing workshops, historic walks.
- Greenwood: Candlelit walks, after-dark light shows, artist residencies.
- Sleepy Hollow: Lantern tours, murder mysteries, Jack-o’-lantern nights, outdoor movies, classic storytelling.
- Special mention: Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s festive, welcoming atmosphere.
- Cemetery Scavenger Hunt by Talk Death Daily: a national event encouraging respectful exploration and discovery in local cemeteries.
- [65:12] “You pick a cemetery ... clues are dropped ... find the clues and upload selfies—prizes for most solved and most creative photos.”
- Danielle spotlights creative events hosted in historic cemeteries:
13. Inclusion, Preservation, and the Black Cemetery Network
- [69:38] - [71:12]
- The Black Cemetery Network honors and preserves overlooked and marginalized African American burial grounds—many of which lack funding, documentation, and public awareness.
14. Cemeteries Today: Landmark Status & Symbolism
- [71:12] - [73:01]
- 1,700+ cemeteries are designated National Historic Landmarks or on the National Register; 14 are managed by the National Park Service.
- Danielle shares her affection for cemeteries:
- “They are miniature love letters, either in epitaphs or symbols ... they are testimonies that we have always loved, lost, grieved, hoped for something better, wanted to be remembered, and wished to be honored.” [71:28]
15. Further Reading & Recommendations
- [73:38] - [75:01]
- Book recommendation: Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville—praised for its comprehensive and inclusive approach.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Cemetery Stereotypes:
- “Many cemeteries and burial grounds are treasures cloaked in scary outfits. And while some of them have been left to the elements to be reclaimed by nature ... Some are national landmarks.” – Danielle [70:36]
-
On Death & the Afterlife:
- “When somebody dies, the first thing I think ... is, well, now that person knows. Now they know what we’re all dying to know, whether it’s nothing or whatever version of what comes after this.” – Danielle [13:28]
-
On Cemeteries as Love Letters:
- “Graves are just tiny love letters.” – Cassie [73:01]
-
On Environmental Consequences:
- “According to the Green Burial Council, every single year, Americans alone deposit into the ground through burials, 4.3 million gallons of toxic embalming fluid ... and all of it eventually seeps into underground waterways.” – Danielle [54:13]
-
On Change and Community:
- “I really encourage everyone who is even slightly interested in this topic ... to look into events that are going on in their nearby cemeteries or historical societies. Because I guarantee you will find something nearby.” – Danielle [57:29]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:03–02:00 | Atmosphere of cemeteries and their misunderstood cultural role | | 02:00–03:50 | Personal anecdotes & re-framing cemetery experience | | 07:03–09:33 | Episode roadmap and cultural sensitivity | | 18:06–25:53 | The Paris Catacombs: origins and consequences | | 25:54–36:51 | Mount Auburn: the birth of the “landscaped” cemetery in America | | 41:56–46:59 | Cemeteries as parks and communal spaces | | 47:00–51:06 | Early environmentalism, conservation, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery | | 51:07–56:38 | Environmental impact of burial and cremation today | | 57:11–69:41 | Modern cemetery events and the Talk Death Daily Scavenger Hunt | | 69:38–71:12 | Black Cemetery Network and inclusion in cemetery preservation | | 73:38–75:01 | Book recommendations and final thoughts |
Tone & Style
Warm, curious, humorous, and respectful—Danielle and Cassie approach cemeteries with both reverence and delight, weaving personal asides, literary inspiration, and a sense of community throughout. The episode offers a thoughtful, sometimes playful look at why cemeteries matter far beyond the Halloween season.
Takeaways
- Cemeteries shaped American public space, landscape design, and conservation.
- They serve as cultural archives, sites for art, history, recreation, and even environmental activism.
- Modern environmental and social realities are changing how we engage with cemeteries—but creative programs are reinvigorating these spaces.
- Visiting a cemetery can be a profound, beautiful, and even joyful act of remembrance, connection, and discovery—any day of the year.
Host Challenge:
Before next week, try visiting a historic cemetery near you, wander its paths, and see what 'tiny love letters' you discover. Tag @NationalParkAfterDark with your photos and stories!