Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is a gorgeous plot of land filled with beautiful monuments and amazing trees. It’s both a grave yard and a park as well as a great place to explore and hike. You may even want to have a picnic on one of the many open lawn areas among the burial plots.
Don’t get creeped out, though. The cemetery part of the equation is more like a museum than a scary graveyard. Set in among a managed forest of flowering trees, hardwoods and conifers, the arboretum part is like an idyllic botanical garden annual beds, lakes and fountains.
Did you know that historically, the first public parks were cemeteries? It’s true. These open areas were the best places for many urban dwellers to step into nature and relax. Plus they afforded kids some run-​around space.
Spring Grove provides all those things, as well as well maintained paved roads (for the drive-​by visitors) that have color coded stripes indication varying lengths of trails (for walkers and cyclists). On a good day explore the graves of famous Cincinnatians, find Johnny Appleseed’s memorial or hang out under one of the many champion trees. It’s a great place for photographers, too – especially during the Spring bloom and the fall changing of the leaves. It’s not unusual to see professionals taking family portraits and wedding pictures throughout the cemetery.
In addition to the property itself, Spring Grove also offers a variety of events, seminars, tours and programs. On this particular visit we attended the first ever Maple Syrup Tapping class and tour. Some of the staff told us about their syrup production from the tapping of the trees to the boiling of the sap to the bottling of their syrup. They fed us pancakes and waffles in order to sample several of their own syrups and compare it with those of other producers. It was a nice event.
So much to see and so much to do here. Check out their website for upcoming events and a map of the grounds. Then plan a visit. You won’t be disappointed.

Who knew people came here to hike and walk. Mix in well signed walking paths, interesting local history, and the second largest cemetery in the US… and you have a unique experience. We walked over 3 miles on a beautiful February Saturday.
Residents were undisturbed by all the activity.
Check it out.

This place is beautiful and full of history. I didn’t expect to get so much from a cemetery. They have a lot of programs going on so make sure you check out their website. Visit their welcome center, just look for the signs, and you can get a few maps with walking tours. Also, you are allowed to run there if you are a runner (this is what I went for). However, you will not be getting a break from the hills of Cincinnati.

My all time favorite place in Cincinnati to go for a run. It’s absolutely beautiful and really the only place I’ve found to run near Northside or Clifton. If you run around the perimeter, it’s almost exactly four miles. Tip — make sure you are done WELL before closing time. I’ve gotten stuck in there before because I was trying to leave about 6:10 (closes at 6) and it was quite difficult to get out — the gates open when someone drives over them and walking on them isn’t heavy enough.

Spring Grove Cemetery is my preferred running spot. It is convenient to my work and meets the needs of our running group. The cemetery is very large, one of the largest if not the largest in Cincinnati. There are miles and miles of roadway, dozens of lakes and several man made waterfalls. There are many rolling hills, valleys and shaded areas. The cemetery is beautiful and well maintained. There is signs of history, monuments and decorated tombstones.
The staff at Spring Grove Cemetery are great. You will find them patrolling the grounds and during the summer they will hand out bottles of water. If you get the opportunity take a drive through this old cemetery but do it slowly and watch for runners and walkers!

Absolutely gorgeous. While the thought of visiting a cemetery as a tourist seems a bit peculiar, this is one that shouldn’t be missed. The grounds are well maintained, and Spring Grove houses a huge variety of trees. They also have several lakes where we found geese, turtles, fish, and a large swan. The tombstones themselves can be very intricate and some look like small castles.
It seems like a lot of people actually use the location as a normal park. We dressed up to go here, but there were a lot of people who came just to jog, or bike. I would definitely come back in some jogging gear just to explore a little more.
On the way out, there was also a train of golf carts with people who looked like they were headed on a formal tour. I would try that next time. It would be cool to get some history lessons about the grounds.
My only tip is to be careful where you step. There are a lot of geese droppings!

While it may seem a bit morbid to hang out and check out a cemetery, I kid you not when I say, just go. It’s absolutely beautiful there! It’s not the least bit creepy when just about everyone there is doing the same thing… taking pictures, walking, running, biking, etc…

I really don’t want to be there… LOL but when I am ready to go, I would be so proud to lie to rest there. What a beautiful place to be. I visited my old friend, Nancy Henry Chadwick this last weekend, who had her memorial service there. Marty agrees. It will be our place.
My first choice!

I love graveyards! I love walking around graveyards.
This place is as good as it gets for strolling around a graveyard, appreciating history, and learning about the local area. Lots of plaques with information about those buried here, lovely sculptures, and some good hills to work up a sweat. A must visit for anyone who appreciates the beauty of a graveyard.

Fantastic place.
Love to go there for a walk with my wife, especially now, during the leaf color change.
They offer walking tours and small bus tours. Looking forward to Holiday Illuminaria in December, sounds amazing.

I am with other Unilocalers. The idea of taking a walk in a cemetery does sound fairly strange. Trusting the reviews of other Unilocalers, I decided to take an out of town guest for a walk around a cemetery. This really is an arboretum. Grounds are beautifully maintained. Beautiful mature trees are all around. According to their website, there are several rare types of flora. Autumn colors in the trees really shone here. I got some beautiful pictures. I can’t wait to see it in the Spring!
There were several groups of people there, in gym clothes, taking walks, and going for runs. Signs are up to help direct walkers on 1 mile, 2 mile & 3.5 mile paths. I could see coming back for a walk.

This place is beautiful. We went on a Sunday there had to be 20 or more groups of people just walking around getting professional photos. The tombstones and monuments are wonderful. The architecture is amazing. In the spring the tulips are a site to see. There are ponds with fountains. Cute little bridges. It’s so easy to see why it is ranked one of the top cemetery’s. Also if you love the paranormal this is a bucket list with all of the creepy story’s that you can find about this place.

You wouldn’t think this is a great place to go to, but it truly is! It’s a great place for a walk and a truly beautiful garden area. If you stop into the very welcoming visitors’ center (and there are restrooms here you may use), get a map that tells you about the gravestones and monuments. There is some very interesting history. The grounds staff is helpful and check on you a bit to make sure you’re not lost or don’t need any help, though fully welcoming and aware people like to come visit and see the grounds. It’s a unique time well spent in a gorgeous setting.

Went for a stroll on the grounds of this beautiful cemetery/​arboretum on a perfect spring day with the bf. We like to stroll around places, get lost amongst beautiful mother nature, and just spend time chatting and enjoying each other’s company. And strange as it is, I decided we should check out this cemetery based on recommendations of other Unilocalers. And as always, Unilocalers unite… it was a great find.
At first I felt a little odd walking around graves — this is new to me, strolling in the cemetery. But it’s quite beautiful there, and it’s amazing to walk through the various areas and feel like you’re taking a stroll down history. You see the dates change as you go from one region to another, you see the styles of the headstones changing with you. There are beautiful lakes and trees and flowers everywhere. I thought it was rather strange, but there were groups of teenagers dolled out and taking prom pictures on the grounds as well.
The gates close at 6pm, and we were fairly promptly «found» and escorted out after 6pm. But for a couple of hours, we kind of forgot that we’re home in Cincinnati — almost felt like we had gone away on a weekend getaway or something. Go check it out when you have a few hours to enjoy.

What a spectacular place? Really!
Came here one warm fall day for a walk among the graves and the trees. Ended up walking around for something like 4 hours. Once you thought you were done and hopped in your car, one loop around the pond would have you stopping to take in more unique grave stones; one has a man fishing, one is a petrified tree and many have unique statuettes. Either way, they are beautiful.
One other thing, while the grave stones and monuments will immediately catch your eye, make sure to check out the trees as well. Many were varieties that I have never seen in my 28 years. It was fun to see something new and really very awing.

One of the most beautiful places in all of Cincinnati. Full of famous Cincinnatians, normal Cincinnatians, and the future resting place for generations of Cincinnatians yet to come. It’s mind-​boggling how big Spring Grove is — if you pick up a map, you’ll notice that there are actually bits of the cemetery **not yet on the map**.
If you’re into history, definitely stop by the visitor’s office to pick up a couple of guides. They also had a walking trails map with recommended loops of a couple miles. A great place to visit in the fall when the leaves are changing.

I remember going to Sprig Grove for a class assignment and was a little freaked out by the prospect of spending time in a cemetery. I was quite surprised that this is a very peaceful, gorgeously maintained property. The beauty of the trees and plants and the originality and variety of grace markers really makes this an interesting place to explore. It is meticulously maintained and seems to host quite a few visitors at times.
Spring Grove is definitely worth a visit if you live in the area.

Telling folks you’re going to hang out at a cemetery can fetch some odd looks-​but only from those that haven’t been here. It’s a beautiful sanctuary in the midst of urban Cincinnati.
I go to run and find it nice that they have clear color marked paths-​see their map online or in the cemetery for mileage. There are also 2 5K maps online. I’ve posted them on runtastic. It’s a good place for distance, but I seem to max out at 7 miles for route length. There are some steep hills as you get through the middle/​back of the place. The red-​flagged route has steep inclines. It’s a quiet place to picnic and even throw a frisbee. There’s also a wooded area to wonder through.
Tips: Not pet friendly. Don’t park on the grass. Bring your own water. I’ve never looked for a restroom. Drive slowly.
The only downside is the hours. The gates close at 6pm daily in the summer with two later nights (8pm) on Monday and Thursday from May-​Sept. (open til 6 seven days a week the rest of the year). They do have and automatic gate, so you can’t get locked in-​just follow the signs to get out. I’ve been here over an hour past close and have been found and stopped by the staff to make sure I know how to exit.

I am not sure what else can be said about this place. It’s amazing, one of a kind, beautiful, and free. You gotta set aside several hours and just roam the place. You’ll see everything from the grave of the man that started the Art Museum, to wonderful Gothic mausoleums, lakes, and all kinds of wildlife. You might just forget that its a cemetery! If you are directionally challenged, like me, try to follow the green traffic line in the road and it will lead you back to the front entrance.
There are occasional events, one includes a night walk, so keep your eyes peeled on their website schedule of events or give them a call.
As a side note, there is a hazardous waste drop off center right down the road. Drop off your dead (people?! no silly) batteries, chemicals, and other nasty stuff here.

As a photographer, I take alot of my clients here. The lighting is always perfect and you can always find a different location to photograph as your backdrop.
It’s so huge here that I have not toured the whole cemetary! My favorite are the masoleums. How gothic and old they are.
This is such a beautiful spot even to just take a stroll.
I know it’s a cemetary and sounds scary/​intimidating, but you have to visit this place to experience the beautiness!