A fundamental role of the cemetery is to ensure a peaceful final resting place for loved ones, but it was also one of the earliest examples of a public park.

During the early 19th century, rural cemeteries served as important community spaces, drawing visitors for leisurely walks and picnics. Today, people continue to visit cemeteries for many reasons, including quiet reflection, honoring loved ones, enjoying nature, exploring local history, and connecting with the surrounding landscape.

Because cemeteries serve both as sacred spaces and shared public places, it’s important that all visitors are mindful of how they move through and interact with them. The Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery have put together a quick guide to understanding cemetery etiquette to ensure these spaces remain peaceful and dignified for all.

Basic Tips For Visiting a Cemetery

When visiting a cemetery, there are a number of things you should keep in mind in order to show respect to both the living and the dead. These tips are meant to ensure a respectful experience for visitors while helping safeguard the historic cemetery and the volunteer efforts that maintain it.

Avoid Touching Monuments or Headstones. For your safety and the integrity of the cemetery, do not climb, lean against, or otherwise touch the monuments. Due to their age and exposure to the elements, the stones can be fragile and may topple. Grave rubbings of any kind are also prohibited.

Keep Noise Levels Down. Cemeteries are spaces for reflection and remembrance. Keep your voice low and avoid loud music, phone calls, or boisterous conversations. Others around you may be mourning or spending quiet time at a loved one’s grave, and maintaining a calm atmosphere shows consideration for everyone present.

Teach Children Respectful Behavior. If visiting with children, take a moment to explain the importance of respecting the space. Encourage them to walk calmly, avoid climbing on monuments, and speak quietly. Helping children understand cemetery etiquette can turn the visit into a meaningful learning experience about respect and remembrance.

Avoid Walking Over Graves. Walk in between the headstones rather than directly over burial places. The outline of a grave is generally easy to recognize, so use common sense and stay on the paths or open ground between markers whenever possible.

Observe Cemetery Rules. Most cemeteries post guidelines covering permissible activities, decorations, and visiting hours. Take a moment to review them before your visit. Temporary items left on graves, such as flowers or mementos, may be removed periodically to maintain the grounds, so it’s worth checking ahead if you plan to leave something behind.

Don’t Litter. Litter creates extra work for caretakers and shows disrespect to the families who come to mourn. Take your trash with you when you leave, or dispose of it in the receptacles provided throughout the grounds.

Mind How You Drive. Follow the roadways, stay off the grass, and drive slowly (the posted speed limit at Mount Moriah is 15 mph). Obey any traffic signs within the cemetery, and pull to the side when parked so other vehicles can pass.

Be Respectful of Other Visitors. Keep your voice down, avoid offensive language, and don’t assume others want conversation. Other visitors may want privacy and solitude during their time here. A simple, quiet acknowledgment is appropriate, but do not push for more.

Things You Can Do While At A Cemetery

While there are important boundaries in place to protect the cemetery, there are also many appropriate and meaningful ways to spend time here. A simple guiding principle is to treat the site and those interred here with the same care you would show your own loved ones. The following are a few things visitors are encouraged to do.

Pick Up Trash. If you notice litter along the way, feel free to pick it up even if you didn’t leave it. Small acts like this go a long way in maintaining the dignity and appearance of the grounds.

Reset Decorations. Wind can knock over flowers, flags, and other items left on graves. If something looks like it’s been displaced, use your best judgment and good intentions to gently reset it.

Take Photos. Visitors are welcome to photograph historic headstones and cemetery landscapes for personal use during normal gate hours. Commercial photography, including engagement sessions, product shoots, photography clubs, or any images produced for financial gain, requires approval at least four weeks in advance.

Walk Your Pets. Pets are welcome as long as they’re kept on a leash. Please clean up after them and be mindful of other visitors who may be nearby.

Plan Your Visit To Philadelphia’s Largest Cemetery

The cemetery is open to the public and gates are opened by volunteers. The Kingsessing Ave. gate and the Yeadon gate off Cobbs Creek Parkway are open Saturday and Sunday from approximately 10:30 am to 4:00 pm. Please be aware that gates may not be open on rainy or snowy days, holidays, or when volunteer availability is limited. Vehicles may enter when the gates are open, and visitors can park along the main roadways. Please pull to the side so other vehicles can pass, and do not park on the grass.

Browse our maps to plan your visit, and check our events page for upcoming cleanups and programming.

Image courtesy of Al Wilson