Island Cemetery Newport, RI 02840

"Best place for a pensive walk in Newport. I particularly love being able to find so many graves of early American mariners and their families."

"Beautiful and peaceful until you run into the homeless people living there under bushes and shrubbery. It's heartbreaking. Please be kind to them. They have no other choice."

"What an absolute pleasure to visit! I’m amazed by the maintenance that goes into this beautiful cemetery. It’s nice and quiet with such rich history. If your in the area I definitely recommend going :)"

"This is a great place to bring your dogs! Many people let their pups off leash here and there is a great sense of community."

"Newport's Common Burial Ground is one of the most interesting burial grounds in New England. It has very well preserved grave stone carvings that show a wide variety of styles. I find the grave stones carved before 1800 to be the most interesting because they were still carved by hand and they often had a variety of symbolism displayed in the tympanum or top central part of the grave stone. Early grave stones usually had a skull with wings symbolizing the flight of the soul to heaven. Later they replaced the skull with a face or effigy with wings. Near the heads they might also add other symbols such as an hour glass symbolizing the passage of time or that time has run out. A scythe/sickle might mean a sudden death or a life cut short. Coffins, cross bones, dart of death might also appear. Take your time in this burial ground and you will learn a lot about puritan life and religion. The burial stone of Charles Barden 1773 is the only grave stone in New England that depicts God in the tympanum."