Forest Hills Cemetery

"The FHC used to be a wonderful place for the community to visit for respite from the stress of the city, however since the new CEO came to town the cemetery stopped allowing dog walking, jogging, and even (horrors!) strollers. This used to be a well loved place to appreciate nature or participate in the annual Day of the Dead rituals, lantern lighting, poetry readings and more but no longer. The FHC has essentially banned the community from enjoying it and now it cuts down trees in a time of climate change. I cannot understand how this is allowed to happen but the FHC is a private enterprise so yay Capitalism. When cemeteries first were established they were intended to be both a place to remember loved ones but also be as parkland by the LIVING. The current leadership of the FHC has ignored the community and would rather we just go away. It’s sad. I no longer go there because I cannot support an organization that disrespects the surrounding community."

"Under-used and privately owned, this is a waste of space that could be a park, wildlife reservation, a farm, or housing. But who needs all that? Owned by the Forest Hills Educational Trust, a non-profit that relies partly on government grants and is surely comprised of abutters that oppose new housing. They claim to promote this as a communal space, putting on concerts for example, however a quick look at their website shows that there are ZERO events, and they prohibit dog-walking, jogging, and bicycling. In other words, we may enter, but we may not enjoy this space. It exists to profit the owners. And yes, how insensitive of me to criticize a cemetery."

"This is a wonderful place to come for a walk in beautiful surroundings. The cemetery is very well kept with clear paths and lots of interesting things to see from the graves themselves to the trees and foliage. It's very different from the burial grounds within the main downtown of Boston and was designed as a garden cemetery. Some of the tombs are absolutely stunning and are real works of art. Just inside the gates is a display of maps with a little donation box ($1 suggested). If you're not great with maps like me and there's a grave in particular you want to find, I would ask in the office for a more precise location. The cemetery is really big and the location circles on the map can have quite a few graves in the same area. I was just having a general walk and had a 50/50 success rate at actually locating the pinpointed ones. I found the smaller grassy paths are very well signposted but the larger main paths are not always so it's helpful to cross reference with the map on your phone so you don't get turned around too!"

"I went for the miniatures and got so much more. The place is a stunning outdoor museum. What a spectacular final resting place. Can’t wait to cover all 275 acres. I wish they offered a full program of activities like Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn: bus tours of notable graves and important art, concerts, etc."

"Amazing place to relax and walk. You can no longer walk your dog or ride your bike inside the gates. I can understand why. Nonetheless it’s probably one of the most beautiful places in Boston and historic."