What We Do

Two people, one in NPS uniform and one in a safety vest, hold a tape measure around the wide trunk of a tree in a cemetery
Recording a tree measurement, called DBH or diameter at breast height, at Stones River National Cemetery.

NPS

National cemeteries were designed to be solemn, commemorative places. Tall tree canopies shade a field of turf, where grave markers form geometric patterns within a masonry perimeter wall. Roads and pathways frame views of the landscape, punctuated by monuments, a flagpole, and a lodge. These features typically define the landscapes of NPS national cemeteries under the care of the National Park Service.

These are both historic landscapes and contemporary places of reflection. The National Park Service manages 14 national cemeteries within national parks. Caring for them includes volunteer coordination, routine maintainance and major projects, improving access, and interpretation.

Learn what we do to preserve national cemeteries as a place of remembrance.

Rows of marble headstones in turf in a national cemetery, surrounded by a masonry wall
Preservation Investment Initiative

Learn how the NPS is investing in the care of national cemeteries, from repairing landscapes and monuments to training staff and youth.

A view through an opening in a tall shurb reveals NPS staff, with a monument partly visible beyond.
People

Stories of the dedicated stewards involved in maintaining NPS national cemeteries.

Grayscale photo, entrance to Andrew Johnson National Cemetery with metal gates and two-story house,.
Publications and Reports

Browse Cultural Landscape Reports, Historic Structure Reports, and Administrative History Reports, for national cemetery history and care.

A tall tree with wide trunk shades a national cemetery, where neat turf grows around headstones
Preservation Guidance

An overview of the policy, standards, and methods guiding the preservation of national cemeteries in the National Park System.

Last updated: May 15, 2024

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