How Cemeteries Are Organized and Overseen in Minnesota

Minnesota has burial grounds in every corner of the state, from large city-owned cemeteries in Duluth to tiny township plots along gravel roads in farm country. Our database lists 180 of them across 99 cities and 56 counties. Who runs a cemetery matters, because the owner sets the rules. A single cemetery in Minnesota may belong to a church parish, a nonprofit cemetery association, a city or township, a Catholic archdiocese, a Jewish congregation, or a private company.

No single state office schedules burials or sells graves. The work is split among several bodies. The Minnesota Department of Health regulates funeral directors and mortuary science, and your funeral director normally files the death certificate and handles the permit paperwork. Cemetery law sits mainly in Minnesota Statutes chapters 306 and 307, which cover cemetery associations, lot ownership, and the protection of burial grounds. For practical questions, such as which plot, which day, and what it costs, you deal with the cemetery directly.

Chapter 307 also protects unmarked and historic burial sites. If a landowner, builder, or hiker finds human remains outside a known cemetery, the Office of the State Archaeologist becomes involved. The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council takes part when remains may be Native American. Disturbing a grave without following that process can bring legal trouble, so stop work and call local law enforcement first.

Veterans have separate options. Fort Snelling National Cemetery, near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, is run by the federal National Cemetery Administration. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs operates state veterans cemeteries in other parts of the state. Eligibility rules apply to both, so bring the veteran's discharge papers (DD Form 214) and ask for the current requirements before you commit to a date.

Twin Cities Metro: Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota County Cemeteries

The seven-county metro holds the densest cluster of listings. Hennepin County has 32 in our database, Ramsey County has 17, and Dakota County has 13. Cemeteries here are often older, larger, and closer together, so you can compare several within a short drive. Many have staffed offices with weekday hours, printed price lists, and a family service counselor who can explain plots, niches, and memorial options.

The listings show the range. Bloomington Cemetery on Lyndale Avenue South (952-563-4925) is in Hennepin County. Minneapolis Jewish Cemetery on Penn Avenue South in Richfield (612-861-2055) serves families who follow Jewish burial customs. In Ramsey County, Saint Paul Roselawn Cemetery on Larpenteur Avenue West in Roseville (651-489-1720) and Mt. Zion Cemetery on Payne Avenue in St. Paul (651-698-3881) are both listed. In Dakota County, The Catholic Cemeteries office at 2201 Lexington Avenue South in Mendota Heights (651-452-1486) coordinates Catholic burial, and Ravenna Cemetery sits near Hastings.

A mailing city and a cemetery's actual location do not always match. Several listings use a Minneapolis or St. Paul address even though the grounds sit in a suburb such as Bloomington, Richfield, or Roseville. Check the street address before you drive, and confirm directions with the office, especially for a funeral procession.

Faith-based cemeteries are common in the metro. Catholic and Jewish cemeteries often follow specific rules about caskets, markers, and burial timing, and some reserve space for members. If you do not belong to the congregation, ask early whether the cemetery sells lots to the public.

Because metro cemeteries are busy, many families buy plots in advance. A pre-need purchase should come with a written contract, a clear description of the lot location, and a statement of what the price includes. Typical items are opening and closing, perpetual care, and the foundation for a marker. Keep the paperwork where relatives can find it.

Greater Minnesota Burial Grounds: Duluth, Rochester, Mankato and Farm Country

Outside the metro, cemeteries are smaller, more local, and sometimes run part time. St. Louis County is the state's largest county by area and has 18 listings. In Duluth, Forest Hill Cemetery on Woodland Avenue (218-724-6743) and Duluth Union Cemetery in Proctor (218-729-6760) are both listed. Hermantown Sunrise Memorial Park on Miller Trunk Highway (218-727-6869) and Hibbing Maple Hill Cemetery on U.S. Highway 169 (218-362-5960) serve Hermantown and the Iron Range.

Southern Minnesota has a steady chain of regional centers. Olmsted County includes Rochester Calvary Cemetery on Lowry Court Northwest (507-288-4144). Blue Earth County includes Minneopa Cemetery outside Mankato (507-625-1673). Freeborn County has Graceland Cemetery on Swanhill Drive in Albert Lea (507-373-4980), and Mower County has the Austin Grandview Cemetery Association (507-437-2120). Farther afield you will find New Ulm Cemetery in Brown County, Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne, Fairview Memorial Park in Fairmont, Maple Lawn Cemetery in Faribault, and Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Moorhead.

Small-town and rural cemeteries often have no office at all. A church-run ground such as Vikor Lutheran Church Cemetery on County Road 5 Northwest near Willmar (320-796-6535) may route calls to a volunteer, a sexton, or a church secretary. Township cemeteries may be handled by the township clerk. Call, leave a clear message with your phone number, and allow a day or two for a reply, especially in summer when caretakers are busy mowing.

Winter shapes planning everywhere in Minnesota. Frozen ground can slow or delay grave opening, and some cemeteries use a receiving vault so a burial can wait for spring. If a death happens between late fall and early spring, ask the cemetery what winter arrangements it offers and whether extra charges apply. Tell your funeral director early so the committal service can be planned around the weather.

Before You Call a Minnesota Cemetery: A Practical Checklist

A few documents and questions save repeat calls. Cemeteries are often small operations, and the person who answers may handle sales, records, and grave scheduling at once. Have these items ready:

Also check what kind of business you are calling. Our listings include pet cemeteries, such as Bennetts Pet Haven Cemetery in Owatonna and East Grand Forks Pet Haven Cemetery in Polk County, which handle animals rather than people. Cemetery Restoration Pros in North Oaks is a restoration service, not a burial ground. Confirm the type of business before you make plans.

Finally, expect the cemetery, not the state, to set most terms. Fees vary widely between a rural township plot and a large metro memorial park, so compare at least two options. If a dispute arises over a plot or a record, start with the cemetery's board or association. If that fails, the Minnesota Attorney General's consumer protection office can advise you on next steps.

Government cemeteries in Minnesota include facilities administered by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries funded through state and federal partnerships, and local municipal and county cemeteries operated by city and county governments throughout the state.

Cemetery locations are available in 99 cities across Minnesota. They are spread across 56 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in Minnesota may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Services to confirm eligibility requirements and available state-operated facilities.

Cemetery by Counties

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Families and genealogists in Minnesota can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many Minnesota counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

Browse Cemetery by county across Minnesota to find the nearest location.

Timing, Climate and Paperwork for Minnesota Burials

Minnesota's climate affects cemetery work more than most families expect. Grave openings are simplest from late spring through fall. From roughly December through March, frost can reach deep into the ground, and crews may need extra time and equipment. Memorial Day weekend brings heavy visitor traffic and decorating, so expect busy roads around large cemeteries in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth. Many cemeteries also set dates for removing flowers and seasonal decorations, so ask for the written rules.

Paperwork usually follows a set order. The funeral director files the death certificate and obtains the permit needed to bury or cremate. The cemetery then needs that permit, the lot information, and authorization from the person with the legal right to direct disposition. Under Minnesota law, a designated agent, a surviving spouse, or adult children are among those who may hold that right. Settle who decides early, because disagreements between relatives are a common cause of delay.

Compare several cemeteries in your county before you decide, and call each one to confirm hours, available lots, and fees.

Minnesota Cemetery FAQs

Minnesota has no single office that runs or licenses every cemetery. Cemetery associations, lot ownership, and burial ground protection fall under Minnesota Statutes chapters 306 and 307, while cemetery boards, cities, townships, and churches handle daily operations. The Minnesota Department of Health regulates funeral directors and mortuary science under chapter 149A. The Office of the State Archaeologist gets involved when unrecorded or unmarked burials are found. For complaints about pricing or contracts, the Minnesota Attorney General's consumer protection office is a practical place to start after you have spoken with the cemetery's board or manager.

Minnesota law allows families to take on more of the arrangements themselves, but the legal paperwork still has to be completed correctly. A death certificate must be filed, and the proper permit is required before burial or cremation. Many families find it easier to hire a funeral director for those steps and handle the rest personally. Whatever route you choose, call the cemetery first. It may require a vault or liner, a set opening time, and specific forms signed by the person with the legal right to direct disposition. Ask the Minnesota Department of Health or your county vital records office for current instructions.

Eligible veterans can be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, run by the federal National Cemetery Administration, with the gravesite, opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker at no charge to the family. Contact the cemetery for current availability. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs operates state veterans cemeteries elsewhere in Minnesota, and each has its own eligibility and fee rules for spouses. Veterans buried in private cemeteries, such as Forest Hill in Duluth or Roselawn in Roseville, can still receive a government marker, although the cemetery's own charges apply. Bring the DD Form 214 and call before ordering anything.

Deep frost makes digging harder from roughly December to March, so cemeteries may need extra time and equipment and may charge a winter opening fee. Others store the casket in a receiving vault until the ground thaws, and the family holds a committal service in spring. The funeral or memorial service itself is not limited by weather, since it can take place at a church or funeral home on any date. Ask the cemetery about its winter policy, fees, and how soon after the thaw burial can occur. Northern grounds, such as those around Hibbing in St. Louis County, often face a longer frost season than southern Minnesota.

Start with the cemetery office, since it holds the lot map, burial register, and ownership records. Larger operations, such as The Catholic Cemeteries in Mendota Heights or Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, can usually search by name and date of death. If you are not sure which cemetery holds the burial, the Minnesota Historical Society maintains a searchable death certificate index covering much of the twentieth century, and it can point you to a county and date. County historical and genealogical societies, along with local obituaries, often fill the remaining gaps for small rural cemeteries.

Many rural cemeteries, such as Vikor Lutheran Church Cemetery near Willmar and the Austin Grandview Cemetery Association in Mower County, are run by a congregation or a volunteer board rather than a staffed office. Expect part-time hours, an answering machine, and a trustee or sexton who calls back. Lots are often sold by the board to local families or church members, and records may be kept in a ledger. Ask who has authority to approve a sale, request a written deed or certificate, and confirm who mows and maintains the grounds, because upkeep money in small cemeteries can be limited.