Pennsylvania has some of the oldest burial grounds in the country, and its 67 counties handle death care in very different ways. A family in Pittsburgh may deal with a large nonprofit cemetery association. A family in a northern township may deal with a church trustee who keeps burial records in a binder. This page explains how cemeteries are organised across the state, so you know who to call and what to ask before you visit.

How Cemetery Oversight Works in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not run its cemeteries from a single state office. Responsibility is divided among several bodies. Funeral directors are licensed by the State Board of Funeral Directors, which sits within the Department of State. Death certificates move through the Department of Health's vital records system. The cemetery itself is usually privately, religiously or municipally owned, and it sets its own rules within state law and local zoning.

That split shapes what you actually do. The cemetery office is your contact for lot prices, opening and closing fees, monument rules and burial hours. The state steps in on narrower questions. Complaints about a funeral director go to the Department of State. Sales-practice complaints can go to the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Unexpected or unattended deaths fall to the county coroner or medical examiner.

Most Pennsylvania counties elect a coroner, while Philadelphia and Allegheny counties use medical examiner offices. Cremation typically needs coroner or medical examiner sign-off, and the funeral home normally arranges it. The federal Funeral Rule requires funeral providers to hand over a general price list on request. A business that sells only burial plots may not fall under that rule, so ask for a written fee schedule anyway.

Ownership matters because each type behaves differently. Nonprofit cemetery associations and for-profit memorial parks sell plots and run staffed offices. Catholic cemeteries are run through dioceses and parishes, which is why names such as Holy Sepulchre, Holy Cross, Calvary and Holy Souls appear so often in our listings. Jewish congregations maintain their own grounds, such as Beth El Cemetery Chapel in Harrisburg. Townships and boroughs run municipal cemeteries, and the federal government runs national cemeteries for eligible veterans.

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia: Where Pennsylvania's Cemetery Listings Cluster

Southwestern Pennsylvania has the heaviest concentration of listings. Allegheny County alone accounts for well over a hundred, and Pittsburgh is far ahead of any other city. The terrain explains part of this. Hillside neighbourhoods and river valleys produced many small, separate burial grounds over two centuries. Further out, McKeesport Calvary Cemetery on Dersam Street (412-664-0220) and Coraopolis Holy Souls Cemetery on Campbells Run Road (724-695-2999) serve families in the river communities.

One entry, Brighton Rd at Cemetery Entrance at 2176 Brighton Road in Pittsburgh, reads like a map point for a gate rather than a staffed office. Call the cemetery that owns the grounds before you drive over, because gate hours and office hours often differ.

In the southeast, Philadelphia County and its suburbs hold dense, older cemeteries. Philadelphia Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, listed at 3301 West Cheltenham Avenue, can be reached at 215-247-0691. The city is also known for historic garden cemeteries such as Laurel Hill and The Woodlands, which keep archives and host public tours. Just north, Montgomery County has dozens of church and community cemeteries. In Delaware County, Arlington Cemetery Company at 2900 State Road in Upper Darby answers at 610-259-5800.

Urban cemeteries tend to have stricter monument rules, formal appointment systems and printed price lists. Ask for those documents before you commit to a plot, and compare at least two options if time allows.

Lehigh Valley, Susquehanna Valley and Central Pennsylvania Cemeteries

Moving west from Philadelphia, listings follow the old river and rail towns. Allentown Fairview Cemetery sits at 855 Lehigh Street (610-965-3229). Bethlehem Saint Michaels Cemetery is on Old Bethlehem Pike (610-867-8422), and Easton Cemetery is at 401 North 7th Street (610-252-1741). The three cities are a short drive apart, which helps families who want to visit several offices in one day.

In the Susquehanna Valley, Lancaster County is home to Woodward Hill Cemetery on South Queen Street (717-392-5581), the burial place of President James Buchanan. York Prospect Hill Cemetery at 700 North George Street (717-843-8006) serves York, and Carlisle Westminster Cemetery is on Newville Road (717-249-2029). In Reading, Good Shepherd Cemetery Company at 160 Tuckerton Road can be reached at 610-921-3008.

Harrisburg, in Dauphin County, is the state capital. Its listings include Beth El Cemetery Chapel on South Progress Avenue (717-564-5040). South of there, Gettysburg Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Chambersburg Road (717-334-3412) is separate from Gettysburg National Cemetery, the federal site where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in November 1863. The National Park Service manages that historic cemetery, so private plot enquiries should go to the local operators instead.

Western, Northern and Rural Pennsylvania: Fewer Offices, More Phone Calls

West and north of the big metros, the picture changes. Erie County Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Edinboro Road (814-864-3031) serves the lake city. In the Alleghenies, Altoona Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery on 13th Avenue (814-944-4387) and Johnstown Forest Lawn Cemetery on Frankstown Road (814-535-8258) serve former railroad and steel towns. Closer to Ohio, Castle View Memorial Gardens Cemetery in New Castle (724-654-0512), Butler North Side Cemetery (724-283-1627) and Beaver Falls Grandview Cemetery (724-846-6290) cover the western counties. In the northeast, Scranton Holy Cross Cemetery on Oram Street (570-347-9251) is the Catholic cemetery listed for Lackawanna County.

Rural townships are different again. Pennsylvania has more than 2,500 municipalities, and many small churchyards and township cemeteries have no full-time office. Expect voicemail, a part-time sexton or a volunteer board. Records may be handwritten. Allow extra days for scheduling, especially in winter, when frozen ground can delay digging in the northern counties.

Checklist Before You Contact a Pennsylvania Cemetery

A few questions save time and money, whether the cemetery is a large memorial park or a small village plot. Work through this list on your first call:

Bring photo ID, any existing deed and your funeral director's contact details to the office. If a plot belongs to a relative who has died, you may need a death certificate to transfer the deed. Cemeteries differ, so confirm exactly what yours accepts.

Government cemeteries in Pennsylvania 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 359 cities across Pennsylvania. They are spread across 63 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Reading, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in Pennsylvania may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many Pennsylvania counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

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

Veterans, Pre-Planning and Records in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has several national cemeteries for veterans, including Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Bucks County and Philadelphia National Cemetery. The VA's National Cemetery Administration handles eligibility and scheduling. Eligible veterans receive a gravesite, opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker at no charge. Ask the funeral home to request the burial through the VA, and keep the veteran's DD-214 discharge paper close.

Pre-planning is the second big topic. Many cemeteries sell plots in advance, and some have dedicated staff, such as the Washington Cemetery Pre-Need Family Service Office at 498 Park Avenue in Washington (724-225-4780). Pre-need funeral contracts fall under the State Board of Funeral Directors, so ask how the money is held. Counties such as Westmoreland County and Berks County have many parish and community grounds, so compare two or three before buying.

Chester County Memorial Park Cemetery at 1008 West Chester Pike (610-436-0533) and Brush Creek Cemetery at 178 Brush Creek Road in Irwin (724-863-9501) show how suburban listings often sit near busy state routes. Check directions and gate times before a service.

Cemetery Questions Pennsylvania Families Ask

Start with the phone number on the listing, such as 717-392-5581 for Woodward Hill Cemetery in Lancaster. If nobody answers, ask the municipality, the nearest parish or congregation, or the county recorder of deeds. Older cemeteries sometimes passed from a company to a township or church, so the name on the gate may not match the current owner. A funeral director who works in the area usually knows who handles burials there. Once you have the owner, ask for the rules and fees in writing.

No single agency runs day-to-day cemetery operations. Funeral directors are licensed by the State Board of Funeral Directors, but plot sales, fees and rules are set by the cemetery owner under state law and local zoning. For a sales dispute, the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection accepts consumer complaints, and a lawyer can advise on deed or title problems. For a funeral home problem, file with the Department of State. Keep copies of every contract, receipt and email.

The funeral director normally handles this. Cremation in Pennsylvania typically requires authorization from the county coroner or medical examiner, along with signed consent from the legal next of kin. A waiting period usually applies, so ask the funeral home how long it will be in your case. Afterwards, the remains can go into a plot, niche or columbarium. Each cemetery sets its own rules for urns and containers, so call the office before you schedule interment.

National cemeteries such as Indiantown Gap in Annville, Washington Crossing and Philadelphia National Cemetery provide the gravesite, opening and closing, and a marker at no cost to eligible veterans. Eligible veterans buried in a private cemetery can still request a government headstone or marker from the VA, though the cemetery charges its own fees. Some spouses and dependents may also qualify for national cemetery burial. Confirm eligibility with the VA first, and have the DD-214 ready.

Usually not. Most human cemeteries do not accept animal remains, and many pet cemeteries do not accept human remains. Greensburg Pet Haven Cemetery on Pennsylvania 136 in Westmoreland County is a dedicated pet burial ground, and you can call 724-836-7300 for current pricing and requirements. Ask about plot sizes, marker options and whether cremated pets are accepted. For burial on private land, check township zoning and your property deed first, since local rules differ.

Start with the death date and place. Statewide death registration began in 1906, and earlier burials often appear only in cemetery ledgers, church registers or local newspapers. Call the cemetery office with the name, approximate date and town, and ask whether it keeps burial cards or maps. If the cemetery has closed or changed hands, try the county historical society or a genealogy society. Rural churchyards may rely on a volunteer who knows where each family lies.