Hollywood Cemetery — Attraction in Richmond

My friends and I stopped here while touring haunted locations in VA. We expected it to be a quick stop, but we ended up here for several hours, enjoying the history, the trees, the various plots and monuments, and the sprawling grounds; we kept expecting to get to the end only to crest another hill to more. It is a very nice-looking cemetery to visit, with the river right nearby and the hills. The monuments are well kept, and the grounds are relatively easy to explore on foot or by car (we did a bit of both). I recommend it. Skeptics go no further. I also had my most significant ghost experiences ever here. I felt sick to my stomach several different times for the span of maybe a minute each, I smelled rot a few times, I heard rustling and thumping in closed crypts, I felt chills, and I distinctly felt something wrap around my forearm, like being gripped by a hand. My friends even noticed marks on my arm afterward. Skeptics will make of that what they will; I put it at the end of the review for the sake of people who just want to visit the site and don't believe in the paranormal. If you're into that, though, that can be another...

We were here to see the final resting place of US Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. It was cold during our visit so we abandoned our initial plan of walking and just drove around, using the faint blue line painted on the side of the road as guide. There are no admission or parking fees.

We parked temporarily near Davis's tomb. His is quite prominent with a statue and was thus easy to locate. We missed President's Circle, site of both Monroe and Tyler's mausoleums, on our first drive by and had to ask for directions. When we finally found it, we parked nearby and stayed for 20 minutes. A short distance from there is a scenic lookout with fantastic views of downtown Richmond and James River. Our entire visit lasted 40 minutes.

This was a good experience overall and we'd recommend it to anyone...

We went on an unseasonably warm December day. Hollywood Cemetery feels more like a beautiful, historical park than a cemetery. It is a history buff's dream with lots of historical figures buried there. We walked for about 90 minutes and enjoyed the views over the river, large trees and gorgeous monuments. While we did not bring our dogs, we saw many, on leash, walking the grounds. It had poured the night before and we were a bit concerned about standing water making our trek muddy but Hollywood Cemetery has paved paths and even when we walked to the monuments, the ground was not muddy at all. Bring a bottle of water and wear a good pair of shoes. The paths are hilly but not steep. You will get a good workout. If you are visiting Richmond, be sure to check it out and if you live in Richmond, go often. It is a wonderful place to spend...