Graceland Cemetery — Local services in Lake View Township

Surprise! Recently I went with my elderly parents so my dad could visit his grandparents' graves, over in the southeast section of the cemetery, back by the wall where the el passes by. My great-grandparents, Carl and Anna Ostberg, were working-class Norwegian immigrants who died in 1912 and 1927. We (my parents, my 5 siblings and I, and my aunt and uncle) have been visiting their graves every few years, sometimes even every year, going back to before I was a child in the 1970s. For health and other reasons, none of us have been able to visit since about 2013 or so. So today was the day. Well, we didn't see their graves (though we know exactly where they are) because there was a big field of "prairie" covering them. Oh and some "interpretive" signs about the "prairie" flowers, birds, trees, etc and the wonderful work of the Pizzo Group, the landscape architecture firm that decided a couple hundred immigrants' graves in a cemetery would be a great spot for covering over with some tall grasses and giant flowers that nobody can walk through or even see the ground (and graves buried) beneath. Meanwhile, there wasn't a single sign mentioning all the humans buried underneath the "prairie," all the people who probably had to scrape together every penny to buy these humble little plots over the by the el wall. Yes, the "prairie" looks pretty. But that doesn't make it right. Whose bright idea was it to completely cover over the poor people's section of the cemetery and erase these people from the landscape? (We couldn't help but notice there was certainly no "restored prairie" anywhere near where all the rich and famous folks are buried.) Were the descendants of any of the other people whose graves are now invisible and inaccessible under a bunch of plants notified and asked before this great project was enacted? Because we weren't. And what if any of these people's descendants were considering being buried near their relatives in this section in the future? This is just bizarre and shameful....

coyote danger in cemetery to pet dogs Graceland is beautiful and a lovely place to walk. It is a nature lover’s haven in uptown Chicago. I especially love the pond and that wildlife/wildflower area. However, there are multiple coyotes in the cemetery and while they are beautiful to look at from afar, be on the lookout for them if you are walking in the park with a small pet. I am always aware of my surroundings there and am always looking for the coyotes when walking with my dog. I see them at a distance every time I walk there with my dog and I have seen them all over the cemetery. Usually they have left us alone. This week (May 2025) while I walked my leashed, 45-pound dog, TWO coyotes ran up to us from a hiding spot below an hill while we were on Greenwood Ave walking toward the secondary entrance to the cemetery. The coyotes were angry and had their teeth bared and kept nipping close to my dog’s legs. I screamed for help and nobody was in eye sight of me and nobody could hear me over all their lawn movers cutting the grass. The coyotes came within 2-3 feet of me and my dog and were lurching at us for multiple minutes. It was very scary and there was nobody to help us. I screamed at them and kept walking backwards pulling my dog with me until they finally backed off and watched from afar. There were many dogs being walked in the cemetery that day and a lot of mowers, so maybe they felt threatened by all the noise and commotion and territorial, or perhaps because it is spring (mating season) maybe they had babies they wanted to protect. But we were on the paved path when they sprinted at us and did not provoke them in any way. Please be careful and look out for your pets when you are there. The coyotes were most interested in my dog, despite him being the same size as them if not larger, and less so me. We were very lucky, as I must emphasize there was no help for us in eye-shot or ear-shot when...

Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, is not just a resting place for the departed, but a fascinating historical landmark, rich with art and lore. One such element that entices visitors is the "Eternal Silence" statue, standing as a chilling masterpiece of funerary art.

Sculpted in 1909 by the renowned Lorado Taft, the bronze statue marks the grave of Dexter Graves, one of Chicago's earliest settlers. It's a haunting figure, shrouded and holding a finger to its lips, as if commanding silence. Visitors and ghost hunters often whisper that looking into the dark, reflective surface of the statue's face grants visions of their own demise.

In another corner of Graceland Cemetery, the glass-encased statue of Inez Clarke is another poignant and curious feature. This life-sized monument portrays a six-year-old girl, Inez, who allegedly died in 1880, although her existence is the subject of many debates.

The statue is remarkably lifelike, making it a captivating sight for those exploring the cemetery's grounds. Encased in glass to protect it from the elements, the statue stands as a testament to the poignant and mysterious tales the cemetery holds.

Follow me as I explore other old and forgotten cemeteries @andrewcheks on Instagram...