Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis is one of the city’s most enduring and historically rich landmarks. Founded in 1863 at what was once Strawberry Hill, the site’s summit was renamed The Crown, a fitting title for the highest natural elevation in Marion County. Today, Crown Hill is a resting place for over 190,000 individuals and a peaceful 555-acre arboretum that invites visitors to walk among winding roads, towering trees, and centuries of Indiana history.
The grounds were first developed in 1863 when the cemetery’s organizers purchased 236 acres from three local farmers for $51,000. Fredrick Chislett, a landscape architect, became the first superintendent and played a pivotal role in shaping the cemetery’s naturalistic layout. His vision established Crown Hill as a rural cemetery—part burial ground, part public park—mirroring the garden cemetery movement of the 19th century. By 1875, the addition of the Gothic Chapel, designed by architect D.A. Bohlen, further cemented its place as a space of both reflection and architectural beauty.
Crown Hill is home to a remarkable variety of tree species and native plant life. With more than 11,000 inventoried trees representing 137 distinct species, the cemetery is recognized as a Level II accredited arboretum. It has long functioned as an urban green space, offering visitors a quiet, park-like setting just north of downtown Indianapolis. Over 25 miles of winding roads provide routes for walking or driving, with panoramic views of the city skyline from the hilltop memorial of poet James Whitcomb Riley. Seasonal guided tours from May through October highlight various aspects of the grounds, including prominent gravesites, military sections, and the cemetery’s extensive horticulture.
Designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, Crown Hill is the final resting place for ten Indiana governors, numerous U.S. senators and representatives, and figures such as author Booth Tarkington, industrialist Eli Lilly, and several Civil War generals. Its grounds also include a national cemetery, added in 1866, where more than 2,000 Union soldiers are buried. In 1931, the remains of 1,616 Confederate prisoners of war were relocated here from Greenlawn Cemetery. The grounds now hold over 225,000 monuments and tombstones, bearing witness to generations of personal and public memory.
As a destination for heritage tourism, Crown Hill offers a layered experience that combines landscape design, botanical interest, and state history. Whether exploring the elaborate Victorian monuments, pausing at the Field of Valor, or watching the sunset from atop The Crown, visitors encounter a living museum that has grown and evolved with the city itself. For those seeking quiet reflection or a meaningful walk through the past, Crown Hill remains a defining historic and natural landmark in Indianapolis.
