So, you want to be buried in America’s Hippest Cemetery?
We’re a cemetery like no other. Our days are packed with people and dogs, and lots of volunteers who make this place so special and beloved. Our quirky, small staff at this non-profit cemetery proudly serves our community with a lot of heart – we have great reverence for the dead and a zest for the living. We love saying yes to families. We’d love for you to know more about life at Congressional.
Pre-planning
Yes! While we do have a finite number of graves remaining on our 35 acres, we will continue to add options for cremation.
If so, please email staff@congressionalcemetery.org and ask to be scheduled for a pre-need appointment. Please let us know whether you’re planning for cremation or burial and the section of the cemetery that interests you most.
The average wait time for an appointment is typically over 2 months, and often appointments for pre-need burial plots are bumped by funerals and at-need burial plots.
We have one person who sells plots, and who also handles all funerals, interments, headstone installations, and any other family needs or requests with graves at the cemetery.
We ask for your patience and understanding. Please know we want to serve you and we love how much you love Historic Congressional Cemetery. We share your love!
Yes. We’d love to talk to you. Please call the office to schedule a time or email our Death Doula, Laura Lyster-Mensh at deathdoula@congressionalcemetery.org. We also welcome you to visit during an upcoming Transition Tea Room. Please check our calendar.
For cremation, we have niches available in the Lockwood Columbarium. We also offer half plots as an in-ground cremation option, in addition to our scattering garden.
Full burial sites, half sites for cremation, columbarium, and a scattering garden.
Visit our Burial Options page to learn the difference between site types.
For burial, whether it’s based on budget or location – before you come to your plot selection meeting, please tell us in advance the areas of the cemetery where you’d like for us to spend time researching. Select one or two sections. Each appointment takes quite a bit of advanced research to find available plots.
Burials & Services
Yes! We allow green burial in any grave on the grounds. There is no green section. Green burials must be dug single depth per plot. Double depth is generally not available.
Green burial typically consists of natural body preparation (no embalming) and utilizes caskets or shrouds of natural materials and no grave liner or vault.
Yes! At Congressional, we recognize the place our pets play in our hearts and the grief we share at their loss. Our Kingdom of Animals offers space for individual and communal burials for all our furry companions. We are only able to inter cremated remains, and welcome your interest. Please review the Kingdom of Animals page and reach out to staff@congressionalcemetery.org to schedule an appointment or interment.
No. You just have to be dead.
Congressional Cemetery is operated by a nonprofit entity called the Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery. As a nonprofit organization, perpetual care is not collected from the families of the deceased or included in the price as it would be in a traditional for-profit setting. The cemetery relies on donations, volunteerism, and an endowment in the care of the National Trust for Historic Preservation to continue to operate and care for the grounds.
If you would like to help us care for the grounds, please consider leaving a planned gift in your will for future use or giving today at our Donation page.
Please email staff@congressionalcemetery.org or call the cemetery with more specific information about your need and urgency – please understand it could still take a few weeks to get an appointment. While we do leave space in the calendar available for at-need, there are funerals that often push the schedule back.
That is an excellent question. The care of headstones is the responsibility of the family of the deceased. Due to the historic nature of the site, many of these families may not visit these graves or care for them. The nonprofit organization at the cemetery employs a conservation specialist and several contractors to assist in up-righting historic stones that have fallen over from time, weather, and grounds conditions. A large portion of the stones you may encounter that are on the ground have been placed in that manner by our staff because they were deemed to be a safety hazard to the public. As of 2024, there is an accounting of nearly $11 million worth of conservation work to be done on the grounds to upright every stone and restore every marker, with the average cost to upright a single marker to be $3,500. By regularly visiting your space, you can help ensure your marker remains intact and upright. We always welcome donations to assist with restoring your ‘neighbors’ near your selected site. Please email us directly if this interests you.
Like all other cemeteries and burial grounds, Congressional operates with a series of rules and regulations that reflect a commitment to safety, green initiatives, concern for the deceased and their families, and our historic landscape. Our rules and regulations outline specifications for the caretaking and adornment of plots, as well as other policies and procedures related to their care. If you need information about headstones, planting, and other care topics, please visit the Rules and Regulations page. If your question is not answered on this page, please email staff@congressionalcemetery.org for assistance.
Funerals, Memorials, Burials, and Cremation Interments at Congressional Cemetery are scheduled Monday to Fridays from 10am to 1pm.
- Weekends are typically not available due to other events on the grounds and will incur an additional fee.
- Please do not schedule a funeral until you have confirmed the date and time are available with us.
- HCC is loved because we are not traditional, and as such, we ask for you to understand we are also not staffed like a traditional cemetery. This affects availability for interment and funeral times, as well as site sales appointments.
Burial Options
Congressional Cemetery offers full burial sites, half sites for cremation, columbarium, and a scattering garden.
Kingdom of Animals
A dignified place to visit and remember beloved pets in the heart of Capitol Hill.
Death Literacy
We are committed to offering activities and resources that promote a spirit of curiosity and courage about mortality.
