Explore More on This Site
Join a Cemetery Tour
Step into history with our expert-led walking tours of Alexandria’s most storied cemeteries.
Featured in the News
Our June 2024 tour was featured on the front page of the Alexandria Times in honor of the Alexandria Archaeology Commission’s 50th anniversary.
Notable Burials Highlight
Explore Alexandria’s Notable Burials
Curious who’s buried in Alexandria? Here are just a few:
- Major Samuel Cooper – Boston Tea Party participant and Revolutionary War officer
- Wilmer McLean – His homes witnessed both the first and last battles of the Civil War
- Fields Cook – African American leader in education and civil rights
- Julius Campbell – Star player of the 1971 T.C. Williams Titans, portrayed in Remember the Titans, and a powerful symbol of Alexandria’s struggle and progress in civil rights
- Joseph Bruin – Slave trader involved in the 1848 Pearl escape attempt
Recent Discoveries & Rediscovered Graves
- Col. George Gilpin Rediscovered (2024)
Revolutionary War officer and Washington’s pallbearer found after more than 200 years.
Read the Full Story → - Winter Archaeology at Wilkes Street
Ground-penetrating radar revealed long-lost burials—including firefighter Charles Glasscock and the Adam, Irwin, Dundas, and Black family plots. Explore the Discoveries →
Discover Alexandria’s Civil War Legacy
Alexandria was the first Southern city seized by Union forces—just one day after Virginians voted to secede. Its cemeteries, hospitals, and historic homes became central to the Civil War’s human story.
Explore the lives of soldiers, civilians, contrabands, and spies who shaped Alexandria’s wartime legacy.
Explore at Your Own Pace
Want to explore on your own schedule?
Download our printable brochure and enjoy a self-guided walk through Alexandria’s most historic cemeteries—featuring 35,000+ stories in one extraordinary complex.
Upcoming Presentation
Tuesday, April 15 – 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Hollin Hall Senior Center, Room 218
Join David Heiby for a talk with the Mount Vernon Genealogical Society:
The Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex – an introduction to America’s most historic cluster of burial grounds and the 35,000+ stories they hold.
All are welcome!
Recent Highlights & Photos
Discover photos from our tours, talks, and commemorations honoring Alexandria’s history and those who shaped it. View More Highlights
Community Partners
Alexandria’s rich history is preserved and interpreted by dedicated organizations that engage the community through research, education, and historic site preservation.
The Alexandria Historical Society works to document and promote the city’s past.
The Lee-Fendall House Museum, owned and operated by the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation, offers insight into Alexandria’s evolving history through one of its most significant historic homes.
