Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Concord’s largest – and only active public cemetery – Sleepy Hollow is one block east of Monument Square, on Bedford Street. Author’s Ridge, burial site of Concord literary lights, is located here, as is the Melvin memorial by Daniel Chester French.

Historical Documents, Biographical Information and Research Relevant to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Dedication of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, September, 1855

Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Address to the Inhabitants of Concord at the Consecration of Sleepy Hollow, 29 September, 1855,” in The Later Lectures of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1843-1871, Vol II: 1855-1871, Ronald A. Bosco and Joel Myerson, eds. (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2001), pp. 30-34. Click Here to View

William Ellery Channing, Dedicatory Poem for the Consecration of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, 29 September,1855. Click Here to View

A. Bosco, J. Myerson and R.W. Emerson, “In the Palm of Nature’s Hand: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Address at the Consecration of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Markers: The Annual Journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies, XXI (2004), pp. 148-73.

Melvin Memorial

 

Contact Information

248 Bedford Road Concord, MA 01742

Photo Gallery

Reviews

Denise A.   November 16, 2024
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery was dedicated in 1855, and here you can find many prominent and influential Concord residents final resting places. Author's Ridge at...
Theresa St. John   October 23, 2024
Wonderful cemetery with, among other headstones, many famous authors buried in one section. The landscape is sprawling, very peaceful place to be. I spent a few hours here and would love to return - I did not see it all.
Julia H   September 29, 2024
A beautifully landscaped cemetery located in historic Concord. The final resting place of several notable figures from American history and Americian literature, including: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau. A lovely way to spend a perfect fall day by paying your respects to some amazing American historical figures.
Debra Walker   June 8, 2024
What a beautiful cemetery! Author's Ridge was very special. The Morning Glory Memorial is beautiful. We spent hours there just walking and driving around. It is a special place.
Don C.   June 6, 2024
Walk back in time. Sleepy Hollow not only has the graves of Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne and Alcott but numerous other figures that make Concord...
Nora Cutshaw   May 7, 2024
Great old cemetery. This place is huge, so allow some time to wander and check out the grounds. Luckily, you can drive through it. It took us a minute to find Authors Ridge, but we finally did. If you are close to Concord, it's worth going.
Fran Keal   October 12, 2023
We really enjoyed our visit to Concord but in general, we found signage throughout all historic sites to be lacking. It took us a lot of time in the cemetery to finally locate authors ridge. The cemetery is obviously quite old so walking is not the easiest. It is also very hilly. It would be great if there could be better signage, so that people did not need to wander through the cemetery in search of authors ridge. The actual viewing of the graves was very moving.
Cakes Inperry   June 21, 2023
This is the old style cemetery where people used to stroll, relax, and even picnic in the 19th century. Beautifully landscaped. The Alcotts, Emersons, and Thoreaus are all buried here.
Donna F   May 9, 2023
So peaceful, nice walk, Louisa May Alcott and several other great authors headstones remain. And Concord is a lovely place to explore.
Donna G   May 9, 2023
So peaceful, nice walk, Louisa May Alcott and several other great authors headstones remain. And Concord is a lovely place to explore.
Donna Fleury   May 9, 2023
So peaceful, nice walk, Louisa May Alcott and several other great authors headstones remain. And Concord is a lovely place to explore.
William Whitworth   April 23, 2023
Serene and historic, a peaceful retreat possessed with a tranquil beauty. A worthwhile destination for those interested in literature and American history or just as a spot to reflect.
H Arabie   March 29, 2023
The cemetery was quite beautiful and very well kept. Be sure to visit the author's ridge. The graves of Alcotts, Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne are along the ridge.
Jason Macey   October 2, 2022
From a literary standpoint, there may not be a more important cemetery in the US. Author's Ridge contains the graves of Thoreau, Hawthorne, all of the Alcotts (including Louisa May), and Emerson within a stone's throw.
Tanya Hoarn   July 3, 2022
We came to see some ancestors grave markers but walked around to enjoy author's ridge as well. Seemed very well taken care of. Not busy at all but so full of history! We took the time ahead of our visit to research the folks we were going to visit. Such a wonderful part of history to share with our children.
Rick B.   June 17, 2022
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is a rural cemetery located on Bedford Street near the center of Concord, Massachusetts. The cemetery is the burial site of a number...
Thais Williams   May 29, 2022
An amazing cemetery! Check out authors ridge and also notice the engravings on the tombstone. These were very resilient people. Their tombstone are noticeable not austere unlike the tombstones in the old burial ground that has more of the original founders of concord, which were puritans. Check out the visitor center for awesome tours! General history and specialized available!
T W   May 29, 2022
An amazing cemetery! Check out authors ridge and also notice the engravings on the tombstone. These were very resilient people. Their tombstone are noticeable not austere unlike the tombstones in the old burial ground that has more of the original founders of concord, which were puritans. Check out the visitor center for awesome tours! General history and specialized available!
Tory Williams   May 29, 2022
An amazing cemetery! Check out authors ridge and also notice the engravings on the tombstone. These were very resilient people. Their tombstone are noticeable not austere unlike the tombstones in the old burial ground that has more of the original founders of concord, which were puritans. Check out the visitor center for awesome tours! General history and specialized available!
Thais “Tory” Williams   May 29, 2022
An amazing cemetery! Check out authors ridge and also notice the engravings on the tombstone. These were very resilient people. Their tombstone are noticeable not austere unlike the tombstones in the old burial ground that has more of the original founders of concord, which were puritans. Check out the visitor center for awesome tours! General history and specialized available!
Brett Skipper   April 21, 2022
Stopped in on a road trip from Delaware to Maine. Beautiful scenery, a fitting resting place for such literary giants. It's worth a stop.
Jacqueline Schillinger   February 5, 2022
Incredible place of solace and beauty. It’s an adventure to hike around to the various parts of the cemetery since it’s quite large.
John Nesbit   October 15, 2021
Beautiful cemetery filled with history. So many notable people lived in Concord, this no surprise. Most visitors will head to the author's ridge area for Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and Hawthorne.
Jess McConnell   October 14, 2021
Really well maintained historical cemetery. Visit Author Hill and take your time to see the many historical figures resting here.
Tyler V   August 22, 2021
Cool historic Cemetery! I came to visit some of the historic places in Concord and this was on the list! If you are in Concord take to seconds to check it out!
Anthony Powell   May 20, 2021
Yep it's a cemetery
Caroline B.   May 20, 2021
Fun place to visit for the literary lover in your life. Several great American authors are buried here, and they are pretty close together! Also check out...
Mallory D.   January 15, 2021
Fellow taphophiles rejoice! Sleepy Hollow is everything I hoped for in a New England cemetery with a cool name. There is history at every turn from the...
Christine Ferry   November 4, 2020
Interesting & lovely cemetery. Very beautiful during the fall when foliage is changing color. Authors ridge felt very surreal to walk among some of the greats of literature.
Count Rostov   March 29, 2020
This is a beautiful, special place to visit and honor some of our greatest writers.
Nicholas van Orton   March 29, 2020
This is a beautiful, special place to visit and honor some of our greatest writers.
Anrana S.   March 11, 2020
Authors Ridge. The graves of Alcott. Hawthorn. Emerson. Thoreau. It's actually a pretty big Cemetery. Decent signage leading you to Authors Ridge. Even a...
Naomi K.   January 11, 2020
Certainly most of the visitors come to this cemetery attracted by the famous authors who died while living in Concord. The hill where their graves stand is...
Allen Parsons   September 5, 2019
Apparently inspired by the ideas of Emerson and other Transcendentalists, this peacefully beautiful cemetery is a serene woodland. Immaculately green and quiet (we visited on a late summer afternoon), the cemetery's 19th century tombstones spread over undulating terrain amid trim paved pathways. We found and silently paid respects at the family gravesites of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau. Apparently it’s a thing to leave pens and pencils at their graves. I guess it’s a well-meaning gesture, but the dead don’t need it.
Felecia Eby   April 20, 2019
Beautiful cemetery. I normally like to walk at a fairly quick pace going through a cemetery but, this one felt peaceful. It was lovely to walk through and amazing to see the resting places of such notable, distinguished authors on Author's Ridge. Highly recommend.
Ethan Handley   November 19, 2018
A beautiful cemetery. So happy with the work done on it in the past. Historic place too!
Tatiana Fonseca   April 18, 2018
Fascinating place to spend a few hours. You can get a map that details all of the historic individuals buried there. We went on a blustery October day an wandered around ourselves, although there was a guided tour available. Because it was October, the Headless Horseman made an appearance. Don’t forget to stock by the historic church at the entrance as well!
Clotee Lang   July 4, 2017
Historical cemetery. Authors row is resting place of world renown writers, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott, & Emerson.
John R.   June 21, 2017
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: it's so good People are dying to get in! Walking through the winding paths of the cemetery is an awesome way to learn some history...
Ben Huff   April 17, 2017
Amazing authors in this cemetary including: Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and more. The area where they are located is called Author's Ridge. I really liked visiting here, it felt historic.
Don P.   August 22, 2016
Majestic, serene and a throw back in time to a very different era lies the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord MA. In the rear on an elevated knoll are the...