Houston's City of the Dead

As a child I was terrified of cemeteries, honestly that scene in Thriller is enough to ruin cemeteries for anyone… but as an adult I find them much more calming and tranquil, as a historian I love them! This week we head to Houston’s most famous final resting place: Glenwood Cemetery. Known for its old world/Southern charm, Glenwood is a must see for anyone who lives in/visits Houston. Only in Glenwood can your rub elbows with Houston elites like Howard Hughes, William Hobby (of Hobby Airport fame), a whole bunch of Texas royalty, and the guy who built the Astrodome. A random assortment for sure, but the gentile setting and the random grouping of Texans certainly makes for an interesting time.

Glenwood is way too huge to do a proper scavenger hunt so we’re going to do a walking tour of the famous and infamous instead. You can do this tour in your car or you can walk, just be aware that to see some graves up close you will have to walk to them.

This walking tour will highlight the variety of starpower that is buried in Glenwood. You’re going to stop at the graves of 10 famous and infamous Houstonians. This tour starts in section C, takes you all the way over to section L, up to the Cemetery Oak, and ends in the Oakdale Section.

Audience: Children/Adults, stroller friendly, dog friendly

Price: Free!

Parking: There are parking spaces on the cemetery grounds. You can actually park on any street in the cemetery provided you are not blocking the street. All parking is free.

Distance: approximately 1.5 miles

Time to Complete: 1-2 hours depending on how long you spend at each gravesite

What to Bring:

• This tour

• Walking shoes

• water/sunscreen/sunglasses etc.

• A camera, some of these graves are really neat!

• Cemetery map, you can print this out or download on your phone, link below

Important Note: While Glenwood is child friendly and dog friendly, there is a long list of rules, that must be followed on the cemetery grounds. Also, be aware that this is an active cemetery and you could encounter actual burials happening as you do your walk. Check the weather before you leave and dress accordingly, check out the cemetery rules for dress code restrictions.

Link to tour

Map