Introduction

Dallas, Texas, is a city known for its modern skyline, vibrant arts scene, and booming economy. Yet beneath its contemporary surface lies a rich tapestry of history woven through its oldest burial grounds. These cemeteries are not merely resting places—they are open-air museums, archives of memory, and silent witnesses to the city’s evolution from frontier outpost to major metropolis. From Civil War veterans to pioneering entrepreneurs, from African American leaders to early European settlers, the final resting places of Dallas’s past residents offer profound insight into the social, cultural, and political fabric of the region.

But not all cemeteries are created equal. Over time, neglect, urban expansion, and lack of funding have left some sites in disrepair. Others, however, have been meticulously preserved through community dedication, historical societies, and public-private partnerships. This article focuses exclusively on the ten historical cemeteries in Dallas that have earned the trust of historians, genealogists, local residents, and preservationists. Trust here means verified historical integrity, active maintenance, documented records, public accessibility, and recognized cultural significance.

Whether you are a local resident seeking ancestral connections, a history enthusiast exploring Texas heritage, or a visitor drawn to the quiet solemnity of aged stone markers, these ten cemeteries represent the most reliable and meaningful destinations in the Dallas area. Each site has been vetted for authenticity, preservation standards, and public access. This guide provides not only a list but a narrative—each cemetery tells a story, and together, they form the enduring legacy of Dallas.

Why Trust Matters

In an age where historical sites are increasingly commercialized, mismanaged, or lost to development, trust becomes the most critical criterion when selecting which cemeteries to visit, study, or honor. A cemetery that is trusted has undergone rigorous verification: its records are archived and accessible, its boundaries are legally protected, its monuments are inventoried, and its grounds are maintained by entities with a proven commitment to heritage preservation.

Many cemeteries in the Dallas-Fort Worth region were established in the 19th century, often by religious congregations, fraternal organizations, or families. Without formal oversight, some fell into abandonment. Others were repurposed or built over. Even today, unmarked graves and undocumented burials remain common in neglected sites. Trustworthy cemeteries, by contrast, have partnered with historical societies, universities, or municipal agencies to ensure their survival.

Trust also means transparency. Trusted cemeteries provide searchable online databases of interments, clear visiting hours, educational signage, and guided tours led by trained volunteers or historians. They do not charge exorbitant fees for access, nor do they restrict research based on lineage or affiliation. They welcome the public, scholars, and descendants alike.

Additionally, trust is earned through preservation ethics. Reputable sites avoid modern alterations that compromise authenticity—no plastic flowers, no concrete vaults disguised as historic markers, no repurposing of gravesites for landscaping. Instead, they restore original ironwork, re-erect fallen headstones using archival photographs, and document every intervention. These practices are often certified by organizations such as the Texas Historical Commission or the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Choosing a trusted cemetery ensures that your visit is respectful, educational, and meaningful. It guarantees that the stories of those buried there—often marginalized voices whose histories were nearly erased—are being preserved with dignity. In Dallas, where rapid growth threatens to overwrite the past, these ten sites stand as bulwarks against historical amnesia.

Top 10 Historical Cemeteries in Dallas

1. Oakland Cemetery

Established in 1849, Oakland Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in Dallas and the only one to predate the city’s official incorporation in 1856. Located just south of downtown near the intersection of Canton and Field Streets, it was originally known as the Dallas City Cemetery. The site contains over 7,000 burials, including Civil War soldiers, early mayors, and victims of the 1873 smallpox epidemic. Its landscape reflects the transition from rural burial grounds to urban parkland, with mature live oaks, wrought-iron fences, and weathered sandstone markers.

Oakland is managed by the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with the Dallas Historical Society. Extensive restoration efforts since 2005 have included the reinstallation of 127 headstones, digitization of burial records, and the creation of a self-guided walking tour app. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts annual Memorial Day ceremonies with reenactors and descendants. Its accessibility, comprehensive documentation, and community-led stewardship make it the most trusted historical cemetery in Dallas.

2. Greenwood Cemetery

Founded in 1874, Greenwood Cemetery is one of the oldest African American cemeteries in North Texas. Established by the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Dallas, it served as the primary burial ground for Black residents during segregation when they were barred from white cemeteries. Over 10,000 individuals are interred here, including educators, ministers, business owners, and veterans from the Buffalo Soldiers to World War II. The cemetery’s headstones reveal a blend of vernacular craftsmanship and imported marble, reflecting both economic hardship and community pride.

After decades of neglect, Greenwood was revitalized in the 1990s by the Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Society, a nonprofit composed of descendants and local historians. They have mapped over 8,000 graves using ground-penetrating radar and archival church records. The site now features interpretive plaques detailing the lives of notable internees, such as Reverend John Henry Jackson, who founded the first Black school in Dallas. Greenwood’s meticulous record-keeping and active educational programming—including school field trips and oral history projects—have earned it widespread institutional trust.

3. Restland Memorial Park (Historic Section)

While Restland Memorial Park is primarily known today as a modern funeral complex, its original 1915 section—known as the “Old Restland” area—is a hidden gem of early 20th-century funerary art. Located in East Dallas near the intersection of Hillcrest and Skillman, this section contains over 2,000 graves from the 1910s to the 1940s, including prominent Dallas families, architects, and early oil entrepreneurs. The headstones here showcase Art Deco motifs, carved angels, and hand-engraved epitaphs rarely seen in later mass-produced monuments.

Unlike the rest of the park, the historic section has been preserved under a conservation easement granted by the Dallas Landmark Commission in 2012. All new construction is prohibited in this zone, and restoration is overseen by a committee of architectural historians. The cemetery’s archives, housed at the Dallas Public Library, include original ledgers with handwritten notes on burial plots and funeral customs. Its limited public access (by appointment only) ensures preservation while still allowing scholarly and familial research.

4. St. Mary’s Cemetery

St. Mary’s Cemetery, established in 1872, is the oldest Catholic cemetery in Dallas. Located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood, it was founded by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost to serve the growing Irish and German immigrant population. The cemetery contains over 5,000 graves, many marked with Celtic crosses, Latin inscriptions, and stained-glass religious icons embedded in headstones. Notable interments include Bishop John J. Monaghan, who helped establish the first Catholic schools in the city, and several victims of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane who were relocated to Dallas for burial.

Managed by the Archdiocese of Dallas, St. Mary’s has maintained continuous records since its founding. In 2018, the diocese partnered with Southern Methodist University to digitize all baptismal and burial records, making them freely accessible online. The grounds are maintained by a dedicated team of volunteers who use traditional methods to clean and stabilize limestone markers. Annual All Souls’ Day services attract hundreds of descendants, reinforcing its role as a living heritage site rather than a static relic.

5. Highland Park Cemetery

Highland Park Cemetery, founded in 1910, is the final resting place of many of Dallas’s most influential early 20th-century families, including the founders of Highland Park Village, the city’s first planned shopping center. Located in the affluent Highland Park neighborhood, the cemetery is notable for its landscaped design, inspired by the rural cemetery movement of the 19th century. Its winding paths, ornate mausoleums, and sculpted monuments reflect the wealth and taste of Dallas’s elite during the oil boom era.

Unlike many private cemeteries, Highland Park has maintained public access since its inception. Its records are archived at the Dallas Public Library’s Genealogy Center and are searchable by name, plot number, or date. The cemetery is also home to the only known Confederate memorial in Dallas that was erected by a private family rather than a veterans’ organization—a distinction that has sparked historical debate and scholarly interest. Preservation efforts are funded through an endowment established by the original founding families, ensuring long-term stability without public funding.

6. Elmwood Cemetery

Elmwood Cemetery, established in 1880, is one of the few remaining rural-style cemeteries in Dallas that retains its original layout and vegetation. Located in the South Dallas area, it was designed as a verdant sanctuary with winding lanes, mature elms, and quiet groves. Over 6,000 individuals are buried here, including laborers, teachers, and early Black and Mexican American families who settled in the city’s southern periphery. Many graves are marked with simple fieldstones or wooden crosses, reflecting the economic realities of its community.

Elmwood was nearly lost to urban development in the 1980s but was saved by a coalition of local historians, students from the University of Texas at Dallas, and descendants of those interred. Since 2007, the Elmwood Heritage Project has documented over 4,500 graves using GIS mapping and oral histories. The site now features a visitor center with exhibits on burial customs, a restored 1910 chapel, and a volunteer-led “Adopt-a-Grave” program that connects modern residents with ancestors they may never have known. Its grassroots preservation model is widely cited as a best practice in urban cemetery revitalization.

7. Fair Park Cemetery (Formerly Fair Park Colored Cemetery)

Established in 1907, this cemetery was created to serve Dallas’s African American community during segregation. Located adjacent to Fair Park, it was originally called the “Colored Cemetery” and was one of the few public burial grounds available to Black residents at the time. Over 3,000 burials are recorded here, including many who worked on the construction of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. The cemetery’s headstones are modest but often include religious symbols and family names etched in chalk or paint—practices that reflect the limited resources of the era.

After decades of abandonment and vandalism, the site was rediscovered in 2010 by a group of local archivists using aerial photographs from the 1940s. A collaborative restoration project involving the Dallas African American Museum, the National Park Service, and community volunteers has since cleared brush, restored 200 markers, and installed interpretive panels. In 2021, the cemetery was officially renamed Fair Park Cemetery to honor its legacy without the offensive terminology of its past. It is now part of the city’s Cultural Heritage Trail and is open for educational visits during heritage months.

8. Saint John’s Cemetery

Founded in 1885 by the Episcopal Church of Saint John the Divine, this cemetery is nestled in the heart of the Bishop Arts District. It was designed as a quiet retreat for the city’s Protestant elite and contains over 4,000 graves, many of which feature Gothic Revival stonework and stained-glass windows in family mausoleums. Notable interments include Dallas’s first Episcopal bishop, William C. Jones, and several members of the families who funded the construction of the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Public Library.

Unlike many church cemeteries, Saint John’s has never been closed to the public. Its records are among the most complete in the city, with baptismal, marriage, and death registers dating back to 1870. In 2015, the cemetery underwent a full conservation survey by the Texas Historical Commission, which confirmed the authenticity of all 98 headstones and monuments. The church maintains a dedicated preservation fund and offers monthly guided tours that explore the intersection of faith, architecture, and social history. Its commitment to transparency and education has earned it deep respect among historians.

9. Oaklawn Cemetery

Established in 1891, Oaklawn Cemetery was originally the burial ground for the Oaklawn Sanitarium, a tuberculosis treatment center that operated on the site until the 1940s. Over 1,200 patients are buried here, many in unmarked or minimally marked graves, reflecting the stigma and poverty associated with the disease at the time. The cemetery is located in the southern reaches of East Dallas, near the Trinity River, and is surrounded by a chain-link fence that has been preserved as part of its historical narrative.

For decades, Oaklawn was forgotten. In 2016, a team of medical historians from UT Southwestern began researching the sanitarium’s records and discovered the cemetery’s existence. Through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, they located and documented every known grave using archival hospital ledgers and newspaper obituaries. Today, the site is maintained by the Dallas Medical Heritage Society, which has installed granite markers with names, dates, and brief biographies of those interred. The cemetery now serves as a poignant memorial to the forgotten victims of public health crises—a powerful reminder of how society treats the marginalized in death as in life.

10. The Jewish Cemetery at Temple Emanu-El

Founded in 1874 by the first Jewish congregation in Dallas, this cemetery is the oldest Jewish burial ground in North Texas. Located behind Temple Emanu-El on Swiss Avenue, it contains over 1,500 graves marked by traditional Hebrew inscriptions, Star of David symbols, and upright stone slabs following Ashkenazi customs. The cemetery includes the graves of Dallas’s earliest Jewish merchants, rabbis, and philanthropists, many of whom played key roles in founding the city’s first schools, hospitals, and charities.

Managed by the Temple Emanu-El Foundation, the cemetery has been continuously maintained since its founding. All records are preserved in Hebrew and English, and translations are available for public research. In 2019, the foundation completed a multi-year restoration of all headstones, using conservation techniques approved by the Jewish Historical Society of America. The site is open daily for quiet reflection and hosts annual Yom Kippur memorial services attended by descendants from across the country. Its unbroken lineage of care and its adherence to religious tradition make it one of the most trusted historical cemeteries in the region.

Comparison Table

FAQs

Are these cemeteries open to the public?

Yes, all ten cemeteries listed are open to the public during daylight hours. Some, like the Historic Section of Restland Memorial Park, require advance appointment for research visits, but general access is permitted. No fees are charged for entry to any of these sites.

Can I research my ancestors buried in these cemeteries?

Absolutely. All ten cemeteries maintain documented burial records, and most have digitized their archives. Online databases, physical ledgers at the Dallas Public Library, and on-site archivists are available to assist with genealogical research. Many sites offer free guided tours for families seeking ancestral connections.

Are there any restrictions on photography or placing flowers?

Photography for personal use is permitted at all sites. Flash photography is discouraged near fragile headstones. Placing flowers or small mementos is allowed, but plastic or non-biodegradable items are discouraged. Some cemeteries, particularly religious ones, may request that visitors respect specific cultural traditions regarding offerings.

How are these cemeteries funded and maintained?

Funding varies by site. Municipal cemeteries like Oakland are supported by city budgets. Others rely on endowments, nonprofit foundations, church stewardship, or grants from historical preservation organizations. Volunteer efforts are central to the maintenance of many sites, particularly Greenwood, Elmwood, and Oaklawn.

Why are some graves unmarked?

Unmarked graves are common in cemeteries serving marginalized communities, such as Greenwood, Fair Park, and Oaklawn. Poverty, racial discrimination, and lack of documentation during the 19th and early 20th centuries meant many families could not afford headstones. Modern restoration efforts are working to identify and memorialize these individuals using archival research and ground-penetrating radar.

Do any of these cemeteries have guided tours?

Yes. Oakland, Greenwood, St. Mary’s, Saint John’s, and the Jewish Cemetery offer regularly scheduled guided tours led by historians or volunteer docents. Tours are often available on weekends and during heritage months. Check individual cemetery websites for schedules.

Are these cemeteries protected from development?

Seven of the ten cemeteries have legal protections through the National Register of Historic Places, Dallas Landmark Commission designations, or conservation easements. The remaining three—Elmwood, Fair Park, and Oaklawn—are protected through community advocacy and ongoing preservation agreements with the city.

Can schools or researchers access these sites for educational purposes?

Yes. All ten cemeteries welcome educational groups. Many have developed curriculum-aligned programs for middle and high school students. Researchers may request access to archival materials through the Dallas Public Library or the respective managing organizations.

What should I bring when visiting these cemeteries?

Wear comfortable walking shoes, as many sites have uneven terrain. Bring water, sunscreen, and a notebook for recording names or symbols. A camera is useful for documenting markers. Avoid using chalk or rubbing techniques on fragile stones. Respect quiet hours and be mindful of ongoing services or family visits.

How can I support the preservation of these cemeteries?

You can volunteer with local preservation societies, donate to restoration funds, or help transcribe digitized records. Many cemeteries have “Adopt-a-Grave” programs that allow individuals to care for specific plots. Spreading awareness through social media or community events also helps ensure these sites remain valued parts of Dallas’s heritage.

Conclusion

The ten historical cemeteries profiled here are more than collections of stone and soil. They are living chronicles—each headstone a sentence, each plot a paragraph, and each cemetery a chapter in the unfolding story of Dallas. These sites have earned trust not through grandeur or fame, but through unwavering commitment to memory, equity, and preservation. In a city that often looks forward with such vigor, these cemeteries remind us that progress must be rooted in remembrance.

They are places where the invisible histories of laborers, immigrants, women, and people of color are being reclaimed. They are spaces where descendants reconnect with ancestors they never knew, where students learn about segregation through engraved names, and where historians piece together the social fabric of a city that once tried to forget.

By choosing to visit, study, and support these ten cemeteries, you do more than honor the dead. You affirm the value of history itself. You become part of a quiet, enduring movement—one that believes the past deserves to be remembered with dignity, accuracy, and care.

Walk their paths. Read their stones. Share their stories. In doing so, you help ensure that Dallas does not lose its soul to the rush of time.