A very special place
Historic Topeka Cemetery is a setting unlike any other in Topeka. On a rolling hillside east of downtown, Topeka Cemetery is an outdoor museum of stunning monuments helping tell the stories of the more than 35,000 people in our care.
The grounds offer an eternal view for those who shaped Topeka and Kansas from territorial days into the 21st century. The city skyline, with the Statehouse standing prominently in the center, can be seen from nearly every part of Topeka Cemetery.
We encourage you to visit, to take a stroll among the names familiar to you from street signs and businesses, and from family and friends, to reflect on the beauty of this spot and the lives of those who came before you.
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Finding loved ones
Historic Topeka Cemetery has 80 acres that stretch from SE 10th Avenue to Interstate 70 and from Lafayette Street to California Avenue. Finding family members among the 35,000 souls who rest here can be a challenge.
Whether on your first visit or your 10th, it can sometimes be difficult to get to the right spot.
With our Walk-to-Site tool, you can use your smart phone to guide you. Start by clicking on Search Records. Enter the first and last name of the person you wish to find, you may need to move the screen left to find the place to enter the last name.
If the person you seek doesn’t come up first, hit the “Next” button. That will scroll through the names that are similar.
If you get no results, try a different spelling or use just a first initial on the first name.
The large map will show you where you need to be, so you can drive to the general area before beginning your walk.
Please keep in mind not every grave has a headstone. If you find no memorial, Topeka Cemetery is happy to assist you in finding the perfect tribute to your loved one.
More instruction is available on YouTube.
Points of interest
Historic Topeka Cemetery is an outdoor museum with hundreds of beautiful and interesting monuments! EXPLORE!
Friends of Historic Topeka Cemetery
The Friends have a mission to support Historic Topeka Cemetery in its efforts to preserve its grounds and buildings, promote Topeka and Kansas history and educate Topekans on the legacies created by their forebears; the extraordinary and the ordinary, the famous and the infamous, the entrepreneur and the artist.
The Friends offer tours of the grounds, the Séance in the Cemetery and Ghost Tours in October; and coordinate programs on Memorial Day weekend and Veterans Day.
The Friends also are working to memorialize the hundreds of infants buried at Topeka Cemetery who have no markers on their graves. A donation of $125 buys a 16 inch x 8 inch granite marker with the child’s name and birth year. More information can be found on the Friends page.
JOIN THE FRIENDS! BE A PART OF MAKING HISTORY!
