New Jersey cemeteries among America’s most beautiful hidden gems

Burying a loved one is never easy, so of course, people have a negative association with cemeteries.

While sad, visiting graves can also be oddly beautiful.

There’s a unique feeling of being connected to the past while also still in the present, seeing the flowers or other gifts that family or friends recently left for the dead.

Growing up, I remember after my family would visit my (alive, at the time) great-grandfather, we would do a "tour of the dead" and go to two cemeteries in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

We would honor my grandpa and great-grandmother in one cemetery, then go to a nearby one to remember my other great-grandparents and my Great Aunt Cile.

My great-grandfather would go every Sunday to tend to the graves. While there may have been tears, it wasn’t sad, at least to me. It was nice to remember the family members we lost.

A 2025 survey by Choice Mutual found the cemeteries that Americans consider to be peaceful hidden gems.

As they describe it:

visiting these spots feels less like sightseeing and more like stepping into a storybook of the past, whispered through silence.

Three Garden State spots made the list.

Peaceful New Jersey cemeteries

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark

A Victorian landscape cemetery with winding paths, ornate mausoleums, and city views. Despite its elegance, it’s quietly tucked away from Newark’s bustle, offering a reflective, park-like calm.

Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Paterson

Shaded by maples, with impressive 19th-century monuments to industrialists. Its mix of ornate stonework and quiet lawns makes it an under-appreciated historic landmark.

Harleigh Cemetery, Camden

A riverside cemetery with Gothic statuary and leafy slopes. Overlooked by most, it feels tranquil and almost hidden despite holding figures like Walt Whitman.

The takeaway from the study should be that cemeteries don’t necessarily have to be about mourning. While your time there will likely be heavy, it’s a time of memory, beauty, and honoring those who are no longer with us.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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