Take a Unique Journey Into Asheville’s Past Amongst Rolling Hills and Gardens
53 Birch Street
Asheville
NC
Cemetery Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Gates are open everyday from:
- 7am-8pm April 1 – October 31
- 7am-6pm November 1 – March 31
Asheville has been called home by writers, artists, governors, senators, generals and many notable individuals. Riverside Cemetery offers a unique look into the past and gives the opportunity to learn more about these individuals who shaped the city of Asheville. Riverside Cemetery was founded on August 4th, 1885 by the Asheville Cemetery Company. It was planned as a garden style cemetery which would serve well as both a burial ground and public park. After almost 70 years of ownership, the Asheville Cemetery Company sold Riverside to the City of Asheville in 1952. The City made many improvements to the cemetery, including opening new sections for interments and paving over 3.5 miles of roads inside the cemetery gates. Riverside was named a Buncombe County Treasure Tree Preserve in 1997. Today, we are operated by the City of Asheville Parks and Recreation Department.
Riverside Cemetery is not just a place where families come to visit a friend or a loved one. It is a place of beauty, encompassing 87 acres near downtown Asheville, NC overlooking the French Broad River – a place where you can walk, take photographs, paint and visit the grave sites of prominent writers Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry. Among the rolling hills and gardens you can find the graves of prominent writers such as Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry, Civil War heroes, and politicians that shaped North Carolina’s history. Self-guided walking tours are available at the cemetery office Monday – Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm, and can offer a unique journey into Asheville’s past. More than 4,000 visitors tour the cemetery each year.
City of Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery is located in the Montford Historic District, a short walk or drive from downtown. The cemetery features more than 87 acres of landscaped grounds. The cemetery averages approximately 50 services each year.