Homewood Cemetery

Established in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood in 1878, these tranquil resting grounds are truly something to behold. It’s not uncommon to see a herd of whitetail deer grazing along the grassy slopes, or a rafter of wild turkeys gobbling amongst themselves between the endless rows of headstones.

Just inside the Dallas Avenue entrance, you might choose to delight in the music of frogs while reflecting about life and death alongside the spring-fed pond. Foggy mornings in late autumn make for perfectly spooky adventures in the boneyard. There’s hardly another living soul around, and the atmospheric vibe is just, well, to die for. You need to be an early riser though, because that fog tends to dissipate quickly, just like a ghostly spirit.

Homewood Cemetery also has a healthy population of whitetail deer, and you will almost always see a few of them on any given visit to the grounds. Not only are these majestic creatures not hunted, but they have also become very used to human presence. But that certainly doesn’t mean you should approach them; cemetery deer need their space too.

Of course, it’s worth noting that there are several quite recognizable souls who have taken up residence inside Homewood Cemetery: Chuck Cooper, Henry Clay Frick, Henry P. Ford, Errol Garner, Teenie Harris, Henry John Heinz, and H. John Heinz III, just to name a few.