Forest Lawn Cemetery was established in 1906 as the last of eight municipal cemeteries in Norfolk. The City purchased a tract of Norfolk County property from George S. Bunting to create the cemetery. The Langley Family Burial Ground, the family that owned the land for generations prior to Mr. Bunting, was included in this purchase and remains a historical point of interest today with interments dating back to the 1700s. Forest Lawn boasts several fraternal and memorial lots including the Seaman's Friend Society Lot and the U.S. Army's 111th Field Artillery Batallion and 29th Infantry Division Memorial. The Seaman's Friend Society Lot is the final resting place for hundreds of foreign sailors who passed away at sea or upon arrival to our shores. The Seaman's Friend Society purchased the lot and paid for interment expenses to ensure that these brave men forever rested in a place of honor though they were very far from home. The U.S. Army's 111th Field Artillery Battalion and 29th Infantry Division Memorial was erected in honor of soldiers who gave their lives during World War II in such theatres as Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, and Central Europe from 1944-1945. It is the site of Veterans Day and Memorial Day Services at Forest Lawn. Comprised of more than 165 acres of land, Forest Lawn Cemetery is a natural arboretum with over 70 species of trees including crape myrtles, black walnut trees, dogwoods, and magnolias. Horticultural tours are offered in the spring and fall of the year at Forest Lawn.
Visitor Information
Visitor Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Office hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Free parking inside cemetery.
Admission Cost: Free
Address: 8100 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505
Official web site for more information: www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries
Norfolk Society for Cemetery Conservation Web Site: www.norfolksocietyforcemeteryconservation.org