Albany Rural Cemetery

For many years, these historic pedestrian gates stood as a beautiful reminder of Albany Rural Cemetery’s past, but they were no longer functional. Today, we’re proud to share that they have been restored to working order and are once again welcoming visitors on foot.

This project is another example of how small improvements can make a big difference in preserving the character and experience of our cemetery while honoring its history.

A sincere thank you to Albany Steel for once again supporting Albany Rural Cemetery and helping us literally open the gates to history. Their partnership and generosity continue to make projects like this possible.

Special thanks to Peter Hess and his team for donating their time, expertise, and equipment to help bring these gates back to life.

And, of course, a big thank you to Paul who helped us raise the gates and raise the bar for what can be accomplished when people come together to care for this special place.

We look forward to seeing visitors once again pass through these gates for years to come.

Yesterday, Albany Rural Cemetery had the privilege of hosting the New York State Division of Cemeteries’ Cemetery 101 educational program. We are proud to share that, for the second time, Albany Rural Cemetery hosted the most well-attended Cemetery 101 class the Division has offered, having achieved that distinction in both 2024 and again in 2026. The strong turnout reflects the dedication of cemetery professionals, trustees, volunteers, and advocates who are committed to preserving and advancing our profession.

We extend our sincere thanks to the many cemeterians who joined us, as well as the Albany Rural Cemetery Board Members who took the time to attend and participate. Your presence demonstrated a commitment to learning, leadership, and the continued improvement of our organization and the cemetery profession.

Special appreciation goes to the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery for generously providing refreshments and helping make our guests feel welcome throughout the day. Their continued support of educational programming and community engagement is greatly appreciated.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to Kerry Forezzi and Kerry McGovern for sharing their knowledge, experience, and passion for the cemetery profession. Educational opportunities such as Cemetery 101 are invaluable, and their willingness to teach and guide others helps strengthen cemeteries across New York State.

Education, collaboration, and stewardship are essential to the future of our cemeteries. We were honored to serve as the host site for this important program and proud to welcome so many individuals dedicated to serving families, preserving history, and caring for these sacred places.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day a tremendous success. We look forward to continuing to support opportunities that bring cemetery professionals together to learn, share ideas, and move our profession forward.

This week, Albany Rural Cemetery took another significant step forward with the completion of approximately 18,000 square feet of roadway repairs and resurfacing along Linden Avenue and into Section 125.

For years, this roadway has been patched and repaired as resources allowed. While those efforts helped extend its life, the time had come for a more permanent solution. Thanks to the support of the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery, the approval of the Albany Cemetery Association Board of Trustees, and the outstanding work of BDB Paving, visitors, families, funeral directors, lot owners, and staff can now enjoy a safer, smoother, and more dignified route through one of the Cemetery’s most heavily traveled areas.

What makes this project especially meaningful is that it was made possible through the dedication of our volunteers, supporters, and community partners. This marks our second major paving project in one month. Combined, these efforts have resurfaced approximately 29,000 square feet of roadway - more than half a mile of improved driving and walking surfaces throughout the Cemetery. Every tour, event, membership, donation, and volunteer hour contributed by the Friends helps make improvements like this possible. These roadways are more than pavement - they are a visible reminder that community support continues to preserve and improve this historic landscape for future generations.

Special thanks are extended to the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery for helping make this project possible, to BDB Paving for their professionalism and quality workmanship, to Frank Slingerland, President of the Albany Cemetery Association, for supporting and approving the project, and to Lance Ingmire for his invaluable assistance in helping secure competitive pricing and move the project forward.

As General Manager, I spend a lot of time thinking about what Albany Rural Cemetery can become. Seeing fresh pavement where there were once potholes, patches, and temporary fixes is more than a construction project- it’s proof that progress is possible. We aren’t simply maintaining a historic cemetery; we are steadily restoring, improving, and investing in its future.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this project possible. There is truly a little piece of each of you in Albany Rural Cemetery.

We are investing in the Cemetery. Invest in us. Come visit, walk the grounds, talk with us, and become a part of the history we are preserving together.

If you’d like to support these restoration efforts, please contact our office to learn how your donation can help keep Albany Rural’s legacy moving forward. Please remember our summer hours are currently in effect: gates are open 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM, Sunday through Saturday.

Reminder: Cemetery 101 is this Wednesday!

There’s still time to join us! This Wednesday, June 3rd, Albany Rural Cemetery will be hosting the New York State Department of State Division of Cemeteries for their Cemetery 101 and Cemetery Accounting courses at the Albany Rural Cemetery Chapel.

Come connect with Division staff, get your questions answered, and gain practical insight into cemetery best practices — all in one afternoon.

Date: Wednesday, June 3rd
Time: 1PM
Location: Albany Rural Cemetery Chapel
68 Cemetery Ave., Albany, NY 12204

RSVP Here: https://dos.ny.gov/cemeteries-101

RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Please note that our office will be closed so that our staff may attend. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you there!

Please note that the South Gate will be closed all day on Monday, June 1st due to scheduled paving.

The Main Gate will remain open during regular hours for your convenience. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to maintain our grounds.

Thank you,
Albany Rural Cemetery

Visiting Hours (Year-Round Access)
Please note: Cemetery gates and the Public Mausoleum are open year-round, including holidays, during posted visiting hours.
Summer Hours: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Winter Hours: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Is your cemetery set up for long-term success? Join us and find out!

Albany Rural Cemetery is proud to once again welcome the New York State Department of State Division of Cemeteries for their popular Cemetery 101 course. Whether you're new to cemetery operations or looking to sharpen your knowledge, these trainings offer practical guidance on running a successful cemetery.

Connect with Division staff, get your questions answered, and walk away with real insight into industry best practices.

Tuesday, June 3rd at 1:00PM
Albany Rural Cemetery Chapel
68 Cemetery Ave., Albany, NY 12204

Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are always welcome. We hope to see you there!

RSVP Here:

Cemetery Trainings Trainings that educate on the basics of successful cemetery operations.

In observance of Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026, the Cemetery gates will remain open for gravesite visitation, and the Public Mausoleum will be accessible during normal posted visiting hours.

Please note that grounds and office staff will be off in observance of the holiday. Normal operations will resume Tuesday, May 26.
Thank you for your understanding. Memorial Day serves as a time for remembrance, gratitude, and reflection upon the men and women who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation and freedoms.

Albany Rural Cemetery is honored to serve as the resting place for veterans, military leaders, public servants, and patriots connected to nearly every major American conflict dating back to the Colonial era, the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, World War II, and modern military service.

Visitors may wish to spend time reflecting throughout the Cemetery’s historic military sections and family lots, where the stories of sacrifice, leadership, and service remain woven into the landscape and history of Albany itself.

Among the many notable military figures interred at Albany Rural Cemetery are:
• Major General Philip J. Schuyler — Section 29, Lot 2
Revolutionary War General, U.S. Senator, and one of the most influential military and political leaders in early New York and American history.
• Brigadier General Peter Gansevoort — Section 55, Lot 1
Celebrated Revolutionary War hero best remembered for defending Fort Stanwix during the Saratoga Campaign, helping delay British advancement during a pivotal moment in the Revolution.
• Colonel John Mills — Section 73, Lot 106
Commander of the Albany Republican Artillery during the War of 1812, killed in action at Sacketts Harbor in 1813 while repelling British forces.
• Major Lewis N. Morris — Section 54, Lot 12
Officer in the Mexican-American War who died while leading troops at Monterrey, Mexico. His funeral procession through Albany was reportedly among the largest in the city’s history.
• Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Plot — Section 75, Lot 7
A large military burial site donated by the Trustees of Albany Rural Cemetery during the Civil War for Union soldiers and sailors who died during the conflict. One hundred forty-nine veterans are interred within the plot, while bronze memorial tablets cast from melted Civil War cannon honor hundreds of Albanians who gave their lives preserving the Union.
• WWII Military Plot — Section 209
Dedicated to veterans of the Second World War and serving as a lasting reminder of the global sacrifices made during one of history’s most defining conflicts.

Albany Rural Cemetery is also honored to participate in the nationwide “Taps Across America” National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 PM on Memorial Day. We extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Tom MacDonald, the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery, Nancy Moreland, Annette Franchini, and all those helping make this meaningful tribute possible within the Cemetery grounds.

For more information regarding the nationwide initiative, please visit: https://www.tapsacrossamerica.org/

We would also like to recognize and thank local historian and author Peter Hess for his extensive research and preservation efforts documenting the remarkable military and civic history of Albany Rural Cemetery. Much of the historical information regarding veterans and military interments throughout the Cemetery has been carefully compiled through his work and publications. Copies of Peter Hess’s book Who were the People of Albany? and historical materials are available for purchase through the Cemetery office while supplies last.

Whether you are visiting a loved one, honoring a veteran, placing flowers, attending a remembrance ceremony, or simply taking a quiet walk through the grounds, Albany Rural Cemetery remains a place of remembrance, peace, history, and reflection - especially on days dedicated to honoring those who served our country.

With respect,
The Staff of Albany Rural Cemetery

Visiting Hours (Year-Round Access)
Please note: Cemetery gates and the Public Mausoleum are open year-round, including holidays, during posted visiting hours.
Summer Hours: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Winter Hours: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM

What you’re seeing here is real work being done at Albany Rural.

We’ve rebuilt the main entrance roadway and installed new gates that finally function the way they should - long overdue and done the right way.

And after a long time coming, our new crematory is now complete.
This isn’t just a building. It’s a state-of-the-art facility designed to serve families, support funeral directors, and strengthen the Cemetery as a whole.

Inside are modern cremation units built for efficiency and environmental responsibility - meeting strict standards, reducing emissions, and creating a safer, more professional workspace for our staff. There’s space for families who want to be present, secure temperature-controlled care, and private, 24/7 access for those we work with.

It was designed to fit here, not stand out for the wrong reasons, but to belong to our landscape and the history around it.
This isn’t about one project - it’s about making sure Albany Rural can continue to operate, reinvest, and preserve what’s here. Roads, trees, restoration, history - this is how that work continues. To allow families to visit their loved ones, and the community to enjoy its history and park-like setting.

We take our responsibility seriously.
We’re last responders.
We’re stewards of this place.
And this is part of the work that keeps Albany Rural moving forward.

We invite you to join us tomorrow at 11:00 AM for the ribbon cutting of the new crematory.

Come meet the Board, the staff, and the volunteers who are putting in the work every day to take care of this place.

If you want to support these restoration efforts, please contact our office to learn how your donation can help keep Albany Rural’s legacy moving forward.

Please remember our summer hours are currently in effect: gates are open 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM, Sunday through Saturday.

Thanks to BDB Paving, drone work courtesy of Steve Balogh, Bast Hatfield, B&L Cremation Systems Inc., Weston & Sampson, Village of Menands, NYS Division of Cemeteries, NYS DEC, Featherstonhaugh Wiley & Clyne LLP, Comalli Electrical Group, National Business Technologies, DiGesare Plumbing, and Imperial Security.

Items for sale - Please contact the Main Office at (518) 463-7017 or [email protected] for more details.

Hours Update:

Our gates will now open at 7:30 AM, and the grounds and mausoleum will close at 7:30 PM. Please note that these hours will remain in effect through September. Thank you!