Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum

Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum is a nonprofit, non-sectarian cemetery and ArbNet Level III Accredited Arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as the first rural cemetery west of the Mississippi River, Bellefontaine contains 314 acres of land and more than 87,000 graves. At the current rate of burial, we will remain an active cemetery for another 200 years. Bellefontaine is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its historically significant architecture, such as the Louis Sullivan-designed Wainwright Tomb, which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and significant landscapes.

The mission of the Arboretum at Bellefontaine Cemetery is to support and enhance the cemetery as a place of perpetual commemoration and as a garden landscape of beauty, inspiration, and historical significance. Bellefontaine is an accessible and diverse horticultural collection and is an important natural sanctuary and habitat for wildlife in the urban environment. Today, the 314-acre grounds are home to more than 9000 inventoried woody trees and shrubs representing well over 560 unique plant taxa (including species, selections, and hybrids).