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Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum

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Dayton, OH
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum

An active cemetery, serving over 1,600 families annually. A Dayton landmark since 1841. Patterson (NCR), George P. Loren M. Berry, Sr. (L. M. Co.).
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Conservator of Dayton history and the culture of its people

In the 1840s when Dayton outgrew its original graveyards at Third and Main Street and at Fifth Street, civic pioneer John Van Cleve chose a new forty-acre site, largely for its splendid hilltop views and remarkable variety of trees. Woodland’s place in history reaches far beyond Dayton, as its remarkable structures with unique interior f

eatures are of national significance. As one of a few 19th-century rural garden cemeteries in America, the site offers a distinctive historical, educational, and recreational resource for the southwestern Ohio region and the nation. Each year, thousands tour the grounds of Woodland to visit the grave-sites of Wilbur and Orville Wright, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, Governor James M. Cox, writer Erma Bombeck, Jeraldyne Blunden, founder of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, inventor Charles F. Kettering and his daughter-in-law, philanthropist Virginia Kettering, and entrepreneurs John H. Huffman (Huffy Bicycles), George Mead (Mead Paper Co.) Berry Co.), and Preserved Smith (Barney & Smith Mfg. Woodland is the conservator of Dayton history and the culture of its people. We are proud to be the final resting place of over 111,000 souls resting peacefully among our beautiful and timeless grounds.

08/06/2025

Due to popular demand and selling out in 3 days, we added two more dates for our new tour Strange and Unusual Tales in Woodland! September 30th at 6pm and October 11th at 11am.

If you enjoy History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder then you have to attend our new tour Strange and Unusual Tales in Woodland. Our debut schedule has sold out! To purchase tickets, please click the link below.

Strange and Unusual Tales in Woodland:
Woodland Cemetery isn’t just a resting place — it is also filled with endless stories. Beneath its serene trees lie inventors, pioneers and those whose deaths came with whispers of scandal, sudden tragedy or mysteries that remain unsolved. Murder, misfortune and curious twists of fate echo throughout the gravestones, where every grave could tell a tale stranger than fiction. Join us as we explore a series of unfortunate and unusual tales in Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum.

https://woodlandcemetery.org/event/strange-and-unusual-tales-in-woodland-2/

https://woodlandcemetery.org/event/strange-and-unusual-tales-in-woodland-3/

08/04/2025

New Tour!!

If you enjoy History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder then you have to attend our new tour Strange and Unusual Tales in Woodland! This tour will be debuting Thursday, September 18th at 6pm. To purchase tickets, please click the link below.

Strange and Unusual Tales in Woodland:
Woodland Cemetery isn’t just a resting place — it is also filled with endless stories. Beneath its serene trees lie inventors, pioneers and those whose deaths came with whispers of scandal, sudden tragedy or mysteries that remain unsolved. Murder, misfortune and curious twists of fate echo throughout the gravestones, where every grave could tell a tale stranger than fiction. Join us as we explore a series of unfortunate and unusual tales in Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum.

https://woodlandcemetery.org/event/strange-and-unusual-tales-in-woodland/

08/01/2025

Are you ready for October? Our HMM&M Lantern Tours go on sale tomorrow, August 1st! Get your tickets before we sell out.

https://woodlandcemetery.org/events/month/2025-10/

07/26/2025

In Memory of Gene Buckingham (1943–2025)

We are saddened to share the passing of Gene Buckingham, who served as Executive Director of Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum from 1983 to 2006. Gene’s visionary leadership helped shape Woodland into a place of enduring beauty, historic preservation, and community trust.

A respected voice in the cemetery profession, Gene championed ethics, innovation, and stewardship. His legacy lives on in every tree, every family served, and every life honored on these sacred grounds.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Debbie and the entire Buckingham family. Woodland is stronger, more beautiful, and more enduring because of Gene’s devotion.

With gratitude,

The Trustees, Staff, and Community of Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum

07/16/2025

An update from Woodland's Preservation Team: One of our most visited gravesites is the monument of Johnny Morehouse and his dog.

Awhile ago, the dog's head was damaged by a tree branch. The break was mended but it left a yellow ring around the dog's neck ( looking like a collar). We decided that the dog needed his fur back so we started working and sculpting over several weeks. The goal was to match as closely as possible to the marble monument. The collage shows the before picture with the yellow ring and then the after pictures. He looks so much better!

We in the process of prepping the arm for the McMillen Angel and will keep everyone updated when we start working on her.

07/15/2025

Our September tour schedule is now on our website! To learn more and to purchase tickets please click the link below:

https://woodlandcemetery.org/events/month/2025-09/

07/14/2025

It is almost time! Our HMM&M Lantern Tours go on sale Friday, August 1st. Save the date and we look forward to seeing everyone in October.

07/12/2025

With over 3000 trees and 165 native species, Woodland Cemetery is accredited as a Level II Arboretum. We have 25 species of Oak trees and have 10 current or former State Champion Trees. Join tour guide Kay Linden as he gives you an enlightening tour of the Arboretum at Woodland Cemetery.

Our next Arboretum Tree Tour is next Wednesday, July 16th at 10am. To purchase tickets, please click the link below:

https://woodlandcemetery.org/event/woodland-arboretum-tree-tour-16/

07/08/2025

A note from the preservation team: We are excited to share that McMillen's wing is complete! We have a few finishing touches to do but the majority of the work is done. After completing the finishing touches, the next step will be putting her arm back together. We appreciate all the support and encouragement from everyone! The picture shows the before and after of the monument.

We are also working on a few other projects and we will share those pictures soon❤

06/26/2025

From our collections: Journey Through My Years, the memoir of James Middleton Cox.

James Middleton Cox was 76 when he wrote his memoir. This copy is signed by Cox. He was a businessman and politician who served as the 46th and 48th governor of Ohio and a two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio. As the Democratic nominee for President of the United States at the 1920 presidential election, he lost in a landslide to fellow Ohioan Warren G. Harding. His running mater was future president Franklin D. Roosevelt. Cox died on July 15, 1957, after a series of strokes. He is buried in Section 121. Lot 1.

06/17/2025

Looking for something to do this week? Come to one of our tours we are offering! For further information and to purchase tickets, please click the link below

Wednesday:
Arboretum Tree Tour at 10am

Woodland Historic Tour at 6pm

Thursday:
Influential and Notable African Americans at 2pm

Saturday:
Artists, Poets, Musicians and Dancers at 10am

https://woodlandcemetery.org/events/month/

06/11/2025

We have recently added QR codes to gravestones and monuments that are on our Landmarks and Points of Interest Map.

This project, Connecting Dayton’s Past to the Present with QR Technology will allow visitors to learn more about Woodland’s history by scanning a QR code. This will provide easier access to our history and have a greater impact on education, youth development and expanding accessibility to the community. Next time you are at Woodland, stop by our office for a map and look for the QR codes. History is just a scan away!

We would like to thank the following Foundation donor(s) who helped make this grant possible:

Darrell L. Murphy Fund for The Good of the Miami Valley

The Michael M. & Amy S. Parks Fund

James H. Hensley Legacy Fund

Dr. & Mrs. Juan A. Paulet Fund

This project was funded by a Greenlight Grant from The Dayton Foundation.

For over 100 years, The Dayton Foundation has been the trusted charitable giving resource for more than 4,100 individuals, families and organizations. As the largest grant maker and community foundation in Great Dayton, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.4 billion in grants since its founding in 1921, with nearly $109 million awarded last fiscal year. Assets from all funds exceed $1.7 billion.

For more information about The Dayton Foundation, visit www.daytonfoundation.org or follow the Foundation on Facebook, X or LinkedIn.

Address

118 Woodland Avenue
Dayton, OH
45409

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 7pm
Tuesday	8am - 7pm
Wednesday	8am - 7pm
Thursday	8am - 7pm
Friday	8am - 7pm
Saturday	8am - 7pm
Sunday	8am - 7pm

Telephone

+19372283221

Website

http://www.woodlandcemetery.org/

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Conservator of Dayton history and the culture of its people

In the 1840s when Dayton outgrew its original graveyards at Third and Main Street and at Fifth Street, civic pioneer John Van Cleve chose a new forty-acre site, largely for its splendid hilltop views and remarkable variety of trees.

Woodland’s place in history reaches far beyond Dayton, as its remarkable structures with unique interior features are of national significance. As one of a few 19th-century rural garden cemeteries in America, the site offers a distinctive historical, educational, and recreational resource for the southwestern Ohio region and the nation.

Each year, thousands tour the grounds of Woodland to visit the grave-sites of Wilbur and Orville Wright, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, Governor James M. Cox, writer Erma Bombeck, Jeraldyne Blunden, founder of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, inventor Charles F. Kettering and his daughter-in-law, philanthropist Virginia Kettering, and entrepreneurs John H. Patterson (NCR), George P. Huffman (Huffy Bicycles), George Mead (Mead Paper Co.) Loren M. Berry, Sr. (L. M. Berry Co.), and Preserved Smith (Barney & Smith Mfg. Co.).

Woodland is the conservator of Dayton history and the culture of its people. We are proud to be the final resting place of over 110,000 souls resting peacefully among our beautiful and timeless grounds.