Old Burying Ground

If you enjoy a good old cemetery, this is your place! If you’re in luck, as we were, there was an informational piece that you can pick up to your right as soon as you walk in. Some of the graves are numbered and you can read about them. Such as the little girl in a rum barrel, and the dude buried standing up.
The cemetery is quite small, so it doesn’t take long to go through it. We had the added entertainment of a nice downpour. Note: standing under the trees won’t do much to help you stay dry.
Anyway, it’s a fascinating way to spend a little time in Beaufort!

For history buffs, or even just those with a remote appreciation of history, Old Burying Ground is great. Bigger than you think, you could easily spend an hour here if you really took a moment at each grave. Likewise, you could storm through in 10 minutes if you would like. But it’s peaceful, it’s serene, it’s historic… it’s free. Great place!

No visit to Beaufort would be complete with a stop at the Old Burying Grounds. There are three different churches on this small stretch of road… and two of them have cemeteries… so it is easy to get confused about the exact location. The Old Burying Ground can be found using your GPS — 412 Ann Street will put you right at the front gates, and be sure sure to look for the historical marker out front. Very interesting place with lots of cool stories. There are also guided tours available during the Summer (information can be found online at the Beaufort Historic Site, then click on Tour Options). Or you can just wonder the grounds yourself (they lock the gates at 5pm).

The spookiest, coolest old graveyard I’ve seen in America. This cemetery in the old coastal town of Beaufort dates from 1731. The oldest legible grave is from 1765, although many illegible markers are older. The gnarled old trees, jagged musty gravestones, and the spooky stories of the dead buried here make this a perfect place to wait out a gloomy day on the coast during your beach vacation. There is a little girl buried here who died on a ship and was buried in a rum cask. There are British soldiers from 1812 who were buried standing in a permanent salute to their King. There are Civil War and Revolutionary War soldiers and many other interesting graves to check out. When we rent a beach house in nearby Emerald Isle, as soon as it clouds up we head straight here, first for the graveyard and then a delicious dinner at nearby Beaufort Grocery Company. If it’s too early for dinner, grab a shrimp burger at the tavern on the west side of Turner Street.