If you come to Louisville, you'll find a lot of ways to spend your time: you can go to bars and restaurants, there are sports games to watch, and a number of attractions, such as museums, Kentucky Kingdom, Churchill Downs, and even a really cool ghost tour in the NuLu district on East Market Street. <wink, wink> But, for those who may have a more morbid sense of adventure and sightseeing, there is always Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville's sprawling burial land for some of the area's most prolific inhabitants.
Once a part of the Johnston Family farm, Cave Hill was the first garden style cemetery set in the state. Originally, the idea of having a cemetery in the area hadn't even been considered, especially since the railroad ran right through the land. But, thanks to the increasing population and the outbreak of diseases, the city's Fathers elected to reconsider this notion. The city hired Edmund Francis Lee, a civil engineer out of Connecticut, to design the layout, and it was he who insisted they use the natural landscape to create the scenic cemetery. In 1848, the Cave Hill Cemetery Co. was chartered and the Victorian era burial arboretum was open for business.
Through the years, a number of famous people, locally or nationally, have been interred here. The most notable is boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Fast food titan and creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Col. Harland Sanders' grave is also here, as well as the famous explorer, George Rogers Clark. Late 1800s baseball center-fielder, Pete Browning, was laid to rest in Cave Hill. Also, the former Frito Lay magician, Harry Collins, has a life-sized monument erected upon his grave. Also buried here are numerous local politicians and businessman who helped build and mold the city.
Many of the markers are beautifully sculpted works of art that catch the eye. If you're ever interested in visiting Cave Hill, it is located at 701 Baxter Avenue, just a couple of streets away from the aforementioned NuLu History and Haunts Tour that people seem to like.
There are also stories of hauntings here. If you'd like to hear about them, and more about Cave Hill, check out our book, Louisville's Strange and Unusual Haunts, slated for release by Per Bastet Publications later this year.
The statue of Frito Lay Magician, Harry Collins.
A fine example of some of the artistic sculptures around Cave Hill.
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