Hope Cemetery, established in 1852, is an historic rural cemetery owned by the City. Its landscaping and funerary art are exemplars of the rural cemetery movement inspired by romantic perceptions of nature, art and the themes of death; visitors can contemplate monuments and statues while strolling through a setting of fine trees and plantings.
Hope Cemetery replaced as many as six earlier burial grounds that were overwhelmed by the growing city. By the end of the century remains from Mechanic Street, Tatman and Pine Meadow cemeteries were reinterred at Hope, and in the 1960s graves were moved here from Worcester Common.
The cemetery occupies approximately 168 acres of rolling land between Kettle Brook to the south, Curtis Pond to the west, and Middle River to the north. In 1998 Hope Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition assists in the preservation of the cemetery as part of the city's great heritage.
Learn more about the interment and associated fees for various lots and services at Hope Cemetery.
You can pay online through our partner UniBank.
Hope Cemetery Bill Online Payments
For more information about Hope Cemetery, please visit the Friends of Hope Cemetery website.
Hope Cemetery Commission
Agenda items must be submitted (3) three business days before each Commission Meeting with the subject line "Agenda Item" to HopeCemetery@worcesterma.gov.
As of July 2025, all current/upcoming agendas and archived meeting minutes are now available through our partner OneMeeting. Archived agendas and minutes are currently available going back to 2021, with older archived files added on an ongoing basis. For meeting materials prior to this time period, please submit a Public Records Request.
Additionally, all meeting videos will be available on the OneMeeting Portal from July 2025 moving forward. Videos prior to this time will still be available in our Video On Demand, but will be migrated to the OneMeeting portal on an ongoing basis.
How Worcester Works - Hope Cemetery
Former City Manager Ed Augustus sits down with Assistant Commissioner of DPW&P Rob Antonelli to talk about what it takes for the City to run Hope Cemetery. Recorded 2/10/2016
Watch Now!
Resources
Contact Information
Address
Hope Cemetery
119A Webster Street
Worcester, MA 01603
Contact
Phone: 508-799-1531
Fax: 508-799-1253
Email Us
Hours
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Closed Weekend & Holidays