Traditional Burial

Bellefontaine Cemetery has the good fortune to have more than one hundred acres of available property, much of it around serene lakes and beautiful valleys. The grounds are home to an enormous variety of carefully tended trees and shrubs from over one hundred and fifty different species.

Bellefontaine offers single gravesites as well as family lots, with many options and pricing levels. Beautiful lots are available near our lakes in Wildwood Valley, along architecturally significant Prospect Avenue, and in other unique areas of the cemetery such as Redbud Valley and Woodbine Way. The photos below offer a glimpse: we invite you to visit Bellefontaine to experience the unique identity of each meticulously maintained section of our grounds. All areas described below will accommodate both casketed and cremated remains.

Wildwood Valley

Bellefontaine’s two lakes, Cypress and Cascade, anchor Wildwood Valley. A meandering stream connects the lakes, and flows into and around the Lakeside Columbarium. This area is the centerpiece for landscape design now occurring as part of our Master Plan.

Currently, only family lots are available, beginning at $2,000 per grave. Wildwood Valley Gardens, now under construction, will include many more options.

Historic Center — Woodbine Way & Memorial Valley

Bellefontaine’s historic center contains hilltops, valleys and intimate dells, each with their own character. Two customer favorites are:

Woodbine Way: Along Woodbine, which runs along a high ridge through the historic center of the cemetery, this is a grassy knoll with spring beds and many flowering trees. Many single graves, and some family lots, are available. Prices: $1,500 per grave.

Memorial Valley: An open valley, midway between our lakes and newly planted prairie areas. There are a number of single graves areas as well as family lots.

Prices in this area are $1,500 per grave.

Redbud Valley

This small, gently sloping valley is one of the favorite locations in the cemetery. It contains both single graves and small family lots — usually 1 — 4 graves.

Graves in this area are priced $1,000 per grave.

Prospect Heights

On the bluffs of the Mississippi, Prospect Avenue was a favorite location within the cemetery for those who wanted to build large tombs for their families.

Family lots of 12 graves and up are available, many reserved for mausoleums. Lots are priced at $5,000 per grave.

Green Burial Options

Green, or natural, burial offers an environmentally-friendly option for those wishing to leave a smaller footprint on the earth. Bellefontaine offers “traditional” green options today, and within the next year will offer options including green burial in our native Missouri prairie, Hope Hill. “Traditional” green means simply that you or your loved ones may be buried, anywhere in the cemetery, in the manner common through the centuries: non embalming or burial vault, and use of a bio-degradable coffin such as pine or wicker or even a cloth shroud. For more information, please see the Green Burial.