Pennsylvania is full of abandoned, creepy sites. In fact, one town in The Keystone State is so terrifying that horror movies and video games have payed tribute! But, there's one abandoned cemetery located just outside of Philadelphia that was once the most elegant graveyard in the region... but now it sits completely abandoned, decaying, and being reclaimed by nature.
Mount Moriah Cemetery opened in 1855. It quickly grew to cover 400 acres.
It's located just south of Philadelphia and was Pennsylvania's largest burial site. You can see the skyline from the huge property.
It was a well-designed cemetery, with ornate structures like the landmark entrance arch and the giant gothic mausoleums.
It was abandoned in the early 2000s, when the last member of the governing organization passed away.
Now, nobody owns it - it's in cemetery purgatory, if you will.
Walking through Mount Moriah is like walking through a movie set. Tombs that once held the wealthiest Pennsylvanians sit abandoned and crumbling.
Monuments have toppled over, the entrance is crumbling back to Earth, and trees and shrubs are easier to spot than gravestones.
Nature is slowly reclaiming the land, with tombstones, buidlings, and memorials being overrun with weeds, trees, and ivy.
A local non-profit group has formed to help restore the historic property.
The Friends Of Mount Moriah spend their time weeding, trimming, and cleaning up the site.
With hundreds of acres to manage, though, it's a large task.
They have made tremendous progress, but the graveyard at Mount Moriah is still very abandoned, and it always feels a little apocalyptic.
The Friends of Mount Moriah gather regularly to clean up and restore these sacred grounds. Anyone is welcome to attend their events and contribute to the rejuvenation of the historic site. Check out their calendar for more information.
If you love the history and beauty of old graveyards, you can visit plenty of them in and around Philly. Make it a point to explore these beautiful cemeteries around philadelphia to really appreciate the stories of generations of Philadelphians.
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