10 Memorable Markers Worth a Road Trip Stop

For those who love to see unique sites as they drive on road trips around the country, graves of celebrities and historical figures are a popular stop. These ten unique markers are worth a pause for travelers on a summer road trip or a spooky fall Halloween hunt.

There was a time when visiting cemeteries was a more common practice. Families would go and clean headstones, sometimes bringing a picnic along to spend the day there. Memorials were often more elaborate, especially for those people who were famous politicians, actors, and musicians. These permanent reminders of the lives of these notable Americans still stand as a testament to their lives.

There’s been a renaissance of awareness and appreciation of cemeteries and other permanent memorials of late – and for some enthusiasts, they inspire road trips to see some of the most interesting and quirky ones around the country.

In some cultures, visiting cemeteries and cleaning tombstones is an important annual event, like the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos in the fall or the Chinese Qingming Festival in the spring.

Whether you are an armchair traveler and viewing these sites in online videos, social media, or photos, or you like to get out on the open road and experience them firsthand, these ten locations represent a wide swath of America and highlight some of its most interesting former inhabitants. We’ve also gathered a list of sites to visit to pay tribute to American heroes.

10 Notable Gravesites for Roadtrips

These 10 sites are among those that have appeared in a collection of odd or unique road trip sites around the country featured in the Facebook group America’s Roadside Oddities which includes more than 400,000 followers. 

Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee

Seattle, Washington

The father and son actors and martial artists are buried in Seattle, Washington. Located within the Emerald city’s Capitol Hill district, the sites boast breathtaking views and are popular with fans and tourists alike.

Bob Ross

Gotha, Florida

The PBS painter Bob Ross is buried in Gotha, Florida. His headstone features an engraved portrait of Ross with his signature hair and his bio reads “television artist.”

Buffalo Bill

Golden, Colorado

The Western frontiersman and entertainer is buried at the Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum in Golden, Colorado. His inscription reads “Noted Scout and Indian Fighter.”

Sacajawea Charbonneau

Fremont County, Wyoming

The Native American woman who helped explorers Merriweather Lewis and William Clark on their historic journey is buried in the Sacajawea Cemetery. 

Burl Ives

Newton, Illinois

The author, actor, and folk singer is perhaps best known for his work in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964 as the narrator “Sam the Snowman.” He lived his last years in Washington State but was buried in Illinois. Newton also has a granite statue in the city’s downtown.

James Dean

Fairmount, Indiana

The actor is perhaps best known for being a cultural icon of disillusionment, especially as portrayed in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause.” He died in a car accident in Cholame, California but is buried in his home state of Indiana.

Edgar Allen Poe

Baltimore, Maryland

The spooky author and poet is buried at the Westminster Burial Ground in Baltimore, Maryland. There are two headstones to visit because he was moved from one plot after 26 years from the back to the front of the cemetery.

Jack Kerouac

Lowell, Massachusetts

The author of “The Beat Generation” and “On the Road” died in Florida after losing a battle with alcoholism, but is buried in his boyhood home of Lowell, Massachusetts in a family plot.

Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)

Reno, Texas

The British-American author best known for playing Chewbacca is buried in Texas where he lived in the final years of his life. Mayhew was over 7 feet tall.

Hank Williams

Montgomery, Alabama

Though his life was brief (29 years), Williams recorded a dozen singles that reached No. 1 on the charts. His funeral in 1953 was attended by thousands including 25,000 standing outside. His grave is popular with music fans who often leave trinkets.

Permanent Memorials for Everyday People

Permanent memorials, whether in a traditional cemetery setting like these, or a simple garden stone or other object at home like a wind chime, are a great way of remembering the lives of the people who are no longer with us. You can also help honor those who have been laid to rest in your local cemetery by asking about volunteer opportunities for headstone cleaning or other maintenance.

So whether you visit a famous gravesite or remember someone with a smaller tribute, we hope you enjoy the opportunity to think about the interesting life they once lived.