Maple Park Cemetery: Take your kids to a cemetery? Why yes. Before you get all weird about this, let me begin by saying… I get it. I’m not normally a dweller of macabre places. This one definitely made my husband raise an eyebrow. “You took him to a cemetery? That’s… dark.” I have my reasons!
In 2023, my friend and outdoors writer Sony Hocklander wrote a story about places in Springfield to see fall foliage. Among the spots listed was Maple Park Cemetery, located smack dab in the middle of town. Her pictures showed brilliant orange and red trees and a gorgeous gazebo. I’ve since learned the gazebo is a bit of a mystery — no one knows who built it. But we know it’s been there since the late 1800s, and was likely a stage for bands and speakers, perhaps when the site was home to fairgrounds.
Now, it’s studded with mossy headstones, sprawling trees and quiet paths.
A paved private path circles around the cemetery, so we parked alongside it and took out my son’s balance bike. He cruised while I studied headstones, and was interested to see well-known Springfield names etched into rock. Perhaps most notable is the gravesite of Davis Tutt, who was killed by Wild Bill Hickok on the Square in 1865. There was also the headstone of Homer Fellows, the founder of Springfield Wagon Company, which played a huge role in Springfield’s early growth.
We visited in early October, when only a few trees showed signs of fall color. However, the coming weeks should show much brighter color all the way into November!
Be forewarned — visiting this place absolutely prompted a very serious existential conversation with my almost-5-year-old. Be prepared to answer questions.
Location
300 W. Grand St., Springfield
What to bring
- Stroller or balance bike for littles
- Answers to the “what happens when we die” questions
More photos
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DEAR SPRINGFIELD MAMA 
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