Cemetery Caches?

[Guest bluespreacher]

Has anyone set a cache in a cemetery?

 

I live in a metropolitan area and it seems that nearly every park and senic place in town has several caches.

 

Since things seem so 'crowded', it occured to me that it might be fun to place a cache in a cemetery. There is a specific one here in town that is quite famous and there are several noteworthy 'residents'. It seems that extra trafic would not be an issue since many people visit some of these famous graves.

 

I'd appreciate any input.

 

Bluespreacher

[Guest BassoonPilot]

I've only done one actual cache in a cemetery . . . it was a micro-cache, but I've done several virtual caches, where the finder needed to find a particular piece of information and report it back to the cache owner in order to log a find.

Headless Horseman cache was the actual cache,

Eternal Reward, Virtual drivin', and Six feet OVER? were the virtual cemetery caches that come immediately to mind.

[Guest Markwell]

Here's some older thoughts (take that arffer):

 

Cemetaries

Good idea

Cemeteries

Finding a grave?

 

Jeremy's post in the last one (posted 24 March 2001 08:52 AM) sums up my feelings as well...

quote:

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Out of curiosity, what would motivate you to place one there? Is there a great view of the surrounding area?

---

 

Don't just place a cache to place a cache. It should have some reason for being there.

 

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Markwell

My Geocache Page

Non omnes vagi perditi sunt

[Guest madphatboy2]

The Dead Zone is one of those that are in my area. I enjoyed visiting this one. Check it out.

[Guest Lazyboy]

I've placed one behind a rural cemetary. I called it cemetary backyard. Not all that clever. Some people seem to have a problem with this idea. But I doubt the residents care much.

[Guest madphatboy2]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lazyboy:

I've placed one behind a rural cemetary. I called it cemetary backyard. Not all that clever. Some people seem to have a problem with this idea. But I doubt the residents care much.

---

 

You know, if I were one of the "residents" I would care. I wouldn't appreciate having a box of some sort in my yard or even on my head. How inconsiderate.

[Guest kosky]

I just came from one. The hunt was fantatic as it was a very old cemetary well off the road. I'm sure most of the cars passing by don't know it's there. It has a spooky old gate and such. The cache was placed on top of an earthen mausoleum. While climbing up it may be no different than walking over conventional graves, the number of hunters have made somewhat of an impact on the grave while slipping on the grass and using sticks and bark to hide the cache. When hiding a cache in an area like that, I'd suggest thinking about how a few dozen hunters will impact the area over time and try to keep the hunt respectful. Some people would take very great offense at indiscrete geocaching in a cemetary.

[Guest bluespreacher]

quote:

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Originally posted by Markwell:

 

Jeremy's post in the last one (posted 24 March 2001 08:52 AM) sums up my feelings as well...

quote:

---

Out of curiosity, what would motivate you to place one there? Is there a great view of the surrounding area?

---

 

Don't just place a cache to place a cache. It should have some reason for being there.

 

[/b]

---

 

Actually, yes. There is a great view of the city skyline that is unique as far as I know. There are large, open areas near there that are not associate with a specific grave.

 

Bluespreacher

[Guest edyck]

This is a good one, part of an extended multi-part cache about Jesse James. The actual cache is on the perimiter of the cemetery, so that searching for the cache occurs well away from any gravesites, but you still have to visit the grave to find the cache.

 

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Eric

www.KansasFolks.net

[Guest CharlieP]

I don't think that hiding a cache in a cemetery is a good idea if it is hidden there just because it is a convenient or scenic place. However, a virtual cache which allows geocachers to visit a historic or famous person's grave is a reasonable way to "pay respect" if it is done in a respectful manner. Here are a couple of examples.

 

Location 2 of this multi-cache is an old gravesite monument to the founder of a nearby city. The small cemetery is now owned and maintained by the city.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=8193

 

This one is self-explanatory.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=9333

 

FWIW,

CharlieP

[Guest Pote]

I've logged this virtual cache in a cemetary. It was a nice story and I think a worthy find. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=11007

 

Also, I think Lee Harvey Oswald is a virtual cache in Texas.

[Guest Kardain]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but there's this one in Northern Washington State near the Snohomish/Skagit County line.

 

[This message has been edited by Kardain (edited 11 January 2002).]

[Guest kablooey]

Khao Mun Gai hid two of his microcaches in Parisian cemetaries. Both sites were quite interesting because of the historical aspects, and one of them had terrific views of the city.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=5531

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=5376

[Guest RedwoodRed]

to my grandfather's crypt in Long Beach, California. He was gregarious in life and I'm sure he would appreciate visitors. He was also a facsinating individual. I would love to share his history with others... it would be a way for him to live on, as he does in my heart.

 

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Lori aka: RedwoodRed

KF6VFI

"I don't get lost, I investigate alternative destinations."

http://www.geogadgets.com

http://www.beautywithattitude.com

http://www.w6hy.org

[Guest jonser]

Cemetarys are excellent for caching and good places to find solitude and clear the mind.

That reminds me of an Irish cemetary back in Illinois that I used to visit. Immigrants that came here to work on the railroad rest there.

Jonser

[Guest skooter]

We have had good luck with Dead Governors. The key is that we worked with the owners of the cemetery and they suggested the final cache location. Check out the logs, some people find going into a mausoleum and looking for a specific grave stone 'creepy'. Since a cemetery is an 'urban' location you need to be creative in the stash location. Having permission beforehand makes it go better.

 

Skooter

[Guest weebeeus]

We just got back from finding our lst 2 caches - both in a cemetary. I saw no problem with it. The one we were at was on a hilltop and had a beautiful view. Many people in our area us cemetaries to walk or run in. Go for it.

[Guest bluespreacher]

First, thanks to all for your input. The links to earlier topics were a big help.

 

This is an emotionally charged subject. Many see caching in a cemetery as disrespectful, even sacreligious. Other see it as a great opportunity to go places you've never been. Myself, cemeteries have always been associted with peace, privacy, and reflection. I have pic-nicked, photographed, napped, and otherwise looked around in cemeteries. I would never mean to show any disrespect for the dead or their surviving loved ones. It did seem that a cache could be located in a 'non-grave' area of a cemetery. Many of them have large common areas that are pretty rough and unmaintained.

 

I appreciate all your thoughts and I'm not sure what to do. For now, I'm going to visit the place I have in mind, and try to imagine geochachers using it. I will keep your many thoughts and concerns in mind as I do. I may decide on a virtual cache if I can understand the concept. Or I may decide on none at all.

 

Bluespreacher

[Guest JollyBGood]

I recently placed a cache in an old cemetery in my home town. (Just do a search on the keyword I.O.O.F. to see it.) I told the caretaker of the cemetery what I was doing before I placed it and he didn't have a problem with it.

 

Here's how I handled it.

 

Basically it's a puzzle cache. You have to visit three graves and use the information you find there to find the coordinates for the actual cache.

 

For example the coordinates listed take you to a crypt which has several statues of angels standing in a circle holding hands. You have to count how many angels there are and add it to a number to find part of the missing coordinates for the cache.

Next you have to visit a Civil War monument in the cemetery and count how many stars there are.

The final cache isn't on a grave at all but hidden in some shrubbery which circle an above ground crypt in which dates from the 1800's.

I have a grandfather, grandmother and a brother buried within eye shot of the cache. It's a beautiful cemetery and my purpose was to lure people into it to see all the beauty and to learn something of the history of our community. So far of the six or so people who have logged it, they have all reported that they never realized how beautiful the cemetery was. Just my opinion, but I don't think this approach is disrepectful. (No more so then when my high school teacher took us to the cemetery to do tombstone rubbings with butcher paper and colored chalk.)

Many of the graves in this cemetery date back to the early 1800's and are seldom if ever visited. I like to think that after folks find the clues they'll stick around and walk among the tombstones and read some of the beautiful messages speaking out from the past.

[Guest GatoRx]

There's a cache called Brass Affair that's in one of the oldest cemeteries in Jacksonville, FL. The cache was a small brass coin that was buried about 1/2 inch down in sand between a marker and a rusty pipe. The find was quite difficult, but pretty rewarding, and it was kind of neat to see how old some of the graves were.

[Guest Lazyboy]

Here is the cache I planted out behind an old cemetary by Butte Falls Oregon. There are pics included.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=1761

[Guest JAMCC47]

As they say there are some beautiful stories from days of yore.

I've just planted a virtual, because while doing a little historical search I did find an interesting fable where they lie. And there are some good solid clues nearby to break this fable.

It seems that some people are starting to like virtuals, but they can be a wee bit harder to plant, for one must come up with a good story to replace all the trinkets.[ ]

 

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JoseCanUSea

[Guest bluespreacher]

I did go out there the other day and looked around. Lots of traffic, very well kept. Lots of famous people's graves. It just did not seem that a 'normal' cache would work or be appropriate. So I established a 'virtual' cache at that point. I still have a little trouble with the concept of a 'virtual' cache, but I'm working on it!

 

Yesterday I went back just to observe the site and see if I could spot some geocachers. In the 1/2 hour I was there, 4 or 5 cars of people came up to visit. None were geocachers!

 

So if you're in town, please come vist:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=13554

[Guest AV8NDAD]

I actually just placed a virtual cache in a cemetery this morning. It's an historic location and the finder needs to get a piece of information in order to complete the Certificate of Accomplishment.

 

The cache is at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=13776

 

I made sure to warn people to maitain the proper decorum when they are there.

[Guest Hounddog]

One of the first caches I placed in the Suburbs of Sydney Australia was in Rookwood Cemtery.(also know as the Necropolis)

 

The cemetery is the largest Victorian Cemetery in the world with well over 1 million internments to date and still going. In fact this place is so big it used to have three railway stations.

 

The cache is placed at the scene of 2 of my ancestor's graves and has been a very popular one since (for an Aussie cache) with lots of positive feedback in the logs. Check out....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=2546

 

The first location requires the reading of many very weathered stones, but it all adds to the fun. The cache is disguised as part of the furniture.

 

As I said it works very well.

 

Hounddog.

[Guest JAMCC47]

I did one about a week ago, a virtual about a story that I came across about 2 of the residents in the cemetary. The replies have been positive because an historical story has been hidden. The name of the Cache is

"Out of the Blue" CO 80537.

I'm going to have do some research on more of the residents and expand the scope of the cache.

[Guest Buck8Point]

I have 2 Multi-caches in South Louisiana that have one or more legs in Cemetaries.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=7515

and

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=9328

I think think Cemetaries are beautiful, interesting, and historical. If done correctly, and in good taste, I see no reason why anyone should avoid placing a cache in one.

Anyone have any idea how many tourist go through the old historic cemetateries in New Orleans?

I can tell you its a LOT..

They are very interesting places, and can make a great place to visit on a cache hunt as well.

 

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Buck8Point

"If I can't fix it, It's definately Broke."