No one here, gets out alive---Jim Morrison The coolest cemetery you will ever go to with so much history of Oregon and Eugene. So the founder of Eugene aka Eugene himself is buried here along with his wife Mary aka Eugene and Mary. They were living here as outsiders with their kids for it was all Native American folks besides them. Eugene most have been very different back then. Also to note Whiteaker aka Oregon's first governor and his large family is buried here in a most unusual tomb aka most unusual tomb I have seen on Turtle Island aka North America and second only to my walkabout in Egypt. Whiteaker is what Eugene's funky and cool neighborhood Whiteaker aka the Whit is named after aka where I once ran a Mysore yoga program for a hot minute near the Red Barn. This cemetery is mysterious, beautiful, and enchanted in an amazing natural setting with nature and all the big trees like jonsi and alex. read more

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I have grown up in Masonic organizations--my grandparents joined in the 50s, my mom, sister, and I were all in Masonic youth groups, and my mom and I are members of one of the adult appendant organizations. I say all that to just share how surprised I am that I didn't know there was a Masonic cemetery in Eugene until about 10 years ago, and even though I know the Masons have not been involved in the cemetery for decades until recent years, I'm still surprised it never came up in a newsletter, discussion, meeting, or anything that I attended in Eugene or throughout the state. But they do tours of the Hope Abbey mausoleum on the last Sunday of every month, and since we had no special plans on Easter my mom and I took the baby on a walk through the cemetery. It was really interesting to see the mausoleum. It was made in Egyptian Revival style, as was popular at the time; mausoleum burials were en vogue at the time it was completed in 1914. The building was severely neglected for many years, but was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 which I'm sure has helped in its restoration. There are still crypts available here (it was funny to see slips of tape with "available" written on them), and there are some that have been set aside for folks (I saw one with a name that was so familiar, and then I realized that it was the owners of the Eugene Foodies Facebook group). There's one entire section that is owned by the family that owns Thistledown, with placements from the early days of the abbey. The restoration of the place has been incredibly well done. The cemetery was established at the request of the city by Eugene Lodge #11. It was interesting to learn that the lodge did not have the "resources" to care for the cemetery, because as someone who parked cars at football games here for about 10 years as a member of the youth organization and having to turn over 65% of the proceeds to the lodge, I'm curious how that was possible but ok. It's been under the care of the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association, which is unaffiliated with the Masonic fraternity, for about 30 years now. Given the age of the cemetery, you can't drive in the cemetery but there's parking in the neighborhood and lots of walking paths in the cemetery itself. Obviously it's a historic site; the oldest formally established in the city and it's one of the oldest historic sites in the county, incorporated in the same year Oregon gained statehood. Once upon a time family plots of 10 lots each were available for $15 ($517 in 2023 funds, which is still a major bargain). There are only a few in-ground spots available but the have a few cremation gardens here. When it opened there were no trees here but if you visit you'll see that's far from the case now. Landscaping is an important part of the restoration plan here and there's a focus on native plants, with over 100 species on site. There are some activities here like the opening of the mausoleum, and in October they've held a concert series called Music to Die For for several years. You can also do a self-guided walking tour of the place; there are guides in the cemetery or you may be able to find it on their website. When we were here we happened upon three Easter eggs, which cracked us up and couldn't have been a coincidence since it was Easter... but we also saw some folks jogging through the cemetery, a man reading, and others just wandering through. There are many notable Eugene residents buried here, like Skinner after whom the town is made; Oregon's first governor; early important folks affiliated with the university; and more recent prominent folks like Ruth Bascom, who was once the city's mayor (and whose son removed my gallbladder when I was a teen, #sixdegrees). If you're interested in history or looking for quiet place to meander, this could be a good spot. read more

Peaceful beautiful hike, lots of history of Eugene. Can't believe I've lived here almost 3 years and I just realized about this. read more

Eugene Masonic Cemetery - 1800's Eugene's founders graves - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Such a magical place with a serene, otherworldly vibe. I'm glad I had the opportunity to see it as it has become one of my favorite cemeteries in the US. The hill it covers is lushly overgrown, yet graves are well maintained; many even include short biographies of their occupants. All cemeteries should do this. Near the summit, there's an idyllic little meadow which would be perfect for a picnic or an afternoon nap, and scattered here and there were artists with their easels. I visited on Memorial Day weekend, and the Hope Chapel was open. They were, in fact, showing a small collection of works by local artists and serving free ice water and chocolate cake. It was a surreal experience, to say the least, eating cake in a mausoleum. Even when closed, the chapel is worth seeing. It was built in the style of an Egyptian temple with a relief of Ra above the door. Striking indeed. If you're in the area, don't miss this place. I imagine it would appeal, not just to cemetery fanciers, but to historians and nature enthusiasts as well. read more

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No reviews for the Masonic Cemetery? Really? This is definitely one of Eugene's better historic sites. They've added informative signs at numerous graves of Eugene pioneers, including details about the people, their families, the community, and fascinating/mysterious stories. For example, the Romantic Tragedy in which nobody could find the bodies of two young lovers drowned in the river. When a clairvoyant insisted she knew where they might be found, everyone laughed at her. Yet after having no luck finding the bodies, they agreed to recheck the place the clairvoyant had suggested, only to find the tragic young couple in exactly that place. The Cemetery is on the National Historic Register, as is the Hope Abbey Mausoleum which is open once a month (first Sunday maybe?). You'll see plenty of familiar names, especially if you're a Duck alum. For example, the Hope Abbey mausoleum was built by Ellis Lawrence, after whom they named the Lawrence Architecture Building on campus. And if you're a geocacher and/or Wherigo user, check out the Wherigo historic tour of the cemetery, available every day from dawn to dusk. PS: My husband wanted me to submit this review instead: "My time being buried here has been excellent thus far. The soil is tender and rich, which keeps the bugs preoccupied (which is why I'm still here). The groundskeeper is very good, and the other day he pissed on the Jeffersons' grave. I hate those Jeffersons." read more

Historic, peaceful and beautiful. 10 acres of lovely walking paths plus the Egyptian Revival Hope Abbey Mausoleum hidden in the heart of Eugene. It is the oldest cemetery in Eugene, established in 1859, the same year that Oregon became a state. It is an operating cemetery and was brought back to life by the nonprofit Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association which took ownership from the Masons in 1994. read more

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I love walking around the beautiful and serene cemetery. "Why would you walk around a cemetery?" you might ask. Well, because this is one of the oldest cemeteries in Eugene and not only full of history but it's full of beautiful trees, plants, trails and spots to sit and take it all in. People who came here on the Oregon trail and settled in Eugene are even buried here. Dogs are allowed on leashes and you can access the cemetery on multiple sides. There is street parking if you drive here but a lot of the neighborhood residents go on strolls here. It is a bit uphill at first but not too bad. I love coming here and hope you enjoy it as well. read more

Nice location. On the one hand it's seriously neglected (despite all the usual crap about how much people "care" about the place), but on the other hand the Egyptian-ish building is very unique. And, of course, old Eugene is buried up there. read more

Eugene Masonic Cemetery - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon