Hollywood Cemetery has come to life—online.

Logan Bogert
Contributing Writer

Hollywood Cemetery launched an online virtual tour in the beginning of August, with plans to incorporate even more content over the next 12 to 18 months. These additions will include increased tour options,  content and connections to the cemetery genealogy database.

It took the Hollywood Cemetery, Friends of Hollywood Cemetery, Host RVA (formerly NimblePitch) and Addison Clark approximately six months to complete the tour.

“This has been an extremely exciting project, and we believe this online tour platform is unique in the cemetery industry,” Jeff Allen, a managing partner at Addison Clark, said in an email. “It reflects a lot of hard work by a very talented team, and it was made possible through the fundraising efforts of Friends of Hollywood Cemetery.”

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The online tour begins at the front gate and includes eight stops including the Iron Dog, Davis Circle and Mausoleum. Users can go through the online tour at their own pace. The virtual tour highlights the most popular of more than 60,000 cemetery sites, including former U.S. Presidents John Tyler and James Monroe. Each stop on the virtual tour provides pictures and a historical description. Users can also bookmark or favorite certain stops they want to explore more in person.

“It allows people all around the country to access the stories and beauty of the Hollywood cemetery from their home computers,” Allen said. “We believe it is important for the world to have access to these incredibly interesting stories even if they are unable to visit in person.”

As of press time no data was available to see how many users have taken the online tour or if the online option has led to an increase in visits.

The online tour can be taken on Hollywood Cemetery’s website. Hollywood Cemetery also offers walking tours Monday-Saturday starting at 10 a.m. and Sundays starting at 2 p.m. by calling 804-649-0711. Other options for tours include Segway tours, trolley tours, gem car tours and tours by car.