Ashlynn Rickord Werner, deathcare professional and cemetery tourism specialist, and Elizabeth Clappin, architectural historian and host of the Tomb with a View podcast, have launched a national cemetery tourism survey to better understand how cemeteries across the U.S. are engaging with the public through tourism and events.
As cemeteries increasingly serve as spaces of heritage, education, remembrance, and community gathering, in addition to their historic use as burial space, this survey aims to identify:
- What types of tourism, cultural, or community events are currently being held
- Which partnerships cemeteries have formed to carry out these efforts
- The motivations and goals behind cemetery-based public programming
- The revenue potential and sustainability of tourism activities
- What support or resources cemeterians need to expand these offerings
“We know many cemeteries are doing incredible work beyond traditional services — from walking tours and remembrance events to farmers markets, concerts, and school programs,” said Rickord Werner. “But there’s little national data on what’s actually happening and what’s working.”
The survey is open to anyone working in or managing a cemetery, whether or not they currently offer public events or tourism-related programming.
The responses will be compiled into a publicly available summary to help inform future planning, partnerships, and funding efforts for cemeteries nationwide.
Take the survey here: https://6y8fuazgsp8.typeform.com/cemeterytourism
(Approx. 10-15 minutes to complete. All responses will remain confidential.)
Participants are also invited to join the project’s email list to receive the final report and additional resources.
Join the list: https://a-grave-affair.kit.com/0193e158d2
For questions or to collaborate on this research effort, please contact:
ashlynnrickord524@gmail.com or eaclappin@gmail.com