Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery [PHOTOS]

I first visited Cave Hill Cemetery in 2012 when my sister and I drove Mom to Louisville so she could enjoy a "Nostalgia Day."

In the 1950s, she attended U of L Nursing School and her dormitory wasn't very far from the cemetery. It was a special day for her to see old familiar sights, including the Baptist church she attended back then which is still operational today.

MAGNIFICENT CAVE HILL CEMETERY IN LOUISVILLE

While it is a cemetery, it has also become quite a tourist attraction over the years. But the property managers urge visitors to understand it is NOT a park; there are rules to be followed, INCLUDING "no picnics."

Be that as it may, Cave Hill Cemetery DOES attract a good number of visitors annually, and many of them are truly there to sightsee. And why not? This sprawling Louisville cemetery is the resting place for the likes of Muhammad Ali and Colonel Harland Sanders, among others. Plus, it's nearly 175 years old--its origins dating back to 1848.

SOME CAVE HILL CEMETERY HISTORY

Additionally, there was a need for a national cemetery for the military dead following the Civil War. From the National Park Service:

The great number of wounded soldiers at Louisville hospitals, and the Army’s efforts to collect and reinter scattered Union remains throughout the Ohio River Valley, necessitated the creation of a national cemetery in the city.

You'll FIND that cemetery within the larger one.

CAVE HILL CEMETERY AND ITS GORGEOUS HEADSTONES

You'll also find some of the most beautiful artwork, in the form of remarkably ornate headstones, you've ever seen. And fall might just be the BEST time of the year to visit.

PBS certainly thinks so as the network will be featuring Cave Hill Cemetery on a show called "World's Greatest Cemeteries." One visit and you would understand why it made the cut.

It wasn't very long ago that we did some exploring in Cave Hill Cemetery, and we learned that you really do need to give yourself enough time. Picking up a map and getting tips from the guide are recommended.

The monuments throughout the cemetery are just mind-blowing. Enjoy the gallery

The Beautiful and Mysterious Monuments at Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery

I don't know if you can call a cemetery a tourist attraction, but for my money, Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery fits the bill. The monuments are extraordinary. Plus, a couple of icons are buried there.