Far away from the crowded pumpkin patches, apple orchards and haunted hayrides, Syracuse cemeteries offer a peaceful way to pass a few hours each autumn.

Not only are cemeteries free and public, but they’re perfect places to enjoy fall colors in a quiet, pensive setting, admire beautiful stonework from centuries past and contemplate something we all share — our inevitable demise.

Macabre? Perhaps. But few other places capture the haunting beauty of Syracuse graveyards, which are maintained by local grounds crews and preservation groups.

Keep in mind, these cemeteries are active burial grounds where real people are placed to rest. Leave no trace of your visit.

“It’s not a park,” said Oakwood Cemetery’s executive director Alvin Herrington. “Pick up after yourself, take your trash with yo

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