Woodland Cemetery, cemetery in Quincy, Illinois

Woodland Cemetery is a historic burial ground in Quincy, Illinois, established in 1846 on hilly terrain filled with mature trees and open slopes. The grounds feature walking paths through rows of gravestones and monuments, including Victorian-era statues and memorials honoring military veterans and local leaders who contributed to the city's development.

John Wood, Quincy's mayor and later governor of Illinois, planned the cemetery in 1846 and bought land overlooking the Mississippi River, laying out its curving roads himself. The oldest grave predates the opening by eighteen years, as remains were moved from the Maine Street burial ground and Jefferson Park. Cholera victims were interred here from 1849 to 1851 despite laws forbidding it, and about 250 Civil War dead were buried in the 1860s. The cemetery joined the National Register of Historic Places on March 1, 2002.

Woodland was laid out as a rural cemetery, a 19th-century American idea that made burial grounds double as parks for the living. Its curving roads and green spaces still draw walkers, and the graves record Quincy's history: cholera victims of 1849–1851 buried despite laws forbidding it, and almost 250 Civil War dead interred in the 1860s. Victorian motifs carry meaning — lambs mark children's graves as symbols of innocence, while logs and fallen trees and occupational emblems refer to the deceased's life.

Woodland Cemetery is at 1020 South Fifth Street, south of Quincy's downtown. Its curving roads follow the original hilly landscape planned by John Wood, so expect uneven ground rather than flat paths. A bandstand added in 1934 stands on the grounds. A 2015 storm broke the marble Civil War memorial, so check its condition before planning to see it.

The oldest grave in Woodland Cemetery predates its 1846 opening by eighteen years, since remains were moved here from Quincy's earlier burial grounds on Maine Street and in Jefferson Park. The cemetery also holds almost 250 of the city's Civil War dead, and a marble war memorial was built for them; a 2015 storm broke it.