Hollywood Cemetery

by Fayeruz Regan 10.2025

Hollywood Cemetery is on my essential list for tourists. It looks like the set of a Tim Burton movie. The hills are cartoonishly steep, the graves date back hundreds of years, and, rumor has it, the place is haunted. 

Though I’ve never had a supernatural experience there, I have felt uneasy at times. The pyramid-shaped Confederate monument is striking, and has a dark energy to it. It’s exciting to show people. As a VCU student in the throes of ‘90s angst, I used to take black and white photos there. There were lonely corners and forgotten tombs, streaked with moss and black smudges. 

Once, I encountered a man dressed as a Confederate soldier. He lurked quietly among the graves for unknown soldiers. His face was stern and somber. I was standing close enough to him that a greeting was the polite thing to do. We were the only ones around as far as the eye could see, so I smiled and waved. But he just stared right past me with those faraway eyes.

Anyone living in Richmond long enough has heard of the ghosts that haunt Hollywood Cemetery, and I’ve listed some of them below. For those who don’t believe in the spiritual or supernatural, this Gothic historical site is still a must-see. And for those hoping for goosebumps, a stroll on an overcast day may provide the thrill you seek. 

The Phantom Dog of Florence

The most prevalent haunted legend involves the cast iron statue of a Newfoundland dog over the grave of a young girl. Florence Bernadine Rees passed away from scarlet fever days before her third birthday. This statue stands guard over her grave, and cemetery visitors have reported hearing a growling sound coming from the statue. Others swear that the dog seems to change positions, though it is bolted to the ground.

What does this dog have to do with Florence’s grave? Two main theories exist. One, is that Florence loved the statue of a cast iron dog outside a storefront on Broad Street, and would hug it whenever she walked by. When the shop owner found out about Florence’s death, he had the statue moved to her grave. The second theory says that when families were asked to donate iron to melt into cannonballs during the Civil War, Florence’s family promptly moved their Newfoundland statue to her grave. Because surely the military wouldn’t be so savage as to steal a statue from a child’s grave.

Voices from the Tomb

The pyramid-shaped tomb for Confederate soldiers also has lore attached to it. Various people have reported hearing voices or moaning coming from inside the tomb. Others have described sudden, icy bursts of air, or a whisper in their ear that comes from out of nowhere. 

Eighteen thousand Confederate soldiers surround the pyramid. Many of the deceased were unknown, and shipped in from the bloody Battle of Gettysburg. It is believed that the souls of restless, unidentified soldiers create a dark energy. But even the pyramid's construction seemed to be cursed. Inmates were released from local jailhouses for manual labor, and built the pyramid under allegedly grueling conditions. Injuries were common. Horse thief Thomas Stanley ran crews of dubious workers, and toward the end of construction, no crew member wanted to work the day the capstone was to be placed on top. To finish the job, Stanley himself volunteered. Mysteriously, he was “transferred” afterward, but no one had seen or heard from him again. Some believe that Stanley fell to his death while placing the capstone, and that the “transfer” was a cover-up.

Tragic origins

This graveyard sits on land that once belonged to William Byrd, whose family were the founders of Richmond, Virginia. Byrd’s first wife, Elizabeth Hill Carter, reportedly died by suicide. Byrd subtly abandoned her by volunteering for the military. He served during the French and Indian War to avoid being in Richmond Virginia, where debtors and his troubled marriage awaited him. She wrote him letters begging for him to return. He did not. Historical records don’t confirm the details, but it is presumed that she took her own life. Then, Byrd took his own life in 1777, due to a steep gambling debt and his addiction to horse betting.  

With such history, the origins of Hollywood Cemetery are nearly as intriguing as the lost souls who are said to roam the place. Halloween season is the perfect time to visit this landmark.

Hollywood Cemetery

412 South Cherry Street 

Richmond, VA 23220

hollywoodcemetery.org