Graceland Cemetery
If you can't make it to Graceland in Memphis, then why not visit Chicago's own Graceland, which is the final resting place for some of the most famous names in the city's history. Located at 4001 N Clark Street, this cemetery is very popular with both local people and visitors, as they celebrate and pay their respects to all those who have departed before them. The majority of the more notable tombs lie around the lake, in the northern sector of the 121 acre site. It is advised to purchase a cheap map at the entrance to help navigate the maze of pathways and streets. Many of the memorials are very symbolic and touching: William Hulbert, the National League founder, lies under a baseball; the great hotelier Dexter graves lies under a work titled Eternal Silence; the railroad car magnate, George Pullman, lies under a hidden fortress. Daniel Burnham, who played a huge part in the design of the city, has his own island. The great photographer, Richard Nickel, who helped form Chicago's nascent preservation movement and was accidentally killed during the demolition of his beloved Chicago Stock Exchange Building, has a fabulous stone designed by admiring architects. Some of the other more notable resting places include architects John Wellburn Root, Ludwig Mies and Louis Sullivan; retail giant Marshall Field and power couple Potter and Bertha Palmer. Far from being morbid, this cemetery openly celebrates the contributions that these important people have made to the shaping of Chicago.
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