VA National Cemeteries
Crown Hill National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility
Indianapolis, Indiana · VA national cemetery
Address, hours, directions and contact details: Crown Hill National Cemetery.
You can look up burials at Crown Hill National Cemetery on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117. VA lists Crown Hill National Cemetery as closed to new burials, so ask the scheduling office whether an existing family gravesite can be used.
History of Crown Hill National Cemetery
On July 1, 2022, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) opened a new 15-acre national cemetery at Crown Hill National Cemetery Annex.
Crown Hill National Cemetery is located 2.8 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis, Ind., within the private Crown Hill Cemetery. During the Civil War, Union soldiers who died while stationed at the various camps near Indianapolis and at local hospitals were originally buried at nearby Green Lawn Cemetery. However, concern over the limited acreage and poor maintenance of these facilities led the governor to request a national cemetery for the city. The Federal government purchased lots within the new Crown Hill Cemetery (established in 1863) and in 1866, the remains buried at Green Lawn were reinterred at Crown Hill in a ceremony attended by James A. Ekin, the deputy quartermaster general. Today, the private Crown Hill is notable as the third-largest non-government cemetery in America.
In addition to the Union soldiers, Confederate prisoners were buried at Crown Hill National Cemetery. During the Civil War there were typically more than 3,500 Confederates held prisoner at Camp Morton on the north side of Indianapolis. Originally, the principle mustering, recruiting, and encampment site for many Hoosier regiments. After the fall of Forts Donelson and Henry in early 1862, thousands of captured Confederates were sent north to POW camps such as Camp Morton (others included Camp Butler in Springfield, Ill.; Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio; and Camp Douglas in Chicago). About 15,000 prisoners occupied Camp Morton between 1862 and 1865. Typical of most prison facilities at that time, Camp Morton was unprepared for the large influx of prisoners. Medical care, food, and sanitary conditions were inadequate. Between 1862 and 1865, more than 1,700 Confederate deaths at Camp Morton resulted. Still, the death rates at Camp Morton were lower than most Northern prisons.
After it became the city's responsibility to find an acceptable burial ground for the Southern dead, a section of the Green Lawn cemetery was turned over to the government for burials. After the war, this land was sold to the railroad, and the remains removed to a mass grave in Section 32 of Crown Hill Cemetery. In 1989, two Indianapolis police officers initiated an effort to mark the graves of the Confederate POWs; other groups and individuals joined in, and in 1993 the new Confederate Memorial was dedicated. Crown Hill National Cemetery, including the national cemetery tract, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Notable veterans buried at Crown Hill National Cemetery
The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Crown Hill National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.
- Crown Hill National Cemetery Sergeant John Morrow (Revolutionary War). Morrow (1760–1835) enlisted in the Patriot cause in December 1776 at age 16. He served for three months with Captain W. Blain's Pennsylvania Militia company. He enlisted for two more three-month terms in 1778 and 1779, serving with several Pennsylvania militia regiments and attaining the rank of sergeant. Morrow was wounded in action and fought at the Battle of Crooked Billet during the Philadelphia Campaign of 1778. After the war he became a Methodist minister and was known for his long sermons. Morrow died in 1835 and was originally buried on a farm near Mt. Jackson in Indianapolis before being moved to Crown Hill National Cemetery on March 16, 1900. He now rests in Section 9, Site 14.
Visiting hours at Crown Hill National Cemetery
Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.
Who can be buried at Crown Hill National Cemetery?
VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.
What does burial here include at no cost?
- A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
- Opening and closing of the grave
- A government-provided burial liner
- A government-provided headstone or marker
- Perpetual care of the gravesite
Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.
How do you schedule a burial at Crown Hill National Cemetery?
- Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
- Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
- You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Crown Hill National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
VA lists Crown Hill National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.
Where is the Crown Hill National Cemetery burial schedule?
VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Crown Hill National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Crown Hill National Cemetery directly at 317-916-5460.
Headstone, flag and burial allowance
- Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
- Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
- Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits
After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate
A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Indiana law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Indiana and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.
Funeral homes near Crown Hill National Cemetery
A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.
- Sprowl Funeral & Cremation CareIndianapolis, INMilitary honors services0.2 mi from the cemetery
- Crown Hill Funeral Home & CemeteryIndianapolis, INMilitary honors services0.2 mi from the cemetery
- Sprowl Funeral and Cremation CareIndianapolis, IN1.2 mi from the cemetery
- Craig Funeral HomeIndianapolis, IN1.5 mi from the cemetery
- Grundy Memorial Chapel, Inc.Indianapolis, IN1.7 mi from the cemetery
- Stuart Mortuary IncIndianapolis, INMilitary honors services2.0 mi from the cemetery
FAQ
Questions about burial at Crown Hill National Cemetery
Is burial at Crown Hill National Cemetery free?
Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.
Can I reserve a gravesite at Crown Hill National Cemetery in advance?
No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.
How do I schedule a burial at Crown Hill National Cemetery?
Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
Where can I see the burial schedule for Crown Hill National Cemetery?
On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.
Are military funeral honors provided at Crown Hill National Cemetery?
Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.
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