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VA National Cemeteries

St. Albans National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Queens, New York · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: St. Albans National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·3 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at St. Albans 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.

History of St. Albans National Cemetery

St. Albans was originally part of Jamaica, Queens, and consisted primarily of farmland throughout the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. With the construction of the Long Island Railroad in the 1870s, roads, such as Linden Boulevard, were built and by the First World War, St. Albans was developed beginning with the St. Albans Golf Course, and the subsequent residential neighborhoods, consisting of English-style Tudors, Colonial Revivals and others in brick, stucco and stone.

During World War II, the St. Albans campus was occupied by a temporary Naval Hospital built to house the wounded naval personnel returning from the War. One of nine throughout the country, it carried the largest patient load by the end of the War. When originally constructed, the hospital was built to accommodate 1,500 patients, 235 civilian employees, 73 officers, 71 nurses and 317 members of the Naval Hospital Corps in 1,000 wooden buildings (Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 2008).

After the War, the Veterans Administration made the decision to build a 1,000-bed hospital at St. Albans to replace the Brooklyn Naval Hospital located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Navy determined a portion of the new hospital would be dedicated to the treatment of cancer. Other elements of the hospital included wards, treatment and clinic buildings, an administration building, kitchen, mess hall and patient recreational facilities. The general hospital was designed to handle special treatment in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, tuberculosis, and tumors. Construction of the new hospital involved the demolition and removal of a number of the World War II-era structures. With the closure of the Brooklyn Naval Hospital, St. Albans became the only naval hospital in the New York City area available to all service branches (Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 2008).

By 1972, a portion of the hospital was given to the Veterans Administration for use as a Veterans Administration Hospital. In 1973, the Government was proposing to close the military hospital, which still included a number of wooden, barrack-like buildings that were being used for storage. The Veterans Administration transitioned the hospital to a nursing home facility in 1974 and upgraded and modernized the facility in 1977. In the same year, the Veterans Administration transferred 53 acres, with several buildings and a swimming pool, to the City of New York for use as a park (Roy Wilkins Park) (Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 2008).

Notable veterans buried at St. Albans National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at St. Albans National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.

  • Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 433 Medal of Honor recipients interred at VA national cemeteries including 6 double recipients.

Visiting hours at St. Albans National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Open Memorial Day 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Who can be buried at St. Albans 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 St. Albans National Cemetery?

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request St. Albans National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the St. Albans National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for St. Albans 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 St. Albans National Cemetery directly at 718-298-8545.

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 New York law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in New York 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 St. Albans 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.

  1. 0.5 mi from the cemetery
  2. 0.5 mi from the cemetery
  3. 0.7 mi from the cemetery
  4. Paul Lane Funeral Home Inc
    Jamaica, NYMilitary honors services
    0.9 mi from the cemetery
  5. Tyler Funeral Home
    Saint Albans, NY
    1.0 mi from the cemetery
  6. 1.3 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at St. Albans National Cemetery

  • Is burial at St. Albans 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 St. Albans 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 St. Albans 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 St. Albans 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 St. Albans 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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