Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Albany, New York. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Albany Rural Cemetery is located in the city of Albany, New York, on an elevated plateau overlooking the Hudson River. The cemetery was established as a result of a public reaction to overcrowded and deteriorating church burial grounds in the state's capital. The citizens sought a "rural cemetery" outside the city proper, which was incorporated on April 2, 1841. Albany Rural, true to its name, opened Oct. 7, 1844, and it remains one of the oldest examples of this style of picturesque cemeteries in the country. The cemetery, now 467 acres, is the last resting place for the 21st U.S. president, Chester Arthur, along with legions of national and state politicians.

The Albany Rural Soldiers' Lot is located in Lot 7, Section 75. Although no deed was located, the 0.16-acre lot was donated to the federal government by the Albany Cemetery Association on June 17, 1862, for the "burial of soldiers who have fallen or may fall in the Civil War." The majority of burials consist of soldiers who died of injury or illness in hospitals around Albany during the Civil War. The last of the 149 interments was made in 1897.

Albany Rural Cemetery, including the National Cemetery Administration's soldiers' lot, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 1979.

Monuments and Memorials About 1873, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) erected a monument to remember local men who lost their lives during the Civil War. The 15-foot-tall GAR Monument is composed of a bronze figure of a Civil War soldier atop a granite shaft, adorned on each side with bronze inscription plaques listing the names of those who died during the Civil War. On the front of the shaft there is an oval bas-relief portrait of Abraham Lincoln, signed "Pickett 1873."

Directions

Take New York Thruway to Exit 23. Take 787 North for approximately 3-4 miles to 378 West (Watervliet). Take first exit off 378 (Route 32). Turn right on Route 32. The cemetery entrance is on the left. The Soldiers' Lot is located in Lot 7, Section 75.

Flowers and grounds rules

Rules and regulations play an important part in the beautification and preservation of the resting places. They are intended not as restraining, but rather as defining an orderly plan of operation, care and permanent maintenance.

The cemetery reserves the right to remove all flowers, wreaths and other decorations from lots as soon as they become unsightly.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Albany Rural Soldiers' Lot.

A National Cemetery System Albany Rural Soldiers' Lot

Who can be buried at Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

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 Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

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 Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot 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 Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 518-581-9128.

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.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Albany Rural Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, NY: 23 mi, open for burials
• Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Brattleboro, VT: 60 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery - Agawam, Agawam, MA: 73 mi, open for burials