Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin. 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 Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Forest Hill Cemetery was established in 1858 by the city of Madison, Wisconsin. Burials occurred at this location for more than a thousand years, as American Indians built effigy mounds on the site between 900–1200 A.D. It is an example of the rural cemetery movement, sparked in the United States with the creation of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The 140-acre cemetery contains the interments of many local notables, including administrators and faculty members at the University of Wisconsin.

Burials in the soldiers' lot began in 1862. The federal government did not own the soldiers' lot until 1886, when the city of Madison donated the 0.36-acre plot, located in Section 34 of the parent cemetery. Deceased Civil War Union veterans from the local general hospital constitute the majority of the interments. However, there are also Spanish-American War and World War I veterans buried at the site. The last burial was in 1931.

A Confederate plot known as "Confederate Rest" is located approximately 100 yards from this soldiers' lot, but it is not affiliated with the National Cemetery Administration.

Monuments and Memorials In 1866, Harvey Hospital in Madison was converted into a home for the children of Union soldiers from Wisconsin whose parents were either killed or unable to care for them. For nine years, the Soldiers' Orphans Home cared for the youngsters. Eight of them died between 1866 and 1870 and were buried in Forest Hill Cemetery. Individual headstones are inscribed with the children's initials and a marble obelisk is inscribed with their full name, date of death, and age. The Soldiers' Orphans Monument marble obelisk was dedicated on Decoration Day 1873 and it is one of NCA's oldest memorial objects.

The Woman's Relief Corps, No. 37, erected a large boulder memorial dedicated to the memory of the unknown dead in 1891.

A granite bench inscribed and dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic is situated at the front of the soldiers' lot.

Directions

From Milwaukee: Take Interstate 94 to Madison, Wisconsin to the Interstate 90 South exit, then take exit 142A. Take SR-12 and 18 West. Follow SR-12 and 18 West to the Dodgeville Exit (Midvale Boulevard). Turn right on Midvale Boulevard and go to Mineral Point Road, which will be the 4th stoplight. Turn right on Mineral Point Road. Mineral Point Road curves to the left and becomes Speedway Road. Follow Speedway Road for approximately two blocks and the cemetery will be on the right. Forest Hill Soldiers Lot number designator is section 35.

From Dane County Regional Airport (7.6 miles from the cemetery): Turn left on airport exit; then turn left on International Lane. Bear left onto Packers Avenue. Continue on Pennsylvania Avenue to East Johnson. Turn onto East Johnson and travel to East Gorham Street. Turn onto East Gorham Street and follow to West Gorham Street. From West Gorham Street turn onto University Avenue; then turn left onto North Park Street. Turn right onto Regent Street and travel to 1 Speedway Road and the cemetery will be on your right. Forest Hill Soldiers Lot number designator is section 35.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

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 Forest Hill Soldiers' Lot.

A National Cemetery System Forest Hill Soldiers' Lot

Who can be buried at Forest Hill 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 Forest Hill 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 Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Forest Hill 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 Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Forest Hill 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 Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 414-382-5300.

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 Wisconsin law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Wisconsin 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 Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Portage, WI: 38 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Union Grove, WI: 73 mi, open for burials
• Wood National Cemetery Annex, Milwaukee, WI: 73 mi, closed to new in-ground burials