Glendale National Cemetery

Glendale National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. 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 Glendale National Cemetery

Glendale National Cemetery is located in Henrico County, VA, approximately 13 miles southeast of Richmond.

Glendale National Cemetery was established May 7, 1866, on land purchased from a local resident, Lucy C. Nelson. The cemetery name is taken from the farm located on this property, which served as a Union headquarters during the Civil War. Original interments were the remains of Union soldiers recovered from Malvern Hill, Frayer's Farm, Harrison's Landing and other areas in the vicinity. An inspector's report of July 26, 1871, notes a total of 1,189 interments, including 236 known and 953 unknown gravesites. The cemetery is composed of a nearly square plan, with the graves laid out in picturesque, concentric rows.

Glendale National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Monuments and Memorials There are no monuments or memorials located at Glendale National Cemetery.

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Glendale National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.

Directions

Situated 13 miles southeast of Richmond, VA, at 8301 Willis Church Road, Richmond, VA 23231. The cemetery is located 3.7 miles from the junction of State Highways 5 and 156. It is also three miles from the point of intersection of Darbytown Road and Charles City Road. Cemetery directional signs at both points. Richmond International Airport is located approximately four miles east of Richmond city limits, off U.S. Route 60. Travel west on Route 60 to Laburnum Avenue. Travel Laburnum Avenue south to Darbytown Road. Take east on Darbytown Road, eight miles to Route 156 and Willis Church Road. Travel three miles on Route 156 to cemetery.

Flowers and grounds rules

Our cemetery floral regulations exist only to reflect the honor and respect we hold for our Nation's Veterans, by preserving the dignity and solemnity of their final resting place.

Fresh cut flowers may be placed at gravesites at any time using cemetery-supplied floral vases. The vases may be found in a bin at the front of the cemetery next to the trash receptacle.

Education and visiting programs

The National Cemetery Administration, working in collaboration with the National Park Service's Richmond National Battlefield Park, has developed a walking tour for Glendale National Cemetery highlighting select servicemembers interred here:

Glendale National Cemetery - Walking Tour

Who can be buried at Glendale 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 Glendale 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 Glendale National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Glendale 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 Glendale National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Glendale 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 Glendale National Cemetery directly at 804-795-2031.

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 Virginia law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Virginia 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 Glendale National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Seven Pines National Cemetery, Sandston, VA: 7 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Fort Harrison National Cemetery, Richmond, VA: 7 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• City Point National Cemetery, Hopewell, VA: 10 mi, closed to new in-ground burials