Philadelphia National Cemetery

Philadelphia National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Philadelphia National Cemetery

Philadelphia National Cemetery is located in Philadelphia County, PA, two miles north of Germantown in the city of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia National Cemetery was one of 14 national cemeteries established in 1862, and it was one of several established near large troop-recruitment and training areas. In its first year, the cemetery was composed of burial lots in seven different locations that were either donated to or purchased by the federal government. These were intended to be used specifically for soldiers who died in one of the many hospitals in the Philadelphia area. In 1885, the United States purchased a little over 13 acres from Henry J. and Susan B. Freeman to concentrate the scattered remains of soldiers into one geographic location. The remains were disinterred and consolidated at this location, occupied by Philadelphia National Cemetery today.

Philadelphia National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Monuments and Memorials The Mexican War Monument is a marble obelisk that was erected by the Scott Legion in honor of 38 men who served and died in that conflict. The men were originally buried at Glenwood Cemetery and were re-interred at Philadelphia National Cemetery in 1927. The date of dedication is unknown.

The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected by the United States in 1911. The monument is a rusticated granite monument that commemorates 184 Confederate soldiers and sailors whose remains were re-interred at the cemetery from other locations after the Civil War.

The Revolutionary War Memorial is a granite and bronze memorial that commemorates those who died in the Revolutionary War.

Notable interments

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

Directions

From Philadelphia International Airport, take Interstate Highway 95 North to Route 76 West to Route 1 North to Broad Street West, exit on Haines to Limekiln. The cemetery is on the corner of Haines and Limekiln.

Flowers and grounds rules

You can place fresh cut flowers on your loved one's grave throughout the year.

Floral items will be removed from graves when they become faded or unsightly. They may also be removed to allow mowing. Government supplied plastic flower containers are available for your use and located within the cemetery.

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 Philadelphia National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Philadelphia National Cemetery United States Colored Troops (USCT) Burials - Philadelphia Confederate Burials In The National Cemetery

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

VA lists Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia National Cemetery directly at 215-222-7510.

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

• Mount Moriah Cemetery Naval Plot, Philadelphia, PA: 10 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Mount Moriah Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Philadelphia, PA: 10 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ: 13 mi, closed to new in-ground burials