Union Confederate Monument Site

Union Confederate Monument Site is a VA national cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri. 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 Union Confederate Monument Site

Established in 1857 between the towns of Westport and Kansas, Missouri, the 49-acre Union Cemetery was intended for both communities. Thus, the cemetery was not named after the Union Army, but for the union of the two communities. In 1889, the town of Kansas changed its name to Kansas City, and annexed Westport in 1897. Today, the cemetery is located within downtown Kansas City. Many notable local figures are interred in Union Cemetery, including George Caleb Bingham, a 19th-century painter, and Alexander Majors, who helped establish the Pony Express.

The 8' tall granite obelisk commemorates 15 Confederate prisoners of war who died in Kansas City. Originally buried in the city cemetery, their remains were subsequently interred in Union Cemetery, although the location of the individual graves are not known. Two bronze tablets fastened to the monument list the names of the prisoners, who were taken during the Battle of Westport, the turning point in the Missouri Campaign of Confederate Major General Sterling Price.

The lot is located in the northeast section of the cemetery and it is identified as stop #15 in the cemetery's walking tour.

Directions

From the Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, MO you proceed from terminal area and enter the roundabout taking the exit toward the freeway U.S. I-29, merge onto U.S. I-29 South / U.S. -71 toward Kansas City, travel 10.7 miles and merge onto U.S. 169 South via Exit 2B, toward Kansas City Downtown, travel 5.6 miles and U.S. 169 becomes Broadway Road, travel approx. 0.7 miles and turn left onto West Truman Road, travel 0.2 miles, turn right onto Main Street, travel 1.4 miles and turn left onto Warwick Trafficway, proceed 0.1 miles then turn right onto East 28th Street Terrace, proceed 0.1 miles and you will be at the Union Cemetery, 227 East 28th Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, your travel time is 28 minutes and the distance is approximately 21.25 miles from the airport.

From Union Station in downtown Kansas City, Missouri you would start out in front of the train station on 30 West Pershing Road # 210, Kansas City, MO and go west on West Pershing Road for 0.1 miles then a sharp turn left to stay on West Pershing Road, travel for 0.1 miles then turn right onto Main Street / Carl J. DiCapo Drive, continue to follow for .6 miles then turn left onto Warwick Trafficway and proceed for 0.1 miles then turn right on East 28th Street Terrace, go for 0.1 miles and you end at the Union Cemetery 227 East Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108. Your travel time is three minutes and the distance is approximately 1.0 miles.

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. Fresh-cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. Cemetery visitors are free to use flower containers located in receptacles placed throughout the grounds. Flowers are picked up on the first and third Mondays of the month during the mowing season, April 1 through October 1.

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 Union Confederate Monument Site.

A National Cemetery System Union Confederate Monument Site

Who can be buried at Union Confederate Monument Site?

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 Union Confederate Monument Site?

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 Union Confederate Monument Site and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Union Confederate Monument Site as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Union Confederate Monument Site burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Union Confederate Monument Site 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 Union Confederate Monument Site directly at 913-727-1376.

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 Missouri law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Missouri 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 Union Confederate Monument Site, by straight-line distance:

• Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS: 22 mi, open for burials
• Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Fort Leavenworth, KS: 27 mi, status not listed
• Missouri State Veterans Cemetery - Higginsville, Higginsville, MO: 45 mi, open for burials