Christ Church Burial Ground

Why you should experience Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Founders' Burial Ground at Christ Church in Philadelphia is one of the most solemn and stirring places in the city, a quiet field of stone and shadow where the ideals of a nation were laid to rest beside the people who first dared to dream them.

Located just a few blocks from the church itself, at 5th and Arch Streets, this sacred ground is more than a cemetery; it's an open-air chapter of the American story. Here lie five signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes, and George Ross, men whose convictions shaped a new vision of liberty. The setting is simple yet powerful: timeworn markers tilt under old trees, iron gates creak softly in the wind, and the faint hum of city traffic fades into reverent silence. Sunlight falls unevenly across centuries-old inscriptions, illuminating the tension between fragility and permanence that defines both stone and democracy. To walk among these graves is to stand at the intersection of faith, mortality, and revolution, a reminder that freedom, before it was an institution, was a human vow kept alive through courage and sacrifice.

What you should know about Christ Church Burial Ground.

Though small in scale, the Founders' Burial Ground holds an outsized place in American memory, a convergence of civic, spiritual, and artistic heritage.

Established in 1719 as an extension of Christ Church, the burial ground was intended to serve parishioners living farther west as Philadelphia's population grew. Over the centuries, more than 1,400 souls have been laid to rest here, their stories spanning colonial hardship, revolution, and rebirth. The most famous tomb belongs to Benjamin Franklin, whose modest marble slab bears the understated epitaph he chose himself: “Benjamin and Deborah Franklin 1790.” Visitors often press pennies, a nod to Franklin's famous adage, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”, onto the stone for good luck, a tradition that gleams across the grave like a constellation of gratitude. But Franklin's neighbors are equally compelling: Benjamin Rush, the physician and social reformer known as the “Father of American Psychiatry”; Francis Hopkinson, who designed one of the earliest versions of the American flag; and Sarah Franklin Bache, Franklin's daughter and a leader in revolutionary philanthropy. Many of the markers bear carved symbols, willows, urns, cherubs, that reflect Enlightenment ideals about death and virtue. Few visitors realize that the cemetery's preservation helped ignite Philadelphia's historic preservation movement in the 19th century, ensuring that the nation's founders would rest within sight of the institutions they helped build.

How to fold Christ Church Burial Ground into your trip.

When visiting Old City Philadelphia, pair a stop at the Founders' Burial Ground with your tour of Christ Church, as the two sites form a single, living continuum of American history.

Enter through the wrought-iron gates at 5th and Arch Streets, where Franklin's grave sits visible from the sidewalk, a deliberate gesture of accessibility that mirrors his democratic values. Early morning or late afternoon visits are best, when the slanted light accentuates the worn textures of the stones and casts long shadows across the graves. Begin at Franklin's tomb, but move slowly through the grounds, pausing at the engraved plaques that recount each founder's contribution to the Revolution. Bring a moment of reflection to the quieter corners, where less-known names lie, craftsmen, tradesmen, and women who sustained the colonial city through devotion and labor. On weekends, church docents often give brief talks that contextualize the burial ground's history and its restoration projects. Before you leave, step back toward the main gate and take in the view: beyond the old gravestones rise the spires, domes, and glass towers of modern Philadelphia, a skyline that owes its very existence to those buried beneath your feet. The Founders' Burial Ground is not just a cemetery; it's a covenant between the living and the dead, where gratitude replaces silence and the story of liberty continues to breathe through stone.

MAKE IT REAL