Mount Hope, an Outdoor Museum in Rochester

We are getting excited about our upcoming Douglass Week, #DW23, in Rochester, New York. If you’ve been following our blog, newsletter, or social media, then you know a lot about Rochester, New York already. There are a lot of things to see and do in Rochester, some of which include Douglass’ house, Harriet Tubman’s home, and the many Douglass statues. But there is one spot of interest that many might easily overlook, the Mount Hope Cemetery.  

Mount Hope is more than a cemetery; it is a “peaceful park, a wildlife sanctuary, and an outdoor museum.”  Of course, Frederick Douglass is buried at Mount Hope, along with Anna Murray Douglass and his second wife, Helen Pitts Douglass.  Many important abolitionists are also buried here, along with women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony.

There are many reasons to visit and the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery offer a variety of guided tours where you can learn about the Black history or you might be interested in the stories that the symbols and epitaphs on the graves and monuments tell.  You can also research anyone who you think might be buried there.

If you’re planning on traveling to see us in Rochester for #DW23, July 10-16, we hope that you make the time to visit some of these amazing historical sites throughout Rochester, in between our own events of course!