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Guidelines When Visiting Mount Hope

Mount Hope's grounds are open to the public and visitors are welcome every day of the year.  Gates open at 7:30 am and closing times change seasonally.  Please check the web site or call (585) 428-7999 to inquire about current closing times.

Children under the age of 15 years are not permitted in the cemetery unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

We ask that all visitors:

  • Adhere to the Regulations for Lot and Grave Plantings and Decorations when visiting loved ones.
  • Keep all dogs leashed and on walkways and roadways, only, and clean up after your dog.  Dogs are not allowed to be in Sylvan Waters or the fountain. Dog owners who allow their dogs to roam off leash will be fined. Individuals who repeatedly fail to abide by these rules may be banned from the cemetery.  If you observe an unleashed dog, please call 311 to report it.
  • Drive their motor vehicles in the cemetery at a speed of 15 mph or less and park on roadways.
  • Ride bicycles and motor cycles on improved roadways, only. Mountain biking is prohibited. Off-road vehicles are banned from the cemetery grounds.
  • Refrain from recreational activities such as skiing, mountain biking, sledding, skateboarding, rollerblading, ball playing, or swimming. Scavenger hunts and geo-caching activities are prohibited on cemetery grounds.
  • Refrain from climbing on or disturbing monuments.  Monument rubbings are not allowed.
  • Buses and other large vehicles are not permitted to travel through the cemetery unless authorized by the Cemetery Manager. Tour buses bringing visitors are required to park outside the cemetery or enter the cemetery at the southern Mt. Hope Avenue entrance and park along Fifth Avenue away from the cemetery’s administrative office and crematory. Visitors are asked to walk on roads and paths and not trespass on lots and graves.
  • Refrain from feeding the wildlife in the cemetery or climbing on or disturbing any trees, shrubs, or plantings, or picking flowers or foliage.
  • Additional cemetery rules may be found in Chapter 43 of the City of Rochester Code.