A Park That Happens to Have Graves

A cool little park near UPenn that I first discovered when running the 26x1 relay marathon last year

Gravestones and obelisks spread across the grass at The Woodlands under a blue sky, with West Philadelphia apartment towers rising behind the trees

Back in 2025, my running club participated in the 26x1 relay marathon. Each person on a team of 13 runs 2 one-mile segments, totaling 26 miles. And then your team's anchor (mine was a man named Reid) runs the last 2 miles with your team's torch (ours was a rubber chicken). This entire little race happens on an October Saturday morning in a little place called the Woodlands, which prior to this race, I had biked by a couple of times, but pretty much ignored.

The Woodlands is a giant walled-off park just west of UPenn. What's fascinating is that it's an open cemetery, with lots of gravestones, a mausoleum, and some monuments. Although I was unable to run the 26x1 in 2026, I did do some research on it that led to this little article.

The short version of its history is that, in 1840, a group of Philadelphians bought the last 92 acres of the Hamilton family's estate so it wouldn't be developed, and put a cemetery on it instead. The estate dates back to 1735.

It's just a typical graveyard in all but two respects. First, there's an explicit running path / trail that encircles the cemetery. Second, unlike many cemeteries, which are hallowed grounds where everyone is supposed to be serious, the Woodlands welcomes visitors. Be respectful obviously (of both the dead and the space), but you can treat it like a normal public park or space.

Some random fun facts about it include that it has a 90-foot granite obelisk, the tallest funerary monument in America, which stands out because it is surrounded by normal-sized gravestones and markers. Other facts include that the Hamilton Mansion is still sitting there at the center of the grounds (built in 1770), the whole place is 54 acres, and there are more than 1,000 trees on it, which is why they call themselves a virtual arboretum.

I discovered this place simply by virtue of that relay marathon the FRC participates in. I mention it because it's one of the random, completely free and totally cool things that exist in the city (walkable to, or bussable to, or bikable to) that is sometimes overlooked. I suggest checking it out sometime!