On a sunny, crispy day in late October, members of Penn’s Village took a guided tour through one part of the 74-acre cemetery that overlooks Kelly Drive and the Schuylkill River in East Falls. Laurel Hill East dates back to 1836 and is the second oldest cemetery in the United States. It now operates as one entity with Laurel Hill West, located in Bala Cynwyd. Laurel Hill East is also an accredited arboretum with over 6,000 trees and shrubs representing 700 species.

In 1977, Laurel Hill Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1998, became the first cemetery in the United States to be designated a National Historic Landmark. Its crypts, headstones, and mausoleums are the resting place for many deceased political and business figures in Philadelphia. Their names today can be seen inscribed on schools, buildings, and street signs throughout the city (Disston, Baldwin, Pepper, Widener, Beury, Biddle).