Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
1 day ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
2 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Maine Bangor Mount Hope Cemetery

Mount Hope Cemetery

The second-oldest garden cemetery in the U.S. was also a college brainstorm spot of Stephen King.

Bangor, Maine

Added By
Abby Hanson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Mount Hope Cemetery   Svetlana Miljkovic/cc by-sa 3.0
Mount Hope Cemetery   Svetlana Miljkovic/cc by-sa 3.0
Supposedly the gravestone from which Stephen King took the character name Carrie for his novel of the same name.   Abby Hanson / Atlas Obscura User
It’s said this gravestone inspired the name of Georgie from Stephen King’s “It.”   Abby Hanson / Atlas Obscura User
1871 photo of Mount Hope Cemetery.   Marston, C. L./public domain
Grave of Hannibal Hamlin, the 15th Vice President of the United States.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
  sarahhanisko / Atlas Obscura User
  sarahhanisko / Atlas Obscura User
You can find Georgie and Carrie near the main entrance. Look for the monument on the hill. They’re straight down on the flat section.   sarahhanisko / Atlas Obscura User
1920s Art Deco Waiting Room. There used to be a trolly from Bangor to Orono, and the cemetery used to be a stop.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Couples walking around hand-in-hand, families discussing American history, writers relaxing in the shade—these may seem like images more fitting to a public park than a cemetery. But Mount Hope is no ordinary cemetery. 

Founded in 1836 at the height of the rural cemetery movement, Mount Hope Cemetery was created with aesthetics in mind. The townspeople of Bangor, Maine, frustrated by the overcrowding of small, urban cemeteries, established Mount Hope as the United States' second garden cemetery, a title earned by the small pond, plentiful trees, and elevated plots within the cemetery. 

Perhaps this charming Romantic-Era style is what drew young Stephen King, a college student at the University of Maine in nearby Orono, to often visit Mount Hope in his hours off, hatching story ideas that are now famous in popular culture. According to the tour guide, King borrowed the names of some of his best-known characters, such as Carrie and Georgie, from Mount Hope headstones. The graveyard was also featured in several scenes from the movie adaption of King's novel Pet Sematary. 

But Stephen King isn't the only big name associated with Mount Hope. Hannibal Hamlin, the U.S. Vice President under Abraham Lincoln and a prominent Maine politician, was laid to rest here. So were gangster Al Brady, comedian Richard Golden, and actor Ralph Sipperly, as well as many prominent members of Congress, ambassadors, governors, lumber magnates, and Civil War generals. These figures can be found on the cemetery's self-guided walking tour. 

Established in the same year that Bangor was incorporated, the story of Mount Hope Cemetery is inextricably intertwined with that of the city, and it offers some serious local flair. 

Related Tags

Cemeteries Books Literature Gravestones Local History Horror Graves

Know Before You Go

No dogs are allowed. Gate hours are posted on the cemetery online. Information about where to find famous graves can be found under the "History" tab on Mount Hope's website.

Community Contributors

Added By

Abby Hanson

Edited By

ickaimp, sarahhanisko, melissamaimone11

  • ickaimp
  • sarahhanisko
  • melissamaimone11

Published

October 26, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://bangorinfo.com/Focus/focus_mount_hope_cemetery.html
  • https://sk-tours.com/activities/tour-of-stephen-kings-derry-maine/
  • Stu Tinker, SK Tours
  • https://mthopebgr.com
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hope_Cemetery_(Bangor%2C_Maine)
  • http://z1073.com/10-places-every-stephen-king-fan-must-stop-while-in-bangor/
Mount Hope Cemetery
1048 State St
Bangor, Maine
United States
44.824423, -68.719838
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chamberlain Freedom Park

Brewer, Maine

miles away

Hannibal Hamlin Death Couch

Bangor, Maine

miles away

Bangor Opera House

Bangor, Maine

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bangor

Bangor

Maine

Places 8
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Chamberlain Freedom Park

Brewer, Maine

miles away

Hannibal Hamlin Death Couch

Bangor, Maine

miles away

Bangor Opera House

Bangor, Maine

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bangor

Bangor

Maine

Places 8
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

A Journey Into the Mind of Stephen King

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • George Orwell’s Grave.

    Sutton Courtenay, England

    George Orwell's Grave

    In a sleepy village in Oxfordshire, the visionary English writer's gravesite attracts a yearly pilgrimage.

  • The grave in early spring.

    Oxford, England

    J.R.R. Tolkien's Grave

    The names Lúthien and Beren can be found inscribed on the shared grave of the famous writer and his beloved wife and muse.

  • The grave of C.S. Lewis.

    Oxford, England

    C.S. Lewis's Grave

    The beloved fantasy novelist is buried near a church containing a whimsical etched glass window full of Narnia favorites.

  • Original headstone with various offerings

    Lowell, Massachusetts

    Jack Kerouac's Grave

    According to legend, Bob Dylan sneaks in twice a year to eat dinner with Jack.

  • the headstone.

    Lafayette, Colorado

    Vampire Grave of Lafayette

    According to local legend, a tree grew from the stake that killed this alleged vampire. In reality, he probably died from influenza.

  • 3/23/2019

    Burke, Virginia

    Marshall Family Cemetery

    A 14-foot monument marks the resting place of two of the town's earliest residents—and one unknown soldier.

  • Bartow, Florida

    Grave of 'America's Oldest Man'

    Charlie Smith was almost certainly not 137 years old when he died, but why let that get in the way of a great story?

  • Mark Twain’s headstone.

    Elmira, New York

    Mark Twain's Grave

    The little-known final resting place of one of America's greatest writers.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.