How to Find a Grave: Using FindAGrave and Other Resources

Whether you are trying to visit a family member's grave, researching your genealogy, or simply want to confirm where someone was laid to rest, finding a burial site is far easier today than it was even a decade ago. Free online databases have digitized hundreds of millions of burial records, and most of the information you need is available from your computer or phone.

How to Search FindAGrave

FindAGrave.com is the largest free burial database in the world, with over 230 million memorial records. It is maintained by a community of volunteers who visit cemeteries, photograph headstones, and upload the information. The site is owned by Ancestry.com but remains entirely free to use.

To search, go to FindAGrave.com and enter the person's first and last name. You can narrow results by adding a birth year, death year, or the cemetery location if you know it. Exact spelling matters, so try alternate spellings if your first search does not return results. Many older records use spelling variations that differ from what the family used.

Each memorial page on FindAGrave may include the person's full name, birth and death dates, cemetery name and location, a photo of the headstone, and sometimes a brief biography or family links. You can also leave virtual flowers, corrections, or notes on any memorial page.

If you find the cemetery but not the specific grave location within it, the memorial page usually includes a plot or section number. You can bring this information to the cemetery office, and they can direct you to the exact spot.

How to Find a Grave Without FindAGrave

If FindAGrave does not have the record you are looking for, BillionGraves.com is the next best free option. It uses GPS tagged headstone photos, which means you can get exact coordinates for a gravesite, not just the cemetery name. The database is smaller than FindAGrave but growing steadily.

Local funeral home websites sometimes maintain online obituary archives that include burial location. If you know which funeral home handled the arrangements, check their website or call them directly. Many funeral homes keep records going back decades.

Newspaper obituary archives can also lead you to the burial location. Most obituaries mention the cemetery by name. Newspapers.com, the local library's digital archive, and Legacy.com all offer searchable obituary databases.

Contacting Cemeteries Directly

Every cemetery maintains its own burial records, and most are willing to look up information over the phone or by email. Call the cemetery office during business hours and provide the full name and approximate date of death. They can confirm whether the person is buried there and give you the section, lot, and grave number.

For large cemeteries, this information is essential for finding the actual gravesite. Without a plot number, you could spend hours walking rows. Some larger cemeteries have office kiosks or printed maps that help visitors locate specific graves once they arrive.

Using Ancestry and Other Genealogy Sites

Ancestry.com has a large collection of death records, cemetery transcriptions, and burial indexes. A paid subscription gives you access to billions of historical records, including many that are not available on free sites. FamilySearch.org, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, offers similar records entirely for free.

Both sites allow you to search by name, date range, and location. Death records often include the cemetery name, funeral home, and sometimes the specific plot number. For older burials that predate modern databases, these genealogy sites are often the best resource available.

State Vital Records and Death Certificates

Every state maintains vital records that include death certificates. A death certificate typically lists the place of burial or disposition, the funeral home that handled arrangements, and the date of burial. You can request a copy from the state vital records office, though there is usually a small fee and eligibility requirements vary by state.

Some states have digitized their older death records and made them searchable online. Check your state's vital records website or the state archives. For deaths that occurred more than 50 to 75 years ago, the records are often available to the general public without restrictions.

When the Cemetery Is Closed or Unknown

Some cemeteries, particularly small rural or church cemeteries, have closed or been abandoned over the years. If the cemetery still exists but is no longer actively maintained, the local historical society or county recorder's office may have burial records. Many volunteers have also transcribed headstones from abandoned cemeteries and uploaded them to FindAGrave or local genealogy websites.

If you have no idea which cemetery the person is buried in, start with the death certificate. If that is not available, try searching obituary archives for the person's name and the city where they lived at the time of death. The obituary will almost always name the cemetery.

How to Add a Missing Grave to FindAGrave

If you visit a grave that is not listed on FindAGrave, you can add it yourself. Create a free account, then click "Add a Memorial" on the cemetery's page. Enter the person's name, birth and death dates, and upload a photo of the headstone if you have one. The process takes a few minutes and helps other families and researchers find the record in the future.

You can also submit a photo request on FindAGrave for memorials that exist but do not have headstone photos. Volunteers in the area may visit the cemetery and take a photo on your behalf. This feature is especially useful for graves that are far from where you live.