Riverside Cemetery is located in the Montford Historic District; a short walk or drive from downtown. The cemetery features over 87 acres of landscaped grounds. In 1997, the cemetery was designated as a Buncombe County Treasure Tree Preserve, by Quality Forward. The cemetery averages approximately 75 services each year. The staff strives to meet the expanding needs of lot owners and the community. Services offered include grave sales, historical and genealogical research, cemetery tours, landscape maintenance, and assistance with monument purchases. Riverside Cemetery offers visitors a unique journey into Asheville’s past. In 1997, a local US History class produced a video about the cemetery. “Journey Beyond The Gates” portrays the life of many individuals who contributed so much in developing the history of Asheville and Western North Carolina. Both guided and self-guided walking tour information is available. Tours offer insight into cultural diversity, architecture, religious customs, and landscape design. Over 600 visitors each year tour the cemetery. Area school teachers schedule tours on a regular basis. Volunteer services are encouraged. Assistance is needed with various planting projects throughout the cemetery.

Riverside cemetery is not just a place where family comes to visit a friend or a loved one. It is a place of beauty; a place where you can walk, take photographs, paint, visit the grave sites of writers Thomas Wolfe and O.Henry.

Riverside Cemetery
53 Birch Street
Asheville, NC 28801
828-350-2066

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.