Established in 1876 with a commitment to inclusion, honoring our loved ones, and preserving legacies, Forest Home Cemetery has grown into a cherished historical site.

Our rural cemetery design emphasizes a serene, park-like setting with rolling landscapes, ornamental monuments, and natural features such as trees, the Des Plaines River, and open meadows. We blend our burial ground with public park elements, inviting reflection, leisure, and a connection to nature, while incorporating symbolic winding paths and monumental architecture to honor the departed.

Forest Home Cemetery was established as a rural cemetery, part of a 19th-century movement designed to create serene, park-like landscapes for burial and reflection. Its thoughtful design features winding paths, natural scenery, and sweeping views, offering a peaceful retreat from the bustle of urban life. With a harmonious blend of open lawns, wooded areas, and picturesque vistas, Forest Home embodies the timeless beauty of a public park while serving as a sacred final resting place.

The Chapel at Forest Home Cemetery once housed the cemetery’s crematory, playing a vital role in community funeral services until the 1980s. Ongoing research into its history, along with the stories of two now-demolished chapels that once stood on the grounds, continues to reveal fascinating insights into the cemetery’s past and its enduring significance.

Deer in urban cemeteries have adapted to living in these quiet, protected spaces, which often provide abundant food sources and shelter. The cemeteries’ natural landscapes, with their green lawns, trees, and minimal human disturbance, make them ideal environments for deer to thrive in cities.

Coyotes in urban cemeteries like ours have become increasingly common, finding the quiet, less populated areas ideal for hunting small animals and foraging. These adaptable creatures thrive in such environments, where they face fewer human disturbances and have access to ample food sources like rodents and birds. When encountering coyotes, it’s important to stay calm, avoid approaching them, and keep pets on a leash to ensure safety for both humans and animals.

Forest Home also offers a peaceful, diverse habitat for birdwatching, attracting a wide variety of native and migratory species. Birds such as Purple Martins, owls, hawks, and many others are drawn to the mix of trees, open spaces, and quiet, providing ideal conditions for nesting and foraging.

If you ever feel the need to report damage to the grounds or trees, or to assist with an injured animal, give our office a call at
708.366.1900