150 acres of Montgomery history — Confederate dead, Union POWs, four governors, and Hank Williams in the Annex
829 Columbus St, Montgomery, AL 36104
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to visit during daylight hours
Access
Limited Access
Rolling cemetery grounds with paved and unpaved paths; some sections on uneven terrain
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1819 · Established 1819 — one of Alabama's oldest cemeteries · Over 100,000 burials including 800 Confederate soldiers and 198 Union POWs · Four Alabama governors interred on grounds · Adjacent Oakwood Annex holds grave of Hank Williams (1923–1953)
Oakwood Cemetery was established in 1819, the same year Alabama achieved statehood, making it one of the oldest continuously maintained burial grounds in the state. The cemetery expanded steadily through the nineteenth century, absorbing the burials of political figures, military veterans, and Montgomery's commercial and professional classes.
The Civil War left a major mark on the grounds. Approximately 800 Confederate soldiers are buried at Oakwood, along with 198 Union prisoners of war who died in Confederate captivity in Montgomery — a figure that corresponds closely to the POW deaths documented at the cotton warehouse prison at 200 Coosa Street. The presence of both Confederate dead and Union POW graves within the same cemetery reflects the complicated burial logistics of the war era. Four Alabama governors are also interred at Oakwood.
Oakwood Annex Cemetery, a separate but adjacent property, holds the grave of Hank Williams, who died on January 1, 1953, at age 29, while being transported by car from Knoxville to a performance in Canton, Ohio. Williams's monument in the Annex has become one of the most-visited country music pilgrimage sites in the American South, documented by Atlas Obscura as a significant dark-tourism destination. The Alabama News Center has covered Montgomery's ghost tour industry, which includes Oakwood as a major stop on historical hearse and walking tours.
Sources
Oakwood Cemetery's paranormal reputation rests on its accumulation of historically significant deaths across nearly two centuries of use. Ghost tour operators working the Montgomery market include the cemetery as a standard stop, and the Alabama News Center's coverage of the city's haunted hearse tour noted Oakwood prominently among the featured locations.
The sections drawing the most reported activity are the Confederate soldier burials and the Union POW section — the latter carrying an additional charge given the circumstances of those deaths in Confederate captivity nearby on Coosa Street. Reports from tour participants include cold spots, shadow figures between headstones, and what some describe as audible movement in sections with no other visitors present.
The Hank Williams gravesite in Oakwood Annex generates its own category of unusual visitor experiences, though these are documented more often by music and dark-tourism writers than by paranormal investigators. Williams's death at 29, in a car on New Year's Day, remains one of the most studied early deaths in American popular music, and his gravestone at the Annex has been a pilgrimage destination since the 1950s.
Notable Entities
Walk 150 acres of monuments covering Montgomery history from 1819 forward — Confederate soldiers, 198 Union POWs, four Alabama governors, and dozens of prominent state figures. Maps are available at the cemetery office.
Oakwood Annex Cemetery, adjacent to the main grounds, holds the grave of Hank Williams (1923–1953). The site draws visitors year-round; Williams died January 1, 1953, and his monument is one of the most-visited country music pilgrimage sites in the South.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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