Established in 1887 on the Ocmulgee River's bluffs, this 110-acre Macon cemetery holds Civil War family plots, an infamous 'Witch's Grave' said to be cursed, and each October hosts a guided evening tour with costumed actors retelling the buried stories.
1301 Riverside Dr, Macon, GA 31201
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Daytime cemetery access is free. The annual October Lies and Alibis evening tour has a separate ticket price; see website.
Access
Limited Access
Steep winding paths on river bluffs; uneven terrain throughout; not suitable for mobility-limited visitors
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1887 · Victorian Rural Cemetery Design · Civil War Veterans Burial Site · Macon Historical Families · Annual Community Heritage Programming
Riverside Cemetery was established in 1887 when Macon's older Rose Hill Cemetery had become largely filled. The new grounds were laid out on the bluffs overlooking the Ocmulgee River, giving the site its distinctive topography of steep winding paths and elevated vistas over the river valley. The design followed the Victorian rural cemetery tradition, emphasizing naturalistic landscape and ornamental monuments over the earlier grid-style churchyard.
The cemetery holds the graves of many prominent Macon and Bibb County families from the late 19th through mid-20th centuries, including Civil War veterans from both sides of the conflict. The grounds reflect the social stratification of the era in their organization and in the scale of family monuments, with elaborate Gothic and classical markers distinguishing the plots of wealthier families from simpler stones.
The cemetery operates under a private association that maintains the grounds and organizes the annual October programming. Interments continue at the site, making it both a historical landmark and an active burial ground. Its position on the river bluffs, with elevated terrain and a tree canopy over the winding paths, has made it a distinctive Macon landmark for visitors interested in Victorian funerary architecture and central Georgia family history.
Sources
The most persistent piece of folklore at Riverside Cemetery centers on a plot known locally as the Witch's Grave. The specific identity of the person buried there is not consistently established in available sources—the legend operates on the burial site itself and the claimed consequences of disrespecting it, including bad luck or physical disturbance. Visit Macon's official directory entry for the cemetery references this tradition among the site's notable features.
Reports of ghostly soldiers moving through the grounds at night have appeared in local accounts for many years. The cemetery's large population of Civil War-era graves provides a historical anchor for these stories, though no specific individual is attached to the apparitions in the documented accounts.
The annual October Lies and Alibis evening tour makes the cemetery's folklore the centerpiece of a structured visitor experience. Costumed actors portray figures buried in the cemetery, presenting their historical stories at actual gravesites by lantern light. The event has drawn Matador Network coverage as one of Macon's notable Halloween-season activities and has contributed to the site's wider visibility among dark tourism visitors.
Riverside Cemetery is open to visitors during daylight hours. The grounds feature steep winding paths along the Ocmulgee River bluffs, Civil War-era family plots, ornate Victorian monuments, and the famous 'Witch's Grave.' A printed walking guide is available for self-guided exploration.
Each October, Riverside Cemetery hosts the Lies and Alibis guided evening tour featuring costumed actors portraying figures buried in the cemetery, retelling historical stories at gravesites by lantern light. The event draws visitors from across central Georgia. Tickets and schedule posted on the cemetery website.
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