National Cemetery Administration

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Richmond National Cemetery is closed to new interments. The only interments that are being accepted are subsequent interments for veterans or eligible family members in an existing gravesite. Periodically however, burial space may become available due to a canceled reservation or when a disinterment has been completed. When either of these two scenarios occurs, the gravesite is made available to another eligible veteran on a first-come, first-served basis. Since there is no way to know in advance when a gravesite may become available, please contact the cemetery at the time of need to inquire whether space is available.

Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

A Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.

Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.

» Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery

Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.

For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.

Cemetery Contact Information
Hampton National Cemetery manages this cemetery. Staff is available at Ft. Harrison National Cemetery for local assistance and can be reached at 804-795-2031. Otherwise, you may also contact Hampton National Cemetery at:
Phone: 757-723-7104
Fax: 757-723-0027

Military Funeral Honors
U.S. Air Force: 800-325-4986
U.S. Army: 804-734-6606
U.S. Coast Guard: 757-398-6390
U.S. Marine Corps: 866-826-3628
U.S. Navy: 866-203-7791

For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.

Our cemetery floral regulations exist only to reflect the honor and respect we hold for our Nation's Veterans, by preserving the dignity and solemnity of their final resting place.

Fresh cut flowers may be placed at gravesites at any time using cemetery-supplied floral vases. The vases may be found in a bin at the front of the cemetery next to the trash receptacle.

Floral items will be removed from gravesites when they become faded or unsightly, for mowing and maintenance, or if damaged by weather or wildlife. Due to the open nature of the grounds, we cannot guarantee against theft, vandalism, or the effects of nature.

Artificial floral arrangements may be placed on gravesites starting November 1st through April 1st. Potted plants may only be placed on gravesites for a period extending 7 days before through 7 days after Easter Sunday.

Seasonal items such as Christmas wreaths (18" or smaller), grave floral blankets (not to exceed 2'x3') and potted poinsettias may be placed on gravesites beginning December 1st through January 10th. These items will be removed by January 20th.

Please do not secure floral items or other types of decorations to headstones or markers.

A maximum of two U.S. flags may be placed on gravesites. Flags will be removed and properly disposed of when they are damaged, faded, tattered or otherwise unserviceable.

The following items are prohibited for placement at a gravesite, columbarium, or memorial wall and are subject to removal by cemetery staff:

• Alcoholic products
• Balloons, pinwheels, wind chimes, lights, candles, statues, stuffed animals, or other similar items
• Decorative and breakable glass or plastic items
• Non-government supplied floral containers (pots, planters, vases, etc.)
• Any objects that could become projectiles when caught in grounds maintenance equipment (such as rocks, coins, or other small durable objects)
• Offensive items or those deemed inconsistent with the cemetery setting
• Permanent in-ground plantings
• Weapons of any kind, explosives, or ammunition
• Any object attached to headstones, markers, or niche covers

These rules are covered by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 38 C.F.R. §1.218. All items placed on gravesites become the property of the US Government and will be disposed of under federal regulations.

Richmond National Cemetery is located in Henrico County, VA, about three miles east of the state capital. The cemetery lies just within the fortification lines constructed by the Confederate army during its defense of Richmond during the Civil War. Three of the cemetery's 10 acres were purchased in July 1867 from William Slater; additional acreage was subsequently purchased in 1868 and 1906.

The first burials at Richmond National Cemetery were reinterments from Oakwood and Hollywood cemeteries in Richmond, the cemetery at Belle Island Confederate Prison, the battlefields of Cold Harbor and Seven Pines, and from locations in Chesterfield and Hanover counties, VA.

Richmond National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Monuments and Memorials
This cemetery contains no monuments or memorials.