National Cemetery Administration
Bay Pines National Cemetery
Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (excluding federal holidays). On Memorial Day, the office is open until 7:00 p.m.
This cemetery has space available for cremated remains. We may be able to accommodate casketed remains in the same gravesite of previously interred family members.
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.
From Tampa International Airport/St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport by taking Interstate 275 south approximately 20 miles to St. Petersburg. Take Exit 25 (38th Avenue North) and go west on 38th Avenue North about five miles to Tyrone Boulevard. Turn right onto Tyrone Boulevard and proceed approximately 2.5 miles. Turn left at 95th (this is the east entrance to the VA property). Follow that road about ¼ mile and the cemetery will be on the left.
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.
Military Funeral Honors
Bay Pines National Cemetery maintains a list of Veterans Service Organization units that may be contacted to arrange a military honor group in addition to or in lieu of the Department of Defense Military Funeral Honors. Please contact the office for information.
For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.
Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time. Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial are limited to three for casket burials and one for cremation burials. Flowers will be removed when they become unsightly or it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.
A limited number of floral containers are located in bins in front of the burial sections – they are available as a courtesy. These containers are recycled – please do not remove them from the cemetery.
Artificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day.
Seasonal Holiday Decorations such as Christmas wreaths, potted poinsettias and other seasonal decorations may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20.
No item or object may be attached to a headstone or marker in a national cemetery. Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects, and similar items are not permitted on the graves. Items considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery, or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel are prohibited.
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
Bay Pines National Cemetery is located on the grounds of the Veterans Administration Center (VAC) in Pinellas County, about 9 miles west-northwest of St. Petersburg, Fla.
On March 15, 1933, the cemetery was dedicated and officially opened as a burial ground for those who died in the Bay Pines hospital and domiciliary. The 21-acre site was laid out in 42 symmetrical sections. The first interment was made on April 25, 1933, and by January 1964, all available gravesites had been used. In 1984, in order to gain more grave space, the hedges that divided the center of the cemetery were removed and the space between the sections was utilized.
The cemetery was transferred from the Veterans Administration to the National Cemetery System on May 28, 1984, and reopened for interments on July 2, 1984.
The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 27, 2012, as part of the Bay Pines Veterans Administration Home and Hospital Historic District.
Monuments and Memorials
A large monument constructed of pink Etowah marble in 1937 is dedicated to "the memory of those who served their country" and stands at the entrance to the cemetery grounds.
A polished granite bench, dedicated to the memory of World War I veterans, sits opposite the cemetery entrance, facing the new POW/MIA monument.
A maple tree planted in Section 53 in 1976 commemorates the country's bicentennial.
Under Development.
We are developing educational content for this national cemetery, and will post new materials as they become available. Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
