Woodlawn Memorial Park, formerly known as Woodlawn Cemetery, is an 80-acre historic cemetery located in the north end of the city of Guelph. Opened in 1854, the 150-year-old memorial park is a proud member of the Guelph Historical Society and enjoys a working partnership with Guelph Museums. Click here for the separate full corporate website for Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Several public services and events are held throughout the year. It is the home of Spirit Walk (click link for photo gallery), an annual, award winning outdoor theatre event and Blue Christmas, a unique celebration held in the evening. We sing carols as we walk the pathways of the cemetery by candlelight.
Of the hundreds of trees in the park, many are more than a century old and several specimens are unique to the city. We strive to preserve Woodlawn's natural beauty and its history. Trees are replaced as needed with rare and unusual specimens. The winding pathways through our grounds serve joggers and walkers alike. Woodlawn Memorial Park and Arboretum is the only cemetery on the Trans Canada Trail.
Woodlawn Memorial Park provides a number of options for both traditional and cremation interment. Woodlawn Memorial Park is a member of CANA ( Cremation Association of North America) and OACFP ( Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals). Our dedicated staff is here to serve families who require cemetery and related services. You can turn to us at your time of need, for cremation information, for memorial or marker purchases or for assistance at an unfamiliar and difficult time. You can join us for public events throughout the year - some sad, some entertaining, for theatre, for history and for remembrance.
Located at the north end of the city of Guelph on the corner of Woolwich Street and Woodlawn Road, our Memorial Park is open to the public during daylight hours. A cemetery map is located in the documents section of this website-- where you can also find our flowerbed order form, and our latest newsletters.
PEOPLE OF NOTE: Several famous people are buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Edward Johnson, a famous tenor and manager of the Metropolitan Opera, was considered one of the great masters of his age. Johnson was also chair of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Bert Collyer, a newspaper man and publisher of Collyer's Eye a sensational sports and turf publication. Collyers was the first to disclose the Chicago Black Sox baseball scandal in 1920.
John Sleeman, originator of the recipe for famous Sleeman beer, now enjoyed world wide.
Arthur Cutten, multi millionaire, known as the "little giant of the wheat pits" during the 1920's.
George Drew, former Premier of Ontario.
These and many others are featured in our series of self guided walking tours. Free brochures, seventeen tours, each on a different subject or theme are available at the Woodlawn office. Enjoy an hour or two and discover the history of your community.