Albany Rural Cemetery

This week, Albany Rural Cemetery took another significant step forward with the completion of approximately 18,000 square feet of roadway repairs and resurfacing along Linden Avenue and into Section 125.

For years, this roadway has been patched and repaired as resources allowed. While those efforts helped extend its life, the time had come for a more permanent solution. Thanks to the support of the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery, the approval of the Albany Cemetery Association Board of Trustees, and the outstanding work of BDB Paving, visitors, families, funeral directors, lot owners, and staff can now enjoy a safer, smoother, and more dignified route through one of the Cemetery’s most heavily traveled areas.

What makes this project especially meaningful is that it was made possible through the dedication of our volunteers, supporters, and community partners. This marks our second major paving project in one month. Combined, these efforts have resurfaced approximately 29,000 square feet of roadway - more than half a mile of improved driving and walking surfaces throughout the Cemetery. Every tour, event, membership, donation, and volunteer hour contributed by the Friends helps make improvements like this possible. These roadways are more than pavement - they are a visible reminder that community support continues to preserve and improve this historic landscape for future generations.

Special thanks are extended to the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery for helping make this project possible, to BDB Paving for their professionalism and quality workmanship, to Frank Slingerland, President of the Albany Cemetery Association, for supporting and approving the project, and to Lance Ingmire for his invaluable assistance in helping secure competitive pricing and move the project forward.

As General Manager, I spend a lot of time thinking about what Albany Rural Cemetery can become. Seeing fresh pavement where there were once potholes, patches, and temporary fixes is more than a construction project- it’s proof that progress is possible. We aren’t simply maintaining a historic cemetery; we are steadily restoring, improving, and investing in its future.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this project possible. There is truly a little piece of each of you in Albany Rural Cemetery.

We are investing in the Cemetery. Invest in us. Come visit, walk the grounds, talk with us, and become a part of the history we are preserving together.

If you’d like to support these restoration efforts, please contact our office to learn how your donation can help keep Albany Rural’s legacy moving forward. Please remember our summer hours are currently in effect: gates are open 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM, Sunday through Saturday.

Reminder: Cemetery 101 is this Wednesday!

There’s still time to join us! This Wednesday, June 3rd, Albany Rural Cemetery will be hosting the New York State Department of State Division of Cemeteries for their Cemetery 101 and Cemetery Accounting courses at the Albany Rural Cemetery Chapel.

Come connect with Division staff, get your questions answered, and gain practical insight into cemetery best practices — all in one afternoon.

Date: Wednesday, June 3rd
Time: 1PM
Location: Albany Rural Cemetery Chapel
68 Cemetery Ave., Albany, NY 12204

RSVP Here: https://dos.ny.gov/cemeteries-101

RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Please note that our office will be closed so that our staff may attend. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you there!

Is your cemetery set up for long-term success? Join us and find out!

Albany Rural Cemetery is proud to once again welcome the New York State Department of State Division of Cemeteries for their popular Cemetery 101 course. Whether you're new to cemetery operations or looking to sharpen your knowledge, these trainings offer practical guidance on running a successful cemetery.

Connect with Division staff, get your questions answered, and walk away with real insight into industry best practices.

Tuesday, June 3rd at 1:00PM
Albany Rural Cemetery Chapel
68 Cemetery Ave., Albany, NY 12204

Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are always welcome. We hope to see you there!

RSVP Here:

Cemetery Trainings Trainings that educate on the basics of successful cemetery operations.

What you’re seeing here is real work being done at Albany Rural.

We’ve rebuilt the main entrance roadway and installed new gates that finally function the way they should - long overdue and done the right way.

And after a long time coming, our new crematory is now complete.
This isn’t just a building. It’s a state-of-the-art facility designed to serve families, support funeral directors, and strengthen the Cemetery as a whole.

Inside are modern cremation units built for efficiency and environmental responsibility - meeting strict standards, reducing emissions, and creating a safer, more professional workspace for our staff. There’s space for families who want to be present, secure temperature-controlled care, and private, 24/7 access for those we work with.

It was designed to fit here, not stand out for the wrong reasons, but to belong to our landscape and the history around it.
This isn’t about one project - it’s about making sure Albany Rural can continue to operate, reinvest, and preserve what’s here. Roads, trees, restoration, history - this is how that work continues. To allow families to visit their loved ones, and the community to enjoy its history and park-like setting.

We take our responsibility seriously.
We’re last responders.
We’re stewards of this place.
And this is part of the work that keeps Albany Rural moving forward.

We invite you to join us tomorrow at 11:00 AM for the ribbon cutting of the new crematory.

Come meet the Board, the staff, and the volunteers who are putting in the work every day to take care of this place.

If you want to support these restoration efforts, please contact our office to learn how your donation can help keep Albany Rural’s legacy moving forward.

Please remember our summer hours are currently in effect: gates are open 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM, Sunday through Saturday.

Thanks to BDB Paving, drone work courtesy of Steve Balogh, Bast Hatfield, B&L Cremation Systems Inc., Weston & Sampson, Village of Menands, NYS Division of Cemeteries, NYS DEC, Featherstonhaugh Wiley & Clyne LLP, Comalli Electrical Group, National Business Technologies, DiGesare Plumbing, and Imperial Security.

Items for sale - Please contact the Main Office at (518) 463-7017 or [email protected] for more details.