- 1). Start your tour at the Visitor's Center entrance at 909 Navasota Street. The cemetery is bordered by Seventh, Eleventh, Navasota and Comal Streets. The Gallery and Visitors Center are open weekdays from 8am to 5pm, while the grounds are open every day from 8am to 5pm. Guided tours can be arranged by calling (512) 463-0605. No admission is charged.The Visitor's Center includes the cemetery's administrative offices, restrooms, a room for next-of-kin to gather before funeral services on the grounds and a small museum devoted to the cemetery's history.
- 2). Exit the Visitor's Center and head east. To the north, over by the Eleventh Street entrance, is a wall of niches for cremation urns, but since this feature was only added in the 1990s, there aren't that many occupants yet.
- 3). Proceed south and work your way around in a counter-clockwise manner. The northern end of the cemetery is rather like a golf course, and is wonderfully landscaped with a man-made stream, rock formations and flowers.One of the first graves you'll encounter on the west side is that of Baseball Hall of Famer Willie "El Diablo" Wells. Not far away, to the southwest, is a cenotaph dedicated in memory of Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, who, not surprisingly, is buried in Dallas. Former Texas Governor John Connally, who was in the car with President Kennedy when the latter was assassinated, is buried under a black obelisk with a statue of St. Andrew in front of it. Governor Ann Richards' grave is marked with a curvy marble stone.
- 4). Continue along the tree-lined west portion and see the graves of Governor Preston Smith, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, Lieutenant-Governor Bob Bullock and a cenotaph to artist and writer Tom Lea. At the south end of the cemetery is an elevated memorial, the end of the north-south axis that starts at the main gate and continues down the main road. The memorial is a circle, lined with trees and massive stones carved with quotations from great Texans.
- 5). Walk on to the southeast corner where numerous Confederate soldiers are buried. On a rise overlooking this is the elaborate tomb of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. The tomb is topped with a marble effigy of Johnston, carved by Elisabet Ney, and screened from the elements and vandals by an elaborate wrought-iron canopy.
- 6). Go westward back up the hill to see the obelisk marking the grave of Governor Allan Shivers, the Greek columns atop the grave of Governor Dan Moody, the small obelisk of Senator Andrew Jackson Houston, son of Sam Houston, the massive monument of Stephen F.Austin, "The Father of Texas," the tiny marker of pioneer "Big Foot" Wallace, and the Art Deco stone of Governors "Ma" and "Pa" Ferguson. Writers Fred Gipson, Walter Prescott Webb and J. Frank Dobie have fairly normal stones. James Michener is represented here with a cenotaph.
- 7). Turn northeast and you'll encounter the 9/11 Monument. It rather resembles the World Trade Center and is made of steel girders removed from the Trade Center ruins. From here, climb the big northeast hill and take in an excellent view of both the cemetery and downtown Austin.
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