Today
Hope Cemetery has since grown in size to 65 acres (26 ha), and there are more than 10,000 tombstones and memorials located inside. All of its stones are made from "Barre Grey" granite. The cemetery is a common tourist destination, and has been referred to as a "'Museum' of granite sculpture," the "Uffizi of Necropolises", by Vermont folklorist Joseph A. Citro, a "Gallery of granite artistry," a "sculpture garden" and a "Huge outdoor museum." Guided tours are available for a small fee, but driving or walking through the cemetery to look at the sculptures and memorials is common practice and encouraged.
It is still possible for ornate and unusual tombstones to be put into Hope Cemetery. These large memorials can range in cost from US$20,000 - 30,000+. Simple headstones cost about $2,000.
Hope is the largest of three cemeteries managed by the city of Barre. It was featured in a story run by the Associated Press, and was also featured in a segment in National Geographic on cities and towns in America. Additionally, the cemetery was among those profiled in the 2005 PBS documentary A Cemetery Special.
Read more about this topic: Hope Cemetery
Famous quotes containing the word today:
“If you are prepared to accept the consequences of your dreams ... then you must still regard America today with the same naive enthusiasm as the generations that discovered the New World.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)
“If you’re born in America with a black skin, you’re born in prison, and the masses of black people in America today are beginning to regard our plight or predicament in this society as one of a prison inmate.”
—Malcolm X (1925–1965)