Located just a few blocks south of Central Avenue in the University Heights part of town, Historic Fairview Cemetery (700 Yale Street SE) is an easy stop off Route 66 that connects with Albuquerque’s past. The 17.5-acre site was established in 1881 as Albuquerque’s first non-denominational cemetery and is home to at least 12,000 graves. Recognized by the City of Albuquerque as a designated historic landmark, the cemetery runs along the north side of Fairview Memorial Park, which is an active cemetery that provides modern burial and cremation sites. Now run as a non-profit and maintained by volunteers, Historic Fairview Cemetery is a place that quietly records and reflects Albuquerque’s rapid change from a small riverside community to a large, diverse city shaped by the railroad and commerce — a place where everyday people rest next to notable community members, politicians, military veterans and others.
“We have approximately 550 veterans buried here in the cemetery,” says Jolene Ellerton, President of the Historic Fairview Cemetery Board. “We’ve got an American Legion One section, which has burials from 1926 to 1941, and American Legion Two, which covers burials from 1942 to 1988. …We’ve got Civil War veterans, Indian War veterans, 13 Buffalo Soldiers, even Rough Riders.”
She encourages visitors to notice headstone details to provide clues about the person buried underneath it. A whole row of tall gravestones, for example, shows off intricate carvings of tree stumps, lilies, axes and mallets. These symbols speak to the person’s involvement in Woodmen of America, a fraternal organization founded in 1890 that today exists as an insurance company called WoodmenLife. Other gravestones show three joined links, the words “Friendship, Love, and Truth” or simply have the letters F, L and T — signs that the person was involved with the Odd Fellows, an international group founded in London in 1730 that focuses on philanthropy and charity.
A number of notable Albuquerque residents also rest at the cemetery, including Bernard S. Rodey, an Irish-Canadian immigrant who moved to Albuquerque in 1881 and helped found the University of New Mexico eight years later. Louis Galles is also buried here; Galles opened Galles Motor Company, the first car dealership in town. The Galles family mausoleum is one of two on site; the other is for the Springer-Walton family, known for their “transfer” businesses, which involved moving people and their luggage or commercial freight from one place to another. Other last names found here can be found elsewhere throughout Albuquerque’s Route 66: Bliss, Perea, Simms, Stover and Tingley, just to name a few.
Ellerton also stresses how important it is for people to keep visiting the cemetery, if only to enjoy the outdoor space. On National Cemetery Day, which is on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, the Community of Historic Fairview Cemetery will host Voices from the Past, a scavenger hunt and T-shirt painting day at the cemetery that goes from 10 a.m. until dusk. “We’re trying to change things up,” Ellerton says. “We have such a rich, incredible history in this cemetery, and we’d love for more people to utilize this space to get outside, learn something, do research, honor our past, and maybe also get involved with our preservation efforts. Even helping with the little things would make a big difference. And we love to give tours!”
For more information, visit The Community of Historic Fairview Cemetery Facebook page.
