Cemetery management requires accurate mapping to locate graves, plan expansions, and maintain burial records. While drone cemetery mapping is becoming popular, it has significant limitations. The combination of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and on-site GPS data collection offers a more precise and reliable solution. Here’s why cemetery GPR and GPS mapping are superior to mapping your cemetery with drone capture.

1. GPR Reveals What Drone Cemetery Mapping Misses

Drone mapping relies on aerial photography, which provides a general layout of the cemetery. However, it cannot detect unmarked graves, buried vaults, or underground obstacles. GPR scans beneath the surface, ensuring no burial sites are overlooked. This is crucial for cemetery operators who need to confirm burial locations and prevent accidental disturbances.

2. GPS Mapping Provides More Accurate Cemetery Layouts

While using a drone for cemetery mapping produces high-resolution images, it often lacks precise georeferencing. On-site GPS mapping, especially with professional-grade equipment, records graves, pathways, and section boundaries with pinpoint accuracy. Even small measurement errors in cemetery mapping can cause major problems, making accuracy essential.

3. Cemetery GPR and GPS Mapping Improve Cemetery Operations

Cemetery staff need accurate and practical maps to efficiently manage burial plots and future planning. Cemetery maps created by drones provide a bird’s-eye view but lacks the depth required for daily tasks such as:

• Confirming available plots with certainty.
• Verifying burial records against actual grave locations.
• Planning new roads, pathways, and landscaping while avoiding unmarked graves.

4. Works in Any Cemetery Environment

Drone data collection struggles with obstacles like trees, mausoleums, and adverse weather conditions. These factors can obscure important details and make aerial imagery unreliable. GPR and GPS mapping work regardless of tree cover, shadows, or weather, delivering accurate results in any setting.

5. Seamless Integration with Cemetery Management Software

The data collected from GPR and GPS can be easily integrated into cemetery management systems. Drone cemetery mapping, however, often requires additional processing and manual adjustments before the data is usable, adding unnecessary complications.

6. A Better Long-Term Investment for Cemeteries

Using drones to map a cemetery may seem like a quick and inexpensive solution, but it requires frequent updates to stay current. GPR and GPS mapping offer a more cost-effective long-term investment, as they provide highly accurate and actionable data that helps cemeteries avoid costly mistakes and improve efficiency.

Conclusion

While cemetery mapping services that utilize drone data capture can provide a broad visual overview, the result lacks the precision and depth required for effective cemetery management. GPR and on-site GPS data collection deliver superior accuracy, usability, and long-term value. Cemetery operators seeking the most reliable mapping solution should prioritize cemetery GPR and GPS over drone cemetery mapping for better results and smoother operations.

We have helped several clients who came to us after their drone mapping projects did not deliver the results they expected. Contact us today find out more about our services and for a free quote.

Find more resources for preserving and managing your cemetery HERE.

The post Why Drone Cemetery Mapping is Not the Answer appeared first on ViaVista Mapping.

In an industry where history, tradition, and precision matter, digital mapping of cemeteries is transforming the way cemeteries manage their operations and improve sales. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as ground-penetrating radar for cemeteries (GPR cemetery mapping) and web-based GIS platforms, cemeteries can enhance record-keeping, streamline plot sales, and ensure efficient space management.

The Importance of Cemetery Mapping

Converting to a digital burial plot map provides a detailed, digital representation of burial plots, pathways, and available spaces. Traditionally, cemeteries have relied on paper records and outdated maps, leading to inefficiencies, misplaced records, and difficulties in locating gravesites. With advanced mapping solutions, cemetery managers can modernize their operations, ensuring greater accuracy and efficiency.

How Cemetery Mapping Improves Operations

1. Accurate Record-Keeping – Digital burial plot maps eliminates errors commonly associated with paper records. By using GIS to map a cemetery, cemeteries can store detailed information, including burial dates, occupant details, and ownership records, ensuring data integrity and easy retrieval.
2. Ground Penetrating Radar for Cemeteries – GPR cemetery mapping is a crucial tool in identifying unmarked or lost graves. This non-invasive technology detects underground anomalies, helping cemetery managers locate remains without disturbing the ground, ensuring historical preservation and regulatory compliance.
3. Optimized Space Management – Many cemeteries face challenges related to space constraints. By employing GIS mapping of the cemetery, cemeteries can visualize available plots, plan for future expansion, and maximize land usage efficiently.
4. Enhanced Customer Service – Digital burial plot map solutions provide families with interactive tools to locate loved ones with ease. Digital maps can be accessed online, reducing the burden on cemetery staff and enhancing the overall visitor experience.

Boosting Sales with Cemetery Mapping Technology

Beyond operational improvements, cemetery mapping also plays a key role in boosting plot sales.

1. Improved Plot Visualization – Using a web-based GIS platform allows potential buyers to view available plots digitally, making it easier to choose a final resting place that meets their preferences.
2. Transparent Sales Process – Digital maps eliminate confusion and miscommunication by providing clear, real-time information about plot availability and pricing.
3. Marketing Advantage – Cemeteries that offer modern, technology-driven solutions stand out in a competitive market. By showcasing cemetery mapping capabilities, cemeteries can appeal to tech-savvy consumers and differentiate themselves from traditional competitors.

The Future of Cemetery Management

As the demand for cemetery space increases, the need for advanced mapping solutions will continue to grow. Investing in services to map your cemetery with GPR and GIS not only ensures better management and customer satisfaction but also enhances sales and revenue opportunities.

Cemeteries that embrace digital transformation will be well-positioned for long-term success, offering families the assurance of a well-maintained, efficiently managed final resting place. Whether improving record-keeping, optimizing space, or streamlining sales, using technology to map your cemetery is an essential tool for the modern cemetery.

See examples of burial plot maps HERE

Contact us today find out more about our services and for a free quote.

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Why Convert to Digital Cemetery Mapping?

Even if you’re comfortable with your current record keeping process, there are several critical reasons that you should digitize your cemetery map.

1) Digital Cemetery Mapping will Simplify and Improve Your Internal Process

Managing paper records is cumbersome. Most cemeteries have a massive catalog of cards or record books, as well as a pdf map that takes forever to load and multiple spreadsheets that must each be updated whenever a lot is sold. Updating these records whenever there is a purchase or burial is time consuming. And only one staff member can use the records at a time. A digital cemetery map streamlines many aspects of your internal process, allowing staff to waste less time on data entry or paging through records and invest more time into interacting with families.

2) Make Your Records Searchable

Depending on your process, searching for a particular record can be time consuming, especially if you need to go back many years. As interest in genealogy grows, many cemeteries have noticed an increase in requests for burial locations of people who died a long time ago. Finding the answers they’re looking for can take a lot of valuable staff time, but making them available online can not only save that time, but put you in front of a much bigger online audience for marketing your cemetery property and services. Once your cemetery map is digitized, this information will be at your fingertips in just a few seconds, allowing you to improve your response time and provide excellent customer service. If your cemetery’s been digitally mapped, you can even add a page to your website for visitors to conduct their own burial record searches. And when you need information for yourself, you can find it just as quickly.

3) Transform Family Service

Customer expectations have changed greatly over the past few years. With advances in technology, customers want a modern experience including faster service and more opportunity to shop online. Digitized cemetery mapping will streamline your cemetery’s business processes, so you can serve your families in a more efficient way. Having a digital cemetery map dramatically simplifies the sales process as property and merchandise can be quickly searched for and added to a contract, and reports can be easily generated. Families can search burial records on a computer from the comfort of their own homes, or on a smartphone as they walk through the cemetery. All of these efficiencies free up staff time to focus less on administrative tasks and even more on an excellent customer experience.

Digital cemetery mapping streamlines many aspects of your internal process, allowing staff to waste less time on data entry or paging through records and invest more time into interacting with families.

4) Decrease Error and Missing Records through Digital Cemetery Mapping

Paper recordkeeping typically involves documenting every sale or burial in multiple places. This provides a lot of opportunity for human error. Each set of records may have duplicate or conflicting information that may not come to light for years. Once a mistake is found, it can be hard to determine which record is correct. It’s also easy to misplace paper records. Files can get unfiled and never put back, losing that information forever. Even misfiling can cause headaches. And when cemetery managers or office staff change, there can be undiscovered gaps in information as different processes are implemented. Digitizing your cemetery map can bring those gaps to light and allow you to create a simple and straightforward process for current and future staff.

5) Protect Your Records Against Loss

No matter how careful you are with your paper records, accidents can happen. A fire or a flood – or an accidentally triggered sprinkler system – can catastrophically wipe out all your records in minutes, leaving you with an enormous mess. On a smaller scale, individual cards or pages could be misplaced or damaged. All it takes is a spilled cup of coffee to make a few records unreadable. Storing digital records on a secure, cloud based server will keep your cemetery documentation safe even if you have computer problems.

6) Protect Your Records Against Wear and Time

Even if you keep your records locked in a fireproof vault, paper gets fragile and yellowed as it ages, and ink fades. Think of the lengths the National Archives goes to to protect the Declaration of Independence and other old documents. It isn’t cost effective to lock your record books in a climate controlled glass chamber. It’s not practical either, when you need to access those records on a regular basis. But the more you handle your records, the more the pages may get dogeared or start to crumble around the edges. If paper is smudged or torn, information could be lost forever. But digital records don’t age, and they don’t take up physical space to store.

Digitizing your cemetery map protects you against loss, degradation, and human error. Modernizing your record keeping process also decreases the amount of time your staff needs to complete common tasks and allows you to respond more quickly to customer requests. Via Vista will put our significant knowledge of the cemetery practices while partnering with you to convert your existing records into an interactive digital cemetery map. To get started, contact us today.

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Cemetery Burial Plot Map: Different Types

Accurate mapping to generate a reliable burial plot map is essential for the successful preservation and management of any cemetery. In addition, the way in which the mapping is done can have a huge impact on that.

There have been many different approaches to cemetery mapping over the years. Some of the most commonly used being paper records and logbooks, spreadsheets and databases and more recently, cloud-based mapping software.

While these methods all have their place, there are many advantages to the newer, advanced approaches that can provide many benefits.

• Paper Records and Logbooks
  This method was the most used in the past. Cemetery caretakers usually large logbooks or record journals in the form of binders, books, handwritten or drawn notes and maps. This format however is very time consuming, unreliable and easily lost or damaged.
  
• Databases and Spreadsheets
  While this method is arguably more reliable than paper, there are many drawbacks to this type of mapping. Firstly, the spreadsheets do not visually represent the cemetery grounds. Nor do they incorporate any imagery or burial link records and are very difficult to attach any important information to such as deeds, images and invoices.
  
• Digital cemetery mapping
  This advanced cloud-based GIS cemetery mapping platform is used to integrate information from the old paper and spreadsheet formats. This creates a powerful single database with interactive digital maps. Easy access of records and storage of data, images and custom reports allows for a streamlined, more efficient and accurate process.
  
  
• A plot map is a vitally important component of any cemetery. Investing in the right digital mapping software can provide many benefits and advantages.
  
• Burial plot map for visitors
  Creates an accurate grave map that helps visitors to navigate the cemetery. In addition, they can quickly and easily locate the grave they are looking for.
  
• Accuracy
  Keep precise, up to date and clear records that are easier to manage and help to avoid errors and mistakes from occurring. Unquestionably, this also reduces the amount of time spent having to look through, search and double check paper documents or spreadsheets which can be extremely time consuming.
  
• Risk Mitigation
  Mistakes can be extremely distressing and upsetting for everyone involved. With unreliable mapping methods, double bookings of plots, burials in the wrong plot and the sale of already allocated plots can occur, leaving you open to a legal action. Digital mapping technology can provide complete peace of mind by pinpointing exact locations with unrivalled accuracy.
  
• Protecting Records
  Protecting your records is essential to preserve the history of the cemetery as well as all of your important data, information and burial locations. In the unfortunate event that a fire, flooding, technology malfunctions or natural disaster were to occur, it could mean that everything is lost for good. However, with cloud-based records and cemetery mapping, everything is safe and can be accessed securely from any mobile device.
  
• Inventory and Sales
  This software means that managers and employees can quickly and easily locate available plots with inventory shown in real time to eliminate any confusion over availability or the potential for mistakes and duplicate sales.

Why are Digital Cemetery Burial Plot Maps So Important? 

• A plot map is a vitally important component of any cemetery. Investing in the right digital mapping software can provide many benefits and advantages.
  
• Burial plot map for visitors
  Creates an accurate grave map that helps visitors to navigate the cemetery. Also, they can quickly and easily locate the grave they are looking for.
  
• Accuracy
  Keep precise, up to date and clear records that are easier to manage and help to avoid errors and mistakes from occurring. In addition, this reduces the amount of time spent having to look through, search and double check paper documents or spreadsheets which can be extremely time consuming.
  
• Risk Mitigation
  Mistakes can be extremely distressing and upsetting for everyone involved. With unreliable mapping methods, double bookings of plots, burials in the wrong plot, the sale of already allocated plots can occur, leaving you open to a legal action. Digital mapping technology can provide complete peace of mind by pinpointing exact locations with unrivalled accuracy.
  
• Protecting Records
  Protecting your records is essential to preserve the history of the cemetery as well as all of your important data, information and burial locations. Cloud-based records and cemetery mapping provide secure access to everything from any mobile device ensuring safety in the unfortunate event of a fire, flooding, technology malfunctions, or natural disaster.
  
• Inventory and Sales
  This software means that managers and employees can quickly and easily locate available plots with inventory shown in real time. In turn, this eliminates any confusion over availability or the potential for mistakes and duplicate sales.

A burial plot map will assist cemetery managers with planning and development of the memorial grounds. They also provide a clear and concise way for guests to find their loved one’s final resting places in real time. 

Contact us today for a free quote.

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Digital cemetery mapping by ViaVista Mapping will begin in June starting with collecting field data and finishing with generating digital cemetery maps for the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery.

According to a service agreement with the city, digital cemetery mapping services will include scanning for sub-surface anomalies and unmarked burials using cemetery ground penetrating radar scanning.

Cemetery GPR scanning can also detect disturbed soil caused by wooden or metal caskets, voids in the earth with little to no surviving skeletal remains, ceremonial burial objects, vaults, improperly positioned or unmarked graves, and underground utilities.

Scott Field, a ViaVista technician who remotely attended the City Council’s May 7 meeting, said the onsite process will begin the first week of June.

Field will use the radar to identify unmarked burial locations and anomalies and use dissolvable paint to mark each anomalous site. He will also place a flag at the approximate center of each identified location.

When the initial process for the entire 10.8 acre cemetery is complete, Field will return with satellite GPS to record exact coordinates for every flagged location and sites that already have a headstone or other marker.

Field said it could take up to 90 days to develop a digital map publicly accessible via a website. In addition, the company will provide printable map files suitable for large-scale architectural prints.

After completion, the digital cemetery map will be searchable and shareable online. In addition, the city may post a printed QR code at the cemetery.

“Visitors looking for burial sites will be able to use their phone or other device to scan the code and identify exact locations. No more wandering the cemetery searching for an ancestor or loved one,” he said.

According to the service agreement, digital cemetery mapping services will cost $52,775, a portion of which will be covered by grant from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The city’s coronavirus recovery funds should cover the remainder.

The mapping agreement was approved April 16 by the City Council, which took up the subject during a September 2023 meeting.

“Several people want to see the cemetery kiosk updated,” Councilwoman Michelle Plumb said during a September meeting. “We need to know where everything’s located to make an accurate map.”

From the Ritzville Adams County Journal

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In recent years, cemetery tourism or Tombstone Tourism, has seen a boom. The growing interest in genealogy has encouraged people to hunt out cemeteries in search of their ancestors. Finding ancestors’ burials is part of unearthing their family tree and stories.

The fascination with learning about family roots and, with it, fascinating tales of family histories has made people obsessed with cemeteries. People are visiting and photographing cemeteries, memorials, and headstones and sharing this information online. On the other hand, some people are interested in the architecture, art, culture, and historical examples that are found within cemeteries. Each grave site and headstone mark the cultural norms of the day, religious preferences, and a hint of the personality and belief of the deceased.

This unprecedented interest and fascination have reshaped the business of cemeteries, particularly in three ways. There is a wealth of history stored within graveyards which is not always visible but can be made more evident and easy to find with the help of a graveyard map.

Digital Tourism

The in-person visits to cemeteries are less than the exposure of online interest they have received. It is for this reason, many cemeteries are in the process of digitizing their records of the details of all burials and memorials. This information is then published for all to see, making it easy to search for the deceased records.

If the cemetery maintains a website, they can place this information online through various registers and links to the major genealogy sites. The ease with which people would be able to navigate the cemetery will give your business new exposure.

By utilizing social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you can allow your business to be directly connected to the family of those buried, to the community, and to those interested in taphophiles. Direct access to the audience helps you in promoting your activities and events.

Digital Mapping

With a digital graveyard map, plots or memorials within site can be identified. There might be hand-drawn plans for your cemetery; however, these legacy maps are frequently not accurate and are out of date. Digital mapping pins each plot to the location to a set GPS coordinate that confirms the position within your grounds.

It means visitors to your cemetery are able to negotiate the ground to find the location they are looking for. It is similar to visiting a graveyard and using Google Maps to direct you to the site you are seeking. Similarly, a graveyard map helps visitors in geographically remote locations to view these sites.

Mapping also allows cemeteries to identify points of interest. The maps are a vital tool to manage inventory within the cemetery grounds by being able to point out the occupied, pre-sold, and free plots.

Cemetery Tourism

Many large or historically significant cemeteries offer tours now since they provide an authentic insight into the beliefs and culture at the time of the death. There are centuries of history behind the symbolism seen at these sites. The statues, mementos, and shrines reiterate the promise of eternal life.

This has encouraged even small cemeteries and local government bodies to renew their interest in cemeteries. It allows them to promote the sites as part of their local attractions and events. The events include Memorial Day remembrances, Veterans Day honors, as well as Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day celebrations.

Initially, cemeteries were designed as places for visitors and mourners to honor and remember the departed. With the change toward cemeteries and the death industry, it is not surprising that these cemeteries and memorial gardens will be the next tourist destination.  Maintaining an accurate graveyard map enables cemetery managers to educate their communities about the unique history of the inhabitants and to satisfy the curiosity of those with an interest in history.

See examples of our digital cemetery mapping HERE.

Interested in going on a cemetery tour?

Contact us today find out more about our services and for a free quote.

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Are you in charge of a private or public cemetery?  Do you have missing or incorrect records that are causing major issues? Digital cemetery mapping services could be the answer you’re looking for.  There are numerous affordable cemetery mapping options, using state-of-the art equipment and software, that will help manage and develop your memorial grounds.  

The pricing for mapping services varies greatly between cemeteries and is dependent on several factors.  Size of the cemetery has the biggest influence on the cost for digital cemetery mapping.  Additional factors that are often considered when generating a proposal include age of the cemetery, grave density of the cemetery, tree cover, and accessibility.  Mobilization expenses vary greatly from one provider to another, depending on their geographic range.  The overall cost of services will include these factors and also the provide for maintaining equipment and software needed to generate the cemetery mapping.

Not All Cemetery Mapping Services Providers Are the Same

Having a current and accurate cemetery map is a key tool for cemetery managers, but budgets for most cemeteries are not an unlimited resource.  For cemeteries that are actively adding new burials, it becomes more of a challenge to keep the map up to date.  When contracting with a company, it’s important to address your current needs, future plans, and also enable ongoing updates to the cemetery map in order to optimize the money spent.  In addition, does the cemetery mapping services provider have experience with GPR, GPS, and building cemetery maps on a GIS platform?

How to Optimize Your Cemetery Mapping Budget

The first goal of cemetery mapping is to document the current state of the cemetery through a combination of GPR and GPS.  Another important goal of the project is to help improve the day-to-day operations of the cemetery and also provide a process for keeping the cemetery data information up to date.

Every cemetery is unique, and the approach to cemetery mapping should be focused on individual customer needs.  A services provider should start by having a conversation about your needs and then provide you with a detailed proposal that explains how the services will help you achieve your goals.

A basic cemetery mapping package includes:

• GPR:  Ground penetrating radar scans of all relevant areas of the cemetery to identify unmarked burials and significant underground anomalies. 
• GPS:  GPS collection with GNSS-enabled, high-accuracy GPS equipment to map all existing burial markers, coping areas, fences, decorative features, and other pertinent features of the cemetery.  The GPS point of each burial monument and relevant feature are collected, and burial markers and physical features are photographed.
• GIS:  The data from GPR and GPS data collected in the field is processed to create a custom, interactive and dynamic online map of the cemetery on a GIS platform using GPS and photographic data collected onsite. 
• Dynamic, interactive, and easily shared burial plot map:  The finished digital cemetery map is made available to the client via URL/online access and will be accessible from any device that has internet access.  Print capability will be enabled to facilitate pdf/paper printouts on demand at various scale settings.  In addition, large-format architectural size maps will be created and provided to the client via pdf files.

This basic cemetery mapping package provides cemetery managers with the up-to-date documentation needed to understand the current state of the cemetery, provide visitors with accurate information about burial locations, and is a good start for planning future cemetery needs.

Optional value-added comprehensive cemetery mapping services include:

• Digitizing existing plot ownership information:  Pertinent plot ownership information from existing records is incorporated into the digital cemetery map to enable visibility of ownership status for empty plots.
• Optimizing available space for additional burial plots:  The open spaces in the cemetery are evaluated for availability of additional burial plots, and the digital cemetery map and large-format prints are updated to include the newly available plots.
• Design and pinning of new cemetery mapping sections:  A burial plot layout is designed for new or undeveloped areas of the cemetery.  The burial plot layout will be consistent with existing cemetery layout and plot numbering system.  A pinning layout is developed, and aluminum survey pins are installed in the cemetery to provide guidance when excavating new burials.  The newly designed burial plot layout and pin locations are incorporated into the digital cemetery map and large-format prints.
• Periodic Updates:  New burials are added to the digital cemetery map and large-format prints at a frequency determined by cemetery management

These additional cemetery mapping options add substantial value and provide cemetery managers with the information and documentation needed to enable growth, plan for the future, and maximize the value of cemetery mapping investment dollars.

See an overview of our services HERE.

Find tips for funding preservation projects HERE.

Contact us today find out more about our services and for a free quote.

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A burial plot map is designed to allow visitors to break down the various areas of a cemetery to determine the location of a specific grave. Knowing the general location of a grave is helpful, but it still leaves you wandering around looking for your loved one’s specific gravesite.

With an accurate cemetery burial plot map, patrons are able to know the exact location of the grave they are searching for with little to no hassle. Each grave is noted by a polygon over the plot where it is located. This allows for a quick and simple search to find the correct area.

From paying respects to compiling genealogical research, cemetery burial plot maps provide an uncomplicated and easily understood diagram to help you meet your goals. Just a quick review of the map and you are already on your way.

Planning for the future of your cemetery

As most commercial memorial gardens have a finite area of real estate to work within, it is imperative to have a highly accurate cemetery burial plot map. This allows management to have a clear understanding of the space that is used versus the space that is still available.

Scaling up your cemetery’s operation can be quite difficult.  Without an accurate understanding of a graveyard’s layout, there is significant possibility of lost revenue due to wasted space.  Extremely accurate burial plot maps give you peace of mind knowing that every inch of property is considered and accounted for.

Particular care should be taken with burial plot maps to ensure nothing is lost to history. Unfortunately, due to inaccurate or lost cemetery records, many graveyards no longer have access to detailed information regarding the exact layout of their burial plots.

When creating a cemetery plot map it is of the utmost importance to have an accurate understanding of the exact placement of each grave. These plot maps are deliberately designed to break down the overall cemetery layout into more easily digestible information.

Cemetery mapping services providers who also have expertise in ground penetrating radar service can generate even more detailed mapping information that will show individual graves within a lot.  By incorporating data from ground penetrating radar services, the burial plot maps show the location of unmarked graves.

Cemetery mapping GPR can be a valuable tool when it is used in as part of a cemetery mapping service portfolio. Unlike other geophysical testing methods, cemetery mapping GPR is unique in its ability to detect some small objects, such as buried grave markers. GPR can also distinguish the depth of these objects with amazing accuracy.

Electrical conductivity plays a large role in the effectiveness of how cemetery mapping GPR works for a given area. Ground penetrating radar anomalies do not display as clearly in clay rich or wet soils. Additionally; interpreting the cemetery mapping GPR data is not easily done without specialized training, and considerable technical planning is needed during extensive field surveys.

Why GIS cemetery mapping is the best investment

Too often, because of the historic nature of cemeteries, knowledge of burals and marker conservation is documented in paper forms and the experiences of individual caretakers  Taking these historic texts and maps and combining them with GPS surveys and digital photography into a GIS cemetery mapping platform allows for better management and long-term planning.

The capability for both staff and visitors to find the location of, and information about, existing burials is probably the most important priority when discussing the development of a GIS cemetery mapping application. As with any project assessing the needs of the client during project planning is important.

GIS cemetery mapping services empowers cemeteries to offer their visitors a way to find their loved one’s exact burial location quickly.  The interactive burial plot map can be readily shared online with the public, researchers, and other stakeholders.  Additionally, cemetery management, planning, and future development become infinitely simplified. 

A GIS cemetery mapping services provider will create an accurate rendering of the cemetery’s burial plots. This easily updatable system visualizes each individual grave carefully framed out. The interactive digital burial plot map will contain information such as the decedent’s name, birth & death dates, and any military association if applicable.

These cemetery plot maps will also include burials that may not be present in your current cemetery records that were discovered through a ground pentrating radar service. These plots will be indicated with a note stating there is a high likelihood of an unmarked burial. This helps by ensuring it will not be mistakenly disturbed or double sold.

Cemetery GIS mapping platforms are used to study historical burial grounds and allow scientists to learn more about the population interred there. Many military cemeteries have implemented GIS cemetery mapping applications and are now able to forecast the number of veterans that will need to be provided for each year. This is done by using historical demographic and GIS data to make a prediction of potential current demands.

Archaeologists and historians have been using these GIS cemetery mapping platforms to study ancient burial grounds and cemeteries for years. However, the technology is now becoming more widely available for private sector use and a number of cemetery mapping service providers now offer this solution.

GIS cemetery mapping is the perfect asset management solution for developing, managing, and preserving cemeteries. It is vital to ensure careful record-keeping that will be maintained accurately for decades to come. This industry is plagued with missing, misrecorded, or destroyed records that make it difficult to effectively plan for the future.

Ensuring that cemetery records are properly maintained and updated is vital to protecting our collective heritage. With GIS cemetery mapping, caretakers can guarantee the respectful and efficient operation of their cemeteries.

See examples of our digital burial plot maps HERE.

See an overview of how to develop a burial plot map HERE.

Contact us today find out more about our services and for a free quote.

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Cemetery mapping can help address the most common problems for cemetery managers. Is your cemetery struggling with one of these common mapping issues? We’ve got you covered.

Relying on aging paper maps

Cemeteries are historic institutions. Their paper maps? Important historical documents.

As with any aging documents, cemetery maps must be handled with care. If you’re relying on older maps for day-to-day cemetery business, it’s time to invest in a back-up plan. Paper maps can be a big liability for cemeteries. Old maps, deeds, and other important records are susceptible to damage. It’s essential to look ahead—just in case these records get lost or worn down.

Pro tip: Plan for the future. Moving from paper maps to digital ones means that you’ve covered your bases in the case of an emergency. Plus, going paperless makes records more accessible for cemetery staff and can reduce storage costs.

Not having authoritative, up-to-date cemetery mapping

Too many cemeteries rely on several maps instead of having one authoritative and accurate map for all cemetery staff to reference.

Here’s the problem: Over time, these competing maps mutate. Burials are added to some but not to others. Notes and reminders fill the margins.

When important information is spread across sources, it isn’t very useful. Not everyone knows which map (or maps) are up to date. There’s no single source of truth for your cemetery.

This confusion makes it difficult to help grieving families quickly and efficiently. Cemetery staff have to decipher which plots have been sold and which ones are available in real time. Conflicting logbook entries distract them from the task at hand.

Pro tip: With cloud-based cemetery mapping, everyone’s changes are reflected on a single, up-to-date digital map. Cemeterians can rest easy knowing that their records are accurate, secure, and stored in one place.

Using spreadsheets as cemetery maps

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for mathematics and modeling, but it isn’t an all-in-one cemetery mapping solution. Spreadsheets are great for equations but not so great for solving cemetery problems.

How do you accurately map grave locations in an Excel workbook?

How do you account for unique cemetery features and anomalies?

Oftentimes, the answer to all these questions is that you don’t. The truth is that spreadsheets can’t offer many real-time cemetery insights. They make it hard to collaborate. They make it hard to visualize changes. In the end, organized chaos is still chaos. While a spreadsheet may look neat and tidy, it won’t look like your cemetery.

Pro tip: Online cemetery mapping software provides in-the-moment information on which plots have been sold and which ones are available. The best part? Your cemetery is your map. All ownership, interment, and marker data are linked to the corresponding plots.

Trusting incomplete cemetery records 

For older cemeteries, keeping accurate and complete records is a nearly impossible task. Lost graves. Submerged headstones. Unmarked burials. These anomalies often don’t show up in cemetery records—but they’re all part of your cemetery. They affect which spaces can and cannot be sold.

Think there are gaps in your records? It’s important to do your due diligence. Incomplete records mean incomplete maps. And bad maps don’t capture the current reality of your cemetery.

Pro tip: Ground penetrating radar (also known as GPR) helps cemeteries fill gaps in records and improve maps. Plus, with GPR, cemeterians can potentially identify new sellable plots.

Not sharing cemetery maps with the public

There’s no way around it: Cemetery mapping is a big investment. One of the best ways to improve your cemetery’s ROI is to take advantage of the many features that come with digital cemetery mapping. If you’ve transitioned to digital cemetery mapping but aren’t sharing your mapping capabilities with the public, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity.

Cloud-based cemetery maps give cemeteries a chance to expand their service offerings. Are you marketing walk-to-grave GPS navigation? Are you sharing available grave locations online to prepare customers for purchases? Nowadays, the families cemeteries serve are technologically literate. These features and services allow cemetery staff to meet customers where they are.

Pro tip: With digital cemetery mapping, you can share the map URL with your stakeholders and the public.

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Visiting a graveyard wasn’t always reserved for those in mourning. Many historic cemeteries were designed as a park-like setting to welcome families onto the grounds and were meant to be explored. People once flocked to cemeteries for picnics and to socialize. The Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio is one such cemetery. Often referred to as the city’s “outdoor art museum,” walking, jogging, and driving through the cemetery is acceptable. There’s also another option to welcome tourists, a Sunday trolley is offered during the summer months that touches on many of the architectural and historical highlights of the cemetery.

Wandering through a graveyard or taking a guided tour allows us to learn more about the people who lived before us. We can reflect on the changing customs and attitudes about the hereafter. Today, people visit cemeteries for a number of reasons. They may study genealogy, or love photography. Maybe they like the architecture of the stones and monuments you find on the grounds. They may enjoy reading the endearing epitaphs or comparing the differences between an historic cemetery and a memorial park.

Most cemeteries welcome the public at no charge and many offer maps, brochures, smartphone apps, audio tours, or guided tours that highlight notable graves, statues, monuments, chapels and other architectural structures. There are also many books that have been written on the topic in recent years. Digital cemetery mapping provides a platform to facilitate cemetery tours.

Around Halloween, a number of cemeteries will raise a few hairs with events that illuminate the sometimes dark and tortured backstories of the buried. D.C.’s Congressional Cemetery, for one, organizes “Murder and Mayhem: Tragic Deaths at Congressional Cemetery” walking tours. Volunteers in period dress channel the personalities residing in the 19th-century Cedar Rest Cemetery in Bay Saint Louis, Miss. Docents also don costumes on the “Capturing the Spirit of Oakland” tour in Atlanta. However, the Georgia cemetery reassures the easily spooked that the tour is “designed to enlighten rather than frighten.”

“Cemeteries are a place of joy and a celebration of the dead,” said Mary Margaret Fernandez, program outreach coordinator with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “They tell the story of people.”

Out of respect for residents and their loved ones, many cemeteries limit the activities permitted inside their gates. Mount Auburn doesn’t allow biking, running, dog-walking or picnicking. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 prohibits two New Orleans staples: food and booze. Bonaventure has an incredibly specific rule: No sitting on Conrad Aiken’s bench and drinking a bottle of wine with the Savannah author and poet laureate.

Cemeteries hold cultural and historical significance. They can tell you inspirational stories about the community in the past. You may visit the library or use the internet to seek historical information about particular things. Alternatively, you can also go to the museum and read the biographies of inspirational figures. However, cemetery tourism offers you something different. It will give you different perspectives you cannot get from any kind of learning space. Today, cemeteries are more than a place of reflection. They are a place of beauty and a place of history.

Read more about cemetery tourism.

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