Entry No. 11 — the Milwaukee file — filed under: cemetery

Calvary Cemetery

Established in 1857 as Milwaukee's first official Catholic burial ground, this hillside cemetery features an 1897 Victorian Gothic gatehouse and graves of Irish immigrants lost in the catastrophic 1860 Lady Elgin steamboat disaster on Lake Michigan.

The move: Walk up Jesuit Hill to admire the cream-brick chapel and search the older burial plots for weathered gravestones inscribed with 'Lost on the Lady Elgin.'

📍 Merrill Park
💸 $$
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Indoors

Where: 5503 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53213

Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.

#cemetery #shipwreck history #forgotten disasters #victorian architecture #morbid history

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · urbanmilwaukee.com

last checked: 2026-07-21