Preserving History,
Healing Hearts,
Nurturing Nature
Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to honoring the past, supporting the present, and inspiring the future through preservation, education, and community engagement.
Please Help Us Preserve a Living Treasure
Help Save a Living Treasure BCA is home to the largest Franklin tree in the St. Louis region, but severe weather has left this rare, historic specimen in critical danger. Watch our video to see the structural support it urgently needs and learn how your gift can protect this beautiful piece of botanical history.
Welcome to Friends of Bellefontaine
The Friends of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum is dedicated to preserving and enhancing one of St. Louis's most vital historical, cultural, and ecological treasures.
Bellefontaine is more than just a cemetery; it's a living museum, a Level III Accredited Arboretum, and a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As a peaceful green space for the entire community, your support ensures that this irreplaceable landscape, its priceless history, and its educational programs thrive for generations to come.
What We Do
The Friends of Bellefontaine work tirelessly to honor the past, care for the present, and invest in the future of this treasured landscape.
Healing Hearts
Our Angels Rest offers free burials for infants and small children whose families face unexpected loss and financial hardship, providing dignity and peace.
Living History
We preserve and digitize hundreds of thousands of historical maps, documents, and records dating back to the 1800s—safeguarding the stories of St. Louis.
Nature Preserved
As a registered arboretum, we steward over 600 species of trees and maintain beautiful gardens that serve as peaceful sanctuaries for the entire community.
Connection
Through tours, educational programs, and volunteer opportunities, we invite everyone to explore and appreciate this irreplaceable cultural treasure.
Make a Gift
Right now, your generosity can make an immediate difference. We are focused on developing BCA's Arboretum and trail system, preserving our archives, expanding educational programming, and supporting Angels Rest. Every contribution directly impacts our ability to protect, restore, and share this beautiful place.
Angels Rest
There is no greater tragedy than the loss of a small child. Through our Angels Rest initiative, the Friends provide the sacred, final resting place for infants and small children whose families are facing unexpected loss and financial hardship. Burials in this space are offered completely free of charge.
This is the heart of our mission: offering comfort, dignity, and a place for perpetual memory during a family's most difficult time. Your gifts ensure this profoundly compassionate service remains available whenever a family needs it. The illustration shown here represents our vision for a future sanctuary of reflection and healing; please help us realize this mission by becoming a Friend today.
Engage
Share Your Talent with BCA
BCA thrives thanks to the passion of our volunteers. We are looking for greeters, guides, gardeners, and researchers to help us preserve and celebrate Bellefontaine. Whether you want to share your knowledge or work in the gardens, your unique talents are welcome here. Get involved today and make a difference!
