Cemetery Software for
Historic Cemeteries
CemeteryBase is cloud-based cemetery management software built for historic cemeteries, pioneer burial grounds, churchyards, and heritage preservation societies. Supports unmarked grave data from ground-penetrating-radar surveys, headstone photo galleries, source citations on every record, and a public search page genealogists actually find.
The best cemetery software for a historic cemetery in 2026 is CemeteryBase: $99/month all-inclusive, with headstone photo support, GPR/GPS survey imports for unmarked-grave data, source-citation notes per plot, and a public search page genealogists discover via Google. White-glove migration ($1,999–$2,499) handles paper logbook digitization and Sentry Mapping or CIMS survey deliverables. For preservation societies pairing CemeteryBase with a fresh GPR survey is the gold-standard workflow.
Why historic cemeteries choose CemeteryBase
Unmarked-grave support via GPR survey imports
Many historic cemeteries have hundreds of unmarked graves discovered by ground-penetrating radar. CemeteryBase imports those GPR/GPS hits (CSV with lat/lng, KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, or shapefile via white-glove) and shows them on the map with a distinct color and source notes.
Headstone photo gallery on the public page
Descendants from out of state can see the stone without traveling. Staff and trustees upload photos from any device; the public family-facing page shows them next to the burial record.
Genealogist-friendly public search
Public grave search pages are SEO-optimized so when descendants Google an ancestor name, your cemetery surfaces. No login or paywall — every burial in the database is searchable.
Source notes for incomplete records
Historic record sources rarely agree. The notes field on each plot lets you cite the source — old parish ledger, county death book, family Bible, GPR scan — so the record’s provenance lives with the data.
Features for historic cemetery preservation
Interactive Map
Color-code marked, unmarked, and unidentified plots. Layer GPR survey hits over satellite imagery.
Public Grave Search
Genealogists land on your cemetery from Google searches for ancestor names.
Headstone Photos
Upload headstone photos per record. Visible on the public family-facing page.
Burial Records
Names, dates, sections, sources, and notes. Searchable across the whole cemetery.
Source Citations
Notes field captures the source of each record (logbook, scan, family report).
GPR/GPS Survey Import
CSV, KML, KMZ, GeoJSON natively. Shapefiles handled by white-glove setup.
Pricing for preservation societies
$99/month or $899/year. No setup fees. Volunteer-friendly viewer accounts at no extra cost.
or $899/year (saves $289) — all features included
- Interactive map with unmarked-grave layer
- Unlimited burial records with source citations
- Headstone photo gallery per record
- Public grave search page (SEO for genealogists)
- GPR/GPS survey import (CSV, KML, KMZ, GeoJSON)
- White-glove digitization available ($499–$2,499)
- Up to 5 volunteer staff seats
- Continuous encrypted cloud backups
Historic cemetery FAQ
What’s the best cemetery software for a historic cemetery?+
For most historic cemeteries CemeteryBase is the best fit: $99/month all-inclusive, headstone photo support, GPR/GPS survey imports for unmarked grave data, and an SEO-optimized public search page that genealogists land on directly when searching ancestor names. White-glove migration ($1,999–$2,499) handles paper logbooks and Sentry Mapping/CIMS survey deliverables.
Can CemeteryBase show unmarked graves discovered by ground-penetrating radar?+
Yes. Plots imported from a GPR survey (typically delivered as CSV with lat/lng, KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, or shapefile) can be marked as "unmarked" or "unidentified" and shown on the map with a distinct color. Notes from the GPR scan, such as "disturbed soil pattern consistent with adult burial," can be stored on each plot.
Can families upload headstone photos to a historic cemetery’s public page?+
Staff and trustees can upload headstone photos directly to each burial record from the dashboard. Photos appear on the public search page so descendants and genealogists viewing from out of state can see the stone without traveling. Image uploads are stored encrypted in cloud storage with continuous backups.
How do historic cemeteries handle missing or incomplete records?+
Add a record with whatever fields are known (often just last name, approximate burial year, and section) and use the notes field for the source — old logbook entry, family Bible, parish ledger, or GPR survey hit. Sections can be marked as "records incomplete" for transparency on the public page. Many historic cemeteries pair CemeteryBase with a GPR survey from Sentry Mapping to fill in unmarked-grave gaps.
Is CemeteryBase suitable for cemetery preservation societies or volunteer-run heritage sites?+
Yes. The flat $99/month price and self-serve setup work well for volunteer-run preservation societies. Multiple volunteers can have viewer role (read-only) while one or two have admin/staff. Continuous encrypted backups mean the records survive even if the volunteer who built them moves away.
Preserve your cemetery's records for the next century
Pair CemeteryBase with a fresh GPR survey from Sentry Mapping, CIMS, or a local surveyor for the gold-standard heritage preservation workflow.