Hillsborough County, not typically the first place you'd think of when it comes to the afterlife, holds more than meets the eye. Graveyards with a twist are the name of the game here, where the history-rich Tampa region harbors the final acts of extraordinary lives—circus performers and governors alike. Take the Showmen's Rest Cemetery, where carnival workers from the "Sideshow Capital of the World" find their ultimate repose.
In the Riverside Heights neighborhood, a stone's throw from where sideshow artists once wintered, lies the Showmen's Rest, neighbored by Woodlawn Cemetery. It's the stuff of local legend and historic fabric. Among its permanent residents are Grady Stiles, aka "Lobster Boy," and "The Human Cannonball," Edmondo Zacchini, according to Hillsborough County's website.
On a more traditional front, the tandem of Oaklawn and St. Louis Cemetery anchors Tampa's mortal lore. Oaklawn, established back in 1850, holds diverse narratives, encapsulating Tampa's multifaceted history. Rested here are figures from every echelon of society—pirates, mobsters, judges, and leaders, including thirteen mayors and one state governor. Not just that, but mass graves speak silently of bygone epidemics and unremembered sailors, a headstone for "29 sea captains and marines" serves as a humble nod to these lives lost.
Then there’s Big Cockroach Mound, rising from the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve. This isn't your everyday cemetery, but a pre-Columbian midden, dating back over a millennium. The WPA's 1930s excavations there turned up young children's remains; these findings are more than just bones—they're chapters in the region's earliest stories, the tale of a community, now protected as part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
If these sites pique your interest for their blend of history, and the unmistakable fingerprint of time—good news: While Big Cockroach Mound isn't open for walk-up traffic, views are well within reach from the adjacent nature preserve. For those with an itch to see where the great equalizer—death—puts everyone on the same level, a visit to Showmen's Rest or Oaklawn and St. Louis Cemetery can be put on the itinerary. For details on public accessibility and historical context, turn to the county's website. Remember, cemeteries are not just for the dead—but for the living to remember, reflect and recognize the narratives that stitched the fabric of today's community.
