Bellefontaine Cemetery
4947 West Florissant Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri
314-381-0750
Upon completion of the Expedition, William Clark was appointed Brigadier General of Militia and Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Louisiana Territory by President Thomas Jefferson. This position included dealing with the population growth of the new territory, ambitious government officials, scheming businessmen, and relations with Native Americans. Clark held this post for nearly 30 years and he made Saint Louis his home. Clark married twice, having five children by his first wife, and after a brief illness, died on September 1, 1838, at the age of 69 in the home of his son on Broadway near the St. Louis riverfront. Following a grand funeral procession that was over a mile long, Clark was buried with Masonic and military honors outside the city, on the farm of his nephew, Colonel John O'Fallon.
Today the gravesite is incorporated within the boundaries of Bellefontaine Cemetery. A son by his second wife, Jefferson Kearny, bequeathed money for a monument over the grave, which was erected in 1904. This elaborate granite obelisk also features a bust of the explorer and an inscription that reads: "SOLDIER, EXPLORER, STATESMAN AND PATRIOT. HIS LIFE IS WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF HIS COUNTRY." The cemetery is also the final resting site for other famous people including influential Senator Thomas Hart Benton, Anheuser Busch Brewery founder Adolphus Busch, bridge builder James Eads, kindergarten innovator Susan Blow, and poet Sara Teasdale. Maps and information on self guided tours of the grounds are available at the office to guide visitors to the notable gravesites.
Visit our special Lewis and Clark Section to learn more about the Corps of Discovery’s experience during their stay in the Middle Mississippi River Valley. greatriverroad.com’s special coverage includes information on all of the region’s sites and events as well as supplemental articles relating to the expedition’s experience during the winter of 1803-04.
Visiting Bellefontaine Cemetery and William Clark's grave
Visiting Hours
The cemetery gates are open daily 8 am - 5 pm
The office is open Monday - Friday: 8 am - 4 pm.
There is no charge to visit Bellefontaine Cemetery.
Visitors can pick up a self-guided tour book of nearly fifty significant gravesites at the cemetery office during business hours. A white line down the center of the roadways makes taking the tour easy.
