How to Search for Gravestone Photos on Illinois Gravestone Photo Project

The Illinois Gravestone Photo Project (illinoisgravestones.org) lets you search for gravestone and tombstone photos by name or location, or browse by cemetery and surname. Use the name or location search when you already have a specific ancestor or place in mind; use the cemetery or surname browse when you want to see what's available for an area or family line. All searching is free and no account is mentioned as required.

Starting a Search by Name or Location

1. Go to illinoisgravestones.org and select Search Gravestones from the main navigation.
2. Enter the name of the person you're looking for, or a location, into the search.
3. Review the results, which point you to gravestone records and photos matching your entry.

The site's stated purpose is to archive digital images of gravestones so inscriptions that are fading or becoming unreadable are preserved. That means a successful search gives you a photo of the stone itself, not just a text transcript.

Browsing by Cemetery or Surname

If a direct search comes up empty, or you don't know exactly where someone is buried, two browse paths cover the same collection from a different angle:

• Cemeteries — explore the collection by browsing through cemeteries. This is the better route when you know the town or burial ground but not the exact spelling of a name.
• Surnames — browse by family name to see which gravestones in the archive carry that surname.

These are alternative entry points to the same photo archive, so a name that doesn't surface in one view may still appear in another.

What the Collection Covers

The archive is organized by Illinois county, and coverage is uneven. Based on approved photos all-time, the largest county collections are:

The site reports 105,145 approved photos and 105,145 total, with 0 pending at the time of the last update (9/23/2026). If your ancestor's county isn't well represented above, expect thinner results — the project is volunteer-driven and is actively seeking volunteers to take and upload photos for many counties.

If Your Search Returns Nothing

A missing result usually means no photo has been submitted for that stone yet, not that the burial doesn't exist. Options:

• Try alternate spellings, maiden names, or just the surname through the Surnames browse.
• Check the Cemeteries browse for the burial ground directly.
• Read the Frequently Asked Questions and How Can I Volunteer? resources — if you can photograph stones in an under-covered county, you can contribute them yourself via Submit a Photo.

Related Pages on the Site

• Home — main entry point
• Search Gravestones — name and location search
• Submit a Photo — contribute images
• Cemeteries — browse by burial ground
• Surnames — browse by family name
• Resources — volunteer information and FAQ