Daniel Boone’s Grave: Visiting Sheltowee’s Final Resting Place
The grave of frontiersman Daniel Boone and his wife, Rebecca, is in Frankfort Kentucky on top of a scenic bluff overlooking the Kentucky River. Boone’s tomb is more than simply a burial site—it’s a monument to America’s pioneer past.
Visiting Daniel Boone’s Grave
Daniel Boone’s grave is in the historic Frankfort Cemetery, a peaceful graveyard established in 1844. The cemetery is easy to find, high above Kentucky’s capital.
We visited on a freezing winter morning. The cemetery had just opened as we passed through its gates. Once inside, we followed a winding road marked with yellow hash marks to Boone’s grave. It leads through rolling hills, passing intricate headstones and towering monuments that tell the story of Kentucky’s past.
A Resting Place with a View
Once we arrived and got out of the car, it was impossible not to be surprised. One of the most striking aspects of Boone’s gravesite is its breathtaking view of Frankfort and the river below. Standing there, it’s easy to imagine the rugged terrain Boone once explored, forging paths through the wilderness that would later become the foundation of westward expansion. The site is marked by an impressive monument adorned with carvings depicting scenes from Boone’s legendary exploits.
History and Controversy
Daniel Boone, a frontiersman, explorer, and folk hero, helped blaze the Wilderness Road, opening Kentucky to settlement. He passed away at his son’s home near Defiance, Missouri, in 1820 and was buried next to his wife, Rebecca, nearby.
In 1845, Kentucky claimed his remains, bringing them back to Frankfort to be interred with honors. Or at least they thought.
State officials in Missouri disputed this, arguing that Boone’s body never left their soil and folks from Frankfort took the wrong body. Daniel Boone’s first grave is marked with a monument in Marthasville, Missouri.
Nearly 200 years after his death, the Friends of Daniel Boone’s Burial Site in Missouri conceded that some of Boone’s bones were dug up and moved to Kentucky. However, they said “his heart and brain” remain where he was initially buried, as we would have wanted.
Daniel Boone’s son Nathan is said to have offered this account of his father being reinterred in Kentucky: “My father, Col. Daniel Boone, would not go. He said that when he left Kentucky, he did it with the intention of never stepping his feet upon Kentucky soil again; and, if he was compelled to lose his head on the block or revisit Kentucky, he would not hesitate to choose the former.“
This historical debate only adds to the intrigue of visiting his grave. Visiting Daniel Boone’s grave is more than just a history lesson—it’s an experience that connects you to the spirit of adventure that shaped America.
What to Do Nearby
After paying respects to Boone, take time to explore Frankfort. A short drive away, you’ll find the Kentucky State Capitol, the charming downtown historic district, and the Buffalo Trace Distillery, one of the oldest bourbon distilleries in the country.
If you do not get enough of Daniel Boone’s history at his grave, you can visit Fort Boonesborough, which he founded on April 1, 1775.
