Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Illinois Forest Park Haymarket Martyrs Monument

Haymarket Martyrs Monument

Chicago’s incendiary role in the labor movement.

Forest Park, Illinois

Added By
Tim Stafford
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The memorial.   timstafford78 (Atlas Obscura User)
Haymarket Martyrs Monument.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
Haymarket Martyr’s Monument.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
Haymarket Martyr’s Monument.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
The back of the monument.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
Haymarket Martyrs Monument.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn’s marker.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
Emma Goldman’s grave.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
National Historic Marker.   Tim Stafford / Atlas Obscura User
Monument with the Chapel behind   joevalesh / Atlas Obscura User
  ravenhearts89 / Atlas Obscura User
Haymarket Martyrs Monument   joevalesh / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Haymarket Martyr’s Monument in Forest Home Cemetery (formerly Waldheim Cemetery) is a tribute to the anarchists who were executed for their alleged roles in the Haymarket bombing of 1886 that left several police officers dead and many others injured. Though there was never any proof of their involvement, August Spies, Adolph Fischer, Albert Parsons, Louis Lingg, and George Engel were sentenced to death for the bombing.

The day before his execution, Louis Lingg committed suicide by detonating a bomb in his mouth. The other four were hung on November 11th, 1887 despite pleas and protests against the injustice.

Since no cemetery in Chicago would allow the martyrs to be buried within, they were placed in Waldheim Cemetery. There was some reluctance, but the cemetery’s policy accepted everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, or politics.

On June 23, 1893, thanks to Lucy Parsons (widow of Parsons) and the Pioneer Aid and Support Association, the Haymarket Martyrs Monument was dedicated. On the front of the granite monument is the imposing figure of a woman representing justice standing over a fallen worker. The bottom of the 16-foot monument features the final words of August Spies: “The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are throttling today.”

On the back of the monument is a bronze plaque that displays the decree by Governor John P. Altgeld that granted an absolute pardon to the remaining defendants convicted of participating in the Haymarket bombing. Michael Shwab, Oscar Neebe, and Samuel Fielden are represented on a plaque above the names of the five martyrs. Schwab and Neebe have their remains nearby and Fielden is the only one not buried at Forest Home.

In 1997, the monument was added to the Register of Historic Places, which usually does not commemorate graves. It was refurbished to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Haymarket in 2011.

An unintended effect of the monument was the desire for labor activists, radicals, and anarchists to be buried close by. Next to the monument is a series of grave sites referred to as “Radical Row.” There you will find the markers of notable activists such as Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Lucy Parsons, and Sylvia Woods amongst many others. Most notable is the grave of anarchist Emma Goldman. Her tombstone stands out because it's much taller than the others and features a bas relief by sculptor Jo Davidson.

Related Tags

Anarchy Monuments Crime Crime And Punishment Bombs Explosions Suicide Labor Graveyards Cemeteries Gravestones Graves

Know Before You Go

If you go: Forest Home Cemetery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cemetery is located just off the 290 expressway and is walking distance from the CTA Blue Line Forest Park stop. When you enter the main entrance, stay to the left and you will see signs directing you to the monument. The monument will be on the right hand side across from the chapel.

Community Contributors

Added By

Tim Stafford

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, ravenhearts89, joevalesh

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • ravenhearts89
  • joevalesh

Published

August 29, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • illinoislaborhistory.org
  • iww.org
Haymarket Martyrs Monument
850 Desplaines Ave
Forest Park, Illinois
United States
41.870687, -87.816797
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Showmen’s Rest

Forest Park, Illinois

miles away

Underground Railroad Memorial at McDonald's

Maywood, Illinois

miles away

Fred Hampton Pool

Maywood, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Illinois

Illinois

United States

Places 368
Stories 18

Nearby Places

Showmen’s Rest

Forest Park, Illinois

miles away

Underground Railroad Memorial at McDonald's

Maywood, Illinois

miles away

Fred Hampton Pool

Maywood, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Illinois

Illinois

United States

Places 368
Stories 18

Related Places

  • Joe Byrd Cemetery

    Huntsville, Texas

    Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery

    Inmates dig the graves at the largest prison cemetery in the U.S., the final resting place of both cowboys and Indians.

  • Moriarty Monument.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Moriarty Monument

    The tallest monument in a historic New Orleans cemetery was prompted by romance and dash of pettiness.

  •  Lychakiv Cemetery.

    Lviv, Ukraine

    Lychakiv Cemetery

    Monumental sculptures guard many of the graves, transforming this necropolis into an open-air fine art museum.

  • Grave of the unidentified S.S. Valencia victims.

    Seattle, Washington

    Mount Pleasant Cemetery

    This graveyard contains markers and monuments dedicated to some of the darkest chapters in Washington's history.

  • Confederate Mound.

    Chicago, Illinois

    Confederate Mound

    The final resting place of up to 6,000 Confederate soldiers, the largest mass grave in the Western Hemisphere.

  • José Alfredo Jiménez’s mausoleum in Dolores Hidalgo.

    Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico

    Mausoleum of José Alfredo Jiménez

    A tomb in the shape of a traditional Mexican hat and shawl for the father of modern rancheras.

  • An overgrown path.

    Prague, Czechia

    Olšany Cemetery

    Walk through Czech history in Prague's largest graveyard.

  • People place pennies on the blank headstone.

    Baltimore, Maryland

    Grave of John Wilkes Booth

    A blank headstone topped with a pile of pennies marks the final resting place of the infamous assassin.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.