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Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery

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Please read! Below are updates about planned construction and improvement projects that are taking place starting July 15, 2024. We encourage you to read all the details and how it will affect visitors and services over the coming year:

  1. The current SWVMC cemetery administrative building will be closed starting July 15th, 2024, for construction improvements. The construction of our new offices is expected to last until June 2025. Please note: This includes the closure of the public restrooms at our administration building as well.

  2. Our business hours remain the same during the construction: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm, excluding state holidays.

  3. All visitors and families attending services will be given instructions from their funeral directors or SWVMC staff before arrival for any interments and funeral services.

  4. During construction, our cemetery administration offices and staff will be temporarily relocated at Gates Hall (which is attached to Boland Hall and Mauer Hall) at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove. This is a short, 2-minute drive next to the cemetery grounds.

Visible temporary signage will be placed across the property during the construction period to give all visitors clear directions to the location of our temporary administration offices.

We greatly appreciate your patience during this time. We are excited about the positive changes these improvements will make for our staff, families, veterans, and all those we honor at our cemetery. Questions? You can call us at (262) 878-5660 or toll-free at 1-888-823-3789 (In-state only).

About our cemetery:

The Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery (SWVMC) located near Union Grove, WI provides a final resting place for eligible veterans, spouses and dependents and creates a lasting memorial to their achievement and sacrifices.

Situated on state-owned farmland at the Southern Wisconsin Center, the 105-acre cemetery site encompasses gently rolling hills with serene, natural beauty.  Currently the 4th busiest State cemetery in the Nation averaging 1300 to 1500 services annually.  The cemetery has undergone multiple expansion phases since Ground breaking occurred for the cemetery on Memorial Day May 24, 1996. The cemetery and the administrative building were officially dedicated on May 31, 1998. The first phase of construction included burial for casket and cremation urns. Additional development will occur as needed to accommodate the needs of veterans and their families.  

An outdoor committal shelter is used for all services. During inclement weather services may be delayed but will not be canceled. The cemetery also hosts veterans’ events and commemorations in its ceremonial area and flag plaza.​

​​​The cemetery inters caskets and cremation urns year-round. Cremated remains may be interred either in ground, in an above ground columbarium or in a scattering area that allows families to place cremated remains in-ground without a burial container.  All internments are memorialized with a government marker that will include the veteran’s name, rank, branch of service, war period, birth date, death date and spousal information. Families also have the option of adding an additional inscription/term of endearment to their loved ones’ marker if space is available on the marker.

The cemetery is conveniently located in southeastern Wisconsin and easily accessible from the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha.​

​SWVMC Cemetery​ General Information & Contacts

​21731 Spring Street
Union Grove, WI 53182
Phone: (262) 878-5660
Toll-free: 1-888-823-3789 (In-state)
Fax: (262) 878-5664
 

Memorial Day

​​​This year, the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery will hold an in-person ceremony on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at 11 a.m. We hope to see you there.  

Office Hours:
Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m​.
Closed State holidays.
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Visitation Hours:
Open daily from sunrise to sunset. The cemetery’s rules and regulations are posted at the cemetery entrance.

Burial Space:
This cemetery accommodates burial of caskets and cremation urns.
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Acreage: 105 acres

Number of Interments Thru Fiscal Year 2022:   23,059

General Information Kiosk on Site?  Yes

The cemetery is located south of the Milwaukee metropolitan area in Racine County west of I-94. For directions click on the map.

The Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery accepts donations from families in memory of their loved one. The donations assist in projects and beautification of the cemetery. In most instances the donation or portion of the donation will be tax deductible, check with proper tax consultants. Various donation programs exist, please see donation brochure.

A brochure is available to download and print which has information about all three cemeteries.​​​​

*Please be advised that SWVMC will be undergoing several expansion projects through 2025.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.​
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