How to Find Andy Warhol's Grave Site

Andy Warhol is an icon -- a revered artist, photographer and filmmaker. Warhol's grave is located just outside Pittsburgh, where he was born. Yet, even native Pittsburghers often have trouble finding his modest grave site. Here's how and where to find it.

Andy Warhol in Pittsburgh

Warhol grew up as Andrew Warhola in the city of Pittsburgh. He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology, which is now Carnegie Mellon University. In 1949, he moved to New York City, where he earned international fame and began hanging out with the era's most famous celebrities.

Andy Warhol died in New York in 1987 after complications from routine gallbladder surgery. Warhol's career is remembered with a 7-floor museum in Pittsburgh, but many fans of the artist want to visit his final resting place as well.

When Warhol moved to New York, much of his family remained in Pittsburgh. Several Warhola graves are gathered together in the same cemetery.

Where to find the location of Andy Warhol's grave

The grave of Andy Warhol is located in the St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a few miles south of downtown Pittsburgh. The cemetery is near the intersection of Library and Connor Road. From Library, turn onto Connor and you'll see the cemetery up on the hillside. Park in the lot and walk up.

The cemetery is small, so it's not hard to find Warhol's tombstone. His grave is the one surrounded by cans of soup.

What you'll find at Andy Warhol's grave

Fans of Andy Warhol frequently leave memorabilia of various types at his grave. Given that Warhol produced photos, paintings, prints, and pop art, the collection of items at his grave is widely varied.

On my last visit, the grave was surrounded by numerous cans of Campbell's tomato soup, a nod to Warhol's famous soup can paintings. There was a plastic binder with colored pencils and other art supplies. Also present were a bottle of Coke, some small pumpkins in honor of Thanksgiving, and a golf ball.

It's almost worth visiting the grave just to see what items people have left behind. If you're interested in paying your respects to one of America's most successful modern artists, use these instructions to find the cemetery.

Sources:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1459
www.warhol.org