Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
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 New Jersey Doris Duke's Pet Cemetery
AO Edited

Doris Duke's Pet Cemetery

A billionaire heiress' menagerie of animals were lovingly laid to rest on the grounds of her former estate.

Hillsborough Township, New Jersey

Added By
Larissa Hayden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
One of Doris Duke’s camels, Baby.   Larissa Hayden
A toucan named Ernie.   Larissa Hayden
The Great Falls, Near The Pet Cemetery   @ravi
Hand painted tombstones.   Larissa Hayden
Hand painted tombstones.   Larissa Hayden
Duke Farms Lane   Garden State Hiker/ CC BY 2.0
Duke Farms   Ekem/CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Aided by the status of the "world's richest girl" during the twilight of the Gilded Age, Doris Duke lived a life of many passions and pursuits, including her love of animals. Over the years, her undertakings ranged wildly from competitive surfing to covering foreign news during the 1940s, to being a horticulturist and supporting wildlife refuges.

Her main residence was a sprawling 2,700-acre New Jersey estate called Duke Farms, which contained Duke Gardens, once among the largest public indoor botanical displays in America. She shared that property with her family, visitors (including Paul Reubens after his 1991 arrest for public indecency), her dogs, camels, and other pets.

It's on that property that many of the animals she rescued and lived with have settled into their final resting places. The most notable (and perhaps, most beloved) tombstones are for her two camels, Princess and Baby, who spent their summers in Newport, Rhode Island, and were purchased as part of a deal that also included a Boeing 737 plane.

Visitors will also spot headstones dedicated to a toucan, her miniature horses, and the famous massive guard dogs who were left $100,000 in Doris' will. Other headstones bear mysterious names: the Unknown Cat, or Puppy No. 12.

Related Tags

Cats Camels Dogs Wealth Animals Gilded Age Pet Cemeteries

Know Before You Go

Duke Farms, located at 1112 Dukes Pkwy W, is open to the public. You'll find the cemetery up a rocky path on Fox Hollow Lane, behind the Great Falls.

Community Contributors

Added By

larissahayden

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

October 18, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Duke
  • https://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/2014/11/gilded_age_splendor_at_hillsboroughs_duke_farms.html
  • https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/unitedstates/rhodeisland/newport/fdrs_feat_191_5.html?n=Top%25252FFeatures%25252FTravel%25252FDestinations%25252FUnited+States%25252FRhode+Island%25252FNewport
  • https://www.newportrestoration.org/your-camel-questions-answered/
  • https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-10-mn-53042-story.html
  • https://www.ddcf.org/globalassets/doris_duke_files/download_files/dorisdukewill.pdf
Doris Duke's Pet Cemetery
1112 Dukes Pkwy
Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, 08844
United States
40.544332, -74.623932
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Raritan Water Power Canal

Raritan, New Jersey

miles away

The Spot Where WWI Ended

Bridgewater, New Jersey

miles away

Devil's Tree

Bernards Township, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

Nearby Places

Raritan Water Power Canal

Raritan, New Jersey

miles away

The Spot Where WWI Ended

Bridgewater, New Jersey

miles away

Devil's Tree

Bernards Township, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

Related Stories and Lists

11 Graves of Famous Animals

List

By Roxanne Hoorn

The Past Beneath Our Feet with the Places Team

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

Related Places

  • Some of the more than 50,000 beloved pets buried at Aspin Hill.

    Silver Spring, Maryland

    Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery

    Dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, frogs, and fish are laid to rest at the second-oldest pet cemetery in the U.S.

  • Sonny

    Linwood, New Jersey

    Clara Glen Pet Cemetery

    This quaint New Jersey graveyard is an eternal resting place for thousands of beloved pets.

  • Alresford, England

    Grave of Hambone Jr.

    This grave remembers the beloved canine companion of soldiers far from home.

  • beach dog

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Mural of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

    A colorful mural decorates one of the city's oldest animal shelters.

  • The gravestone.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Grave of 'The Great Lafayette'

    A magician and his beloved, pampered canine were buried together, within days of each other, due to a tragic twist of fate.

  • Sting’s grave.

    Larne, Northern Ireland

    Grave of Sting the Dog

    A beloved pet is buried in among the many old and famous residents of a Northern Ireland cemetery.

  • Berczy Park Dog Fountain

    Toronto, Ontario

    Berczy Park Dog Fountain

    This whimsical fountain pays tribute to Toronto's four-legged friends.

  • Memorial plaques to Tycho and Jim, V&A Museum.

    London, England

    V&A Dog Memorials

    Hidden in the courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum is a little-known tribute to two celebrity pooches.

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.