Sarasota National Cemetery
9810 State Road 72
Sarasota, FL 34241
Phone: (941) 922-7200
Toll free: (877) 861-9840
Fax: (941) 922-3457
To schedule burials: See General Information 

Office Hours:
Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed federal holidays.

Visitation Hours:
Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Burial Space: This cemetery has space available to accommodate casketed and in-ground cremated remains. A columbarium is part of our expansion project, which is slated for completion in late 2012.

Directions from nearest airport: 
Take Interstate 75 to exit 205 (Clark Road) travel east four miles (toward Myakka River State Park), cemetery site is on the right.

GENERAL INFORMATION

To schedule a burial: Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to
1-800-535-1117.

The new 295-acre national cemetery in the Sarasota area will serve veterans’ needs for the next 50 years. The cemetery is located in Sarasota County along State Road 72 and approximately four miles east of Interstate 75.

VA prepared an Environmental Assessment for the Sarasota VA National Cemetery site in December 2004. In April 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs purchased the site from private citizens and has awarded a contract to Miller Legg & Associates of Winter Park, Fla., to design the new cemetery.

Construction of Phase IB, which will consist of nearly 100-acres, will include facilities necessary to maintain, operate, and provide burials for approximately ten years. When this phase of construction is complete the interment areas will provide for nearly 18,200 full casket gravesites, including 15,200 pre-placed crypts, 500 in-ground cremains and approximately 7,200 columbarium niches. The new cemetery will also include an administration and public information center complex with an electronic gravesite locator and public restrooms, a maintenance facility, a cemetery entrance area, a flag assembly area and a memorial walkway and a donations area, as well as two committal shelters. Other infrastructure design elements include roadways, landscaping, utilities, and irrigation.
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 HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Under Development.
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NOTABLE PERSONS

Under Development.
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FLORAL/GROUNDS POLICY

Flowers: Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave after the interment. Valuable mementos and tributes should not be left unattended at the gravesite. We recommend expensive baskets and living plants be taken home following the committal service. Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at anytime. Artificial flowers may be placed on graves between Oct. 10 and April 15. All flowers will be removed when they become unsightly, damaged by weather or wildlife, or when it is necessary to facilitate cemetery operations. Arrangements may not be more than 24 inches high. Due to the open nature of the grounds the cemetery cannot guarantee against theft, vandalism or the effects of nature.

Flower Containers: Temporary plastic floral containers are provided by the cemetery and may be found in containers located throughout the cemetery. No more than two containers per site are permitted on graves year round. We request you limit your flowers to one temporary vase so there are containers available for all of our visitors. Please do not remove plastic floral vase from the cemetery grounds as they are property of the cemetery. Permanent containers are not authorized and will be removed from the cemetery grounds.

Special Occasions: During the Winter Holiday Season you may place one of the following: Christmas wreath, plant, tree (plants and trees are limited in height, maximum 24 inches), floral blankets (maximum size is 2ft by 3ft), or flowers during the period from Dec. 1 through Jan. 10. All grave decorations will be removed and discarded after Jan. 20.

Potted plants and/or artificial arrangements for Easter, Memorial Day and Veterans Day will be permitted on the graves ten days before through ten days after these holidays. Cemetery personnel will remove and discard these items when the time period has elapsed.

Special Guidelines: Permanent plants of any type are not permitted on graves and will be removed when found. To maintain the dignity of the cemetery, items such as candles, statues, flags, glass of any kind, vigil lights, shepherd’s hooks, wind chimes, pinwheels, balloons, memorabilia, and commemorative items are not permitted on the graves. No items may be secured in any way to headstones, niche covers, or plant material and will be removed when found. Items which are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery, or hazardous to cemetery personnel will also be removed.

Rules of Behavior: In order to preserve the dignity and honor of our Veterans final resting place, please observe the following rules of behavior while visiting the cemetery grounds: