Entry No. 7 — the Baltimore file — filed under: witchy
Elijah Bond's Ouija Board Grave
Tucked away in the historic Green Mount Cemetery, the final resting place of the man who patented the Ouija board features a headstone carved to look exactly like his famous talking board.
The story
Elijah Bond was the Baltimore attorney who filed the patent for the talking board in 1891, codifying a Victorian spiritualist parlour game into a commercial juggernaut. Yet when he died in 1921, Bond was laid to rest in Green Mount Cemetery without a marker, his precise final plot largely forgotten for nearly a century.
That changed when dedicated talking-board historians traced his plot to Section P and commissioned a grave marker worthy of his creation. While the front of the headstone presents a traditional inscription, walking around to the reverse side reveals a full, detailed granite relief of a classic Ouija board—complete with YES, NO, the arched alphabet, numbers 0 through 9, and GOOD BYE etched across the bottom.
What it's like
Pick up a paper map at the entrance gatehouse at 1501 Greenmount Avenue; you'll need it to navigate the cemetery's sprawling Victorian hillscapes up to Section P. Finding Bond's stone takes a moment because the front looks like any ordinary gravestone, but slipping behind it reveals the carved talking board. The plot sits in a quiet section of the grounds, making it easy to weave into a quiet loop that includes John Wilkes Booth's nearby unmarked family plot. Double-check operating hours before heading out, as cemetery access hours are strictly enforced.
The move: Stroll through the cemetery's winding paths with a map from the gatehouse to find Section P, where you can trace the letters on the back of Elijah's headstone and leave a penny on John Wilkes Booth's nearby unmarked grave.
- 📍 Green Mount Cemetery
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1501 Greenmount Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Crystals, Candles, & Cauldrons — Pair a visit to the tomb of the Ouija board's patent holder with a trip to Hampden's longtime metaphysical shop for ritual tools and tarot decks.
- The Lord Baltimore Hotel — Continue your ghost hunt downtown at this historic 1928 hotel known for its tragic past and supernatural reputation.
- W.C. Harlan — Match the cemetery's historic gothic mood with candlelit drinks hidden behind a plain black door in Remington.
- The Coral Wig — Slip down a dark alley in Mount Vernon after your cemetery walk to reflect over cocktails in an atmospheric, candlelit hideaway.
Good to know
Where inside Green Mount Cemetery is the gravestone located?
Elijah Bond's headstone sits in Section P. The gatehouse at the main entrance provides maps to help you locate the exact section.
What is carved on Elijah Bond's headstone?
The front displays his name and biographical dates, while the reverse side features a full replica carving of an authentic Ouija board.
What other notable graves are nearby?
Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth is buried in an unmarked plot in the Booth family lot within the same cemetery.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · marylandroadtrips.com
last checked: 2026-07-21