Entry No. 18 — the Wichita file — filed under: haunted
Hattie Waller statue & Maple Grove Abbey, Maple Grove Cemetery
“carved so true to a photo that her mother wept on seeing it”
Across the street from Highland, Maple Grove hides the haunting marble likeness of three-year-old Hattie Waller (d. 1889), carved so true to a photo that her mother wept on seeing it — the grave version is a 1995 replica because the original was too precious to leave out. Looming nearby is the locked 1915 Abbey mausoleum, cut Carthage stone and Vermont marble, opened to the public only a few days a year.
The story
You come to Maple Grove for a three-year-old girl who has been standing in stone since 1889. When Hattie Waller died, her family commissioned a life-sized marble memorial carved directly from a photograph, right down to the pleats of her Victorian dress and the small pet poodle sitting patiently at her feet. The finished likeness was so startlingly accurate that her mother reportedly broke down in tears upon seeing it. The figure standing under the mature trees today, however, isn't the original marble—it's a high-precision 1995 replica. To save the real artifact from decades of Kansas weather, hail, and theft risk, the original carving was moved to the climate-controlled safety of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum downtown.
Just down the lane looms the cemetery's second quiet obsession: the 1915 Maple Grove Abbey. Built from heavy blocks of cut Carthage stone and lined inside with cool Vermont marble, this massive mausoleum looks less like a resting place and more like a locked fortress for the dead. It houses rows of elevated crypts, but its heavy doors stay deadbolted almost 365 days a year. Unless you happen to show up during the handful of days it opens to the public, you are left peering through the iron grates into cold, shadow-filled marble hallways.
What it's like
Drive through the main gates off Hillside Street, pull your car along the curb of the internal narrow drive, and explore the older sections on foot. Maple Grove is a fully active, meticulously maintained burial ground, so keep your voice down and yield if a funeral service is underway. Hattie's grave isn't sitting right by the front entrance; check the posted map at the cemetery office near the gate if you want a direct line, or just wander the historic blocks until you spot the marble child with the dog at her feet. Afterwards, walk over to examine the mausoleum's thick Carthage stone exterior before slipping down into nearby College Hill for a coffee.
The move: Track down the little Hattie statue (poodle at her feet) and trade the two versions of how she died, then circle the locked Abbey mausoleum and try to time a visit for one of the rare days it's actually open.
📍 Before you go Maple Grove is an active historic cemetery on Hillside, just north of College Hill — drive in through the gate, then explore on foot, and go in daylight since the grounds close around dusk. Hattie's little marker isn't near the entrance, so allow time to wander the older sections, or ask at the office and check the posted map to pin it down. The Abbey most reliably opens around Memorial Day weekend, which also anchors the cemetery's annual veterans walking tour that gathers right out front. It's a working burial ground: keep voices low, yield to any services, and don't touch the fragile carving. College Hill's cafes are a short hop after, and the statue's original now lives at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum downtown.
- 📍 Hillside / Midtown (just north of College Hill)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 1000 N Hillside St, Wichita, KS 67214
Pair it with
- Highland Cemetery (Wichita's abandoned pioneer cemetery) — Cross Hillside Street directly opposite Maple Grove to compare this manicured lawn cemetery with Wichita's abandoned, heavily vandalized 1870 pioneer graveyard.
- Kirby's FlipSide — Head south into College Hill after your cemetery walk to reset your mood over craft pinball and beers at this 21+ lounge attached to a legendary dive.
- La Vie Bohème Apothecary & Curiosity Shoppe — Drive south to the Douglas Design District to browse herbs, curiosities, and esoteric supplies in a tiny local shop.
Good to know
Where is the original Hattie Waller statue located?
The original 1889 marble statue was moved indoors to protect it from weather and vandalism, and it now lives at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum downtown. The marker in the cemetery is a 1995 replica.
When can you go inside the Abbey mausoleum?
The Abbey is locked almost year-round, but it typically opens its doors to the public around Memorial Day weekend, coinciding with the cemetery's annual historical walking tour.
How much does it cost to visit Maple Grove Cemetery?
Visiting the cemetery grounds and the statue is completely free. Just make sure to visit during daylight hours, as the gates close around dusk.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: midwesterndeathtrip.com
last checked: 2026-06-06