Established in 1854 to meet the needs of the growing village, the Wauwatosa Cemetery was initially located on a hill overlooking the business district of the Village at the southwest corner of Wauwatosa and Milwaukee Avenues. As the community grew the cemetery also expanded and the need for a larger burial grounds was soon recognized. As a result, the cemetery and most graves were relocated to the present site in 1866.

In 2023, the Chapel was named to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Families find the Wauwatosa Cemetery in a unique position to meet their needs because monuments of many sizes and styles are permitted in the cemetery, and cemetery rules allow for plantings and seasonal decorations on the graves of their loved ones.

The Wauwatosa Cemetery is a not for profit cemetery and is not owned by a large corporation or by the City of Wauwatosa. It is jointly owned by all the lot owners.