Shark Tombstone.

Shark Tombstone

Allegheny Cemetery contains the graves of over 124,000 people, including famous persons such as songwriter Stephen Foster and silent film actress Lillian Russell. But its most popular tombstone, by far, belongs to historical nonentity Lester C. Madden.

All that's known for certain about him is that he was a Korean War veteran. It's assumed that he must have been a great fan of the 1975 film Jaws, since his headstone has been carved into a replica of that film's famous movie poster, with the head of a knife-toothed killer shark erupting from below. But who really knows?

Lester was only 51 when he passed away in 1983, the same year "Jaws 3-D" was released -- an atrocious sequel, and, at the time, the nadir of the franchise. He'd lived during a pre-Sharknado era of slightly less absurd apex predators. So yeah -- shark tombstone.

Shark Tombstone

Allegheny Cemetery

Address:: 4715 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA
Directions:: Allegheny Cemetery. Enter the cemetery on the north side of Penn Ave. just west of its intersection with Mathilda St. Once inside the gate, make the first right and follow the road with the white dashed line a half-mile. When you see trees on the right, make the next left onto a very short road (100 feet) that ends at a T intersection. The shark stone is straight ahead.
Hours:: Daily 7 am - dusk. Local health policies may affect hours and access.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Center for PostNatural History, Pittsburgh, PA - < 1 mi.

Site of First Gas Station, Pittsburgh, PA - < 1 mi.

Last Wooden Street in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PA - 1 mi.

In the region:

Giant Street Musicians, Pittsburgh, PA - 3 mi.

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