The Northern Cemetery was inaugurated in 1827 and the oldest part is a Memorial Park in French classical style. The Crematoria Chapel interior is inspired by Brunelleschi's Old Sacristy in San Lorenzo Basilica (Florence).
The numerous mausoleums are formidable grave super-structures. Many of the memorial monuments are exquisite pieces of sculpture in marble, granite or bronze. The cemetery has much to offer in cultural, society and personal history.
The memorials tell their story of upper class people, scientists, artists and others who have left their prints in Swedish history. Several Nobel prizemen are buried here and also the donor himself, Alfred Nobel.

Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery) constructed in 1917-40 is the result of an international architecture competition with the victors Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz.
In 1994 Skogskyrkogården was inscribed on UNESCO¡s World Heritage List motivated as follows: "Skogskyrkogården is an outstandingly successful example of a designed cultural landscape that is ideally suited to its purpose as a cemetery. The creation of Asplund and Lewerentz at Skogskyrkogården established a new form of cemetery that has exerted a profound influence on cemetery design throughout the world".
The Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche dedicated the 1995 Premio Internazionale Carlo Scarpa per il Giardino to Skogskyrkogïrden.