Taphophilia
Taphophilia is the affinity for or the appreciation of things related to the dead. It can include cemeteries, epigraphs, sepulchers, gravestones, or funerals. For the most part, taphophilia is not synonymous with necrophilia, which is a sexual attraction to corpses. Taphophilia is more akin to a hobby or fascination with things reminiscent of the grave. Though not a term in common parlance, the idea of taphophilia has been around for centuries. Renewed interest in the subject was sparked by two visual events. The first occurred in 1966 with the broadcast of a soap opera called Dark Shadows; the second was a movie released in 1971 called Harold and Maude. More recently individuals interested in Goth culture have become fans.
Taphophilia Resources
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Taphophilia (Dot) Com--A repository of morbid curiosities: Thanatology and Taphophile Issues, Cemetery, Funeral Industry and Death Related News
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Necrosys Laboratories--Edgar Allan Poe gravesite
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Writ in Water--An International Gallery of Memorials for the Dead
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Virtual Cemetery--User Contributed Genealogical Information on the Dead
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Interment. Net--Cemetery Records Online
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The Association for Gravestone Studies--Dedicated to the Study and Preservation of Gravestones