Local and national collections of art are preserved there and, in full moon nights, concerts, shows, storytelling, theater, and dance performances are held.

The Cemetery San Pedro was founded in 1842, when the small town of La Candelaria (present-day Medellín) had 9000 inhabitants and only 16 years had passed since it became the new capital of Antioquia.

This time was characterized by great advances in the town, such as a population increase and strengthening of major economic groups, wars fought between political parties, colonization of western Colombia, the consolidation of trade, the birth of the industry, railroad building and navigating the Magdalena River.

Specifically, the cemetery was founded on July 8, 1842, under the initiative of Pedro Uribe Restrepo, who called a meeting of important families of the Villa de la Candelaria.

Because it was founded by members of the commercial, political, and intellectual elite of the time, it began to be called the cemetery of rich or "white city", for the many mausoleums and sculptures made of Carrara marble, most brought from Pietrasanta, Italy.