Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
'Tombstone Tourism' on the rise, allows you to get close to your favorite celebs
Strapped for vacation cash? Spend a day with the dead. "Tombstone tourism" is on the rise. See fabulous artwork, enjoy nature and get within six feet of some of your favorite celebrities. Better yet, admission is always free. It's a grave-cation!
Did you know that before Disneyland opened in 1955, Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale was the number one tourist destination in the Los Angeles area? Or that the popularity of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn as a recreation site led to the establishment of Central Park in Manhattan in 1858?
Cemeteries, those places most of us strive to stay out of, are once again popular tourist destinations. Why? Part of the reason is that cemeteries, and historic cemeteries in particular, have become more "tourist-friendly." With the rise in cremation (ashes and urns take a fraction of the space of a traditional burial plot) older cemeteries, many of which are essentially filled up, now have room for thousands more permanent residents. And they want us to visit. They've got free maps, ice cream socials, trolley tours, hayrack rides, lantern tours, outdoor movies, plays, concerts and more. Of course, they'd like us to consider staying there... forever. Not to worry; there aren't any high-pressure sales tactics. Cemetery administrators are very patient people.
Whether you're on a star search, looking for a place for a pleasant stroll or want to view and touch fabulous art, you'll find it all in America's historic cemeteries. Here are a few top tourist-friendly cemetery picks. Even if you don't plan to be in these locales in the near future, you can always fly there by plugging the GPS coordinates into Google Earth.
WESTWOOD VILLAGE MEMORIAL PARK (34 3'31.07"N 118 26'30.47"W)
You won't need a map for this postage-stamp-size cemetery just a stone's throw from Rodeo Drive. There are hundreds of celebrities at your feet and in crypts. Of course, the most visited celebrity is Marilyn Monroe. And the empty crypt next to her? Reserved for the man who first exposed her in all her glory to the public: Hugh Hefner.
Did you know that before Disneyland opened in 1955, Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale was the number one tourist destination in the Los Angeles area? Or that the popularity of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn as a recreation site led to the establishment of Central Park in Manhattan in 1858?
Cemeteries, those places most of us strive to stay out of, are once again popular tourist destinations. Why? Part of the reason is that cemeteries, and historic cemeteries in particular, have become more "tourist-friendly." With the rise in cremation (ashes and urns take a fraction of the space of a traditional burial plot) older cemeteries, many of which are essentially filled up, now have room for thousands more permanent residents. And they want us to visit. They've got free maps, ice cream socials, trolley tours, hayrack rides, lantern tours, outdoor movies, plays, concerts and more. Of course, they'd like us to consider staying there... forever. Not to worry; there aren't any high-pressure sales tactics. Cemetery administrators are very patient people.
Whether you're on a star search, looking for a place for a pleasant stroll or want to view and touch fabulous art, you'll find it all in America's historic cemeteries. Here are a few top tourist-friendly cemetery picks. Even if you don't plan to be in these locales in the near future, you can always fly there by plugging the GPS coordinates into Google Earth.
WESTWOOD VILLAGE MEMORIAL PARK (34 3'31.07"N 118 26'30.47"W)
You won't need a map for this postage-stamp-size cemetery just a stone's throw from Rodeo Drive. There are hundreds of celebrities at your feet and in crypts. Of course, the most visited celebrity is Marilyn Monroe. And the empty crypt next to her? Reserved for the man who first exposed her in all her glory to the public: Hugh Hefner.
FOREST LAWN GLENDALE (34 7'30.65"N 118 15'11.15"W)
This is the cemetery that started the trend of vast rolling lawns and flat markers. They have free maps that show you where to find full-scale replicas of Michelangelo's David, the Labyrinth at Chartes, France, the Paradise Gates in Florence, Italy and much more. Forest Lawn is famously reticent about disclosing the location of celebrity graves, but you can find many of them in the recent book, Forever L. A..
Forest Lawn's most recent A-list celebrity is Michael Jackson, who's in the Holly Terrace mausoleum (34 7'23.95"N 118 14'51.83"W). You can even get married in one of Forest Lawn's chapels, often for a fraction of the cost of a traditional chapel. Indeed, in 1940 Ronald Reagan married Jane Wyman at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather chapel.
ST. LOUIS #1 CEMETERY, NEW ORLEANS (29 57'32.89"N 90 4'15.89"W)
Urban legend has it that burials in New Orleans are above ground because of the high water table (from time to time people who were buried in the traditional way would percolate up to the surface). While that's not the real reason for above ground burial in New Orleans, there is a long tradition of placing bodies in tombs and mausoleums rather than in the waterlogged earth.
Begin your tomb tour just off the French Quarter at St. Louis #1, New Orleans' first permanent cemetery. It's easy to spot the tomb of voodoo queen Marie Laveau: it has dozens of X's scratched into the surface.
CAVE HILL CEMETERY, LOUISVILLE (38 14'36.91"N 85 43'35.36"W)
Pick up a box of fried chicken and make your way to this very tourist-friendly cemetery. Cave Hill rightly touts itself as an arboretum and has long been popular with Louisvillians as a place to stroll or jog. Thanks to a thriving artistic community, there's a bonanza of fabulous sculptures dotting its immaculate grounds.
And don't forget to pay your respects to Colonel Sanders. There's often an empty red and white box or two reverentially laying beneath his bust. The cemetery staff will be happy to give you directions and a free map.
GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY, BROOKLYN (40 39'29.23"N 73 59'40.56"W)
Green-Wood Cemetery, which was founded in 1838, was modeled on Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. It's one of America's most tourist-friendly cemeteries: just ask and they'll give you a large foldout map, which pinpoints locations of famous residents. They also have a bookstore, conduct docent-directed trolley tours and sponsor lectures.
In the fall, Green-Wood participates in Open House New York and always opens some of their private mausoleums. Green-Wood is the last known address of many of New York's late nineteenth century movers and shakers including Horace Greeley ("Go west young man") and master designer Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Douglas R. Keister is a graveyard guru, who Sunset magazine said "has done for cemetery exploration what Audubon did for birding." His 39 books include four books on cemeteries such as Stories in the Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography. Read his blog on Red Room. The photos above are all courtesy Douglas R. Keister.
This is the cemetery that started the trend of vast rolling lawns and flat markers. They have free maps that show you where to find full-scale replicas of Michelangelo's David, the Labyrinth at Chartes, France, the Paradise Gates in Florence, Italy and much more. Forest Lawn is famously reticent about disclosing the location of celebrity graves, but you can find many of them in the recent book, Forever L. A..
Forest Lawn's most recent A-list celebrity is Michael Jackson, who's in the Holly Terrace mausoleum (34 7'23.95"N 118 14'51.83"W). You can even get married in one of Forest Lawn's chapels, often for a fraction of the cost of a traditional chapel. Indeed, in 1940 Ronald Reagan married Jane Wyman at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather chapel.
ST. LOUIS #1 CEMETERY, NEW ORLEANS (29 57'32.89"N 90 4'15.89"W)
Urban legend has it that burials in New Orleans are above ground because of the high water table (from time to time people who were buried in the traditional way would percolate up to the surface). While that's not the real reason for above ground burial in New Orleans, there is a long tradition of placing bodies in tombs and mausoleums rather than in the waterlogged earth.
Begin your tomb tour just off the French Quarter at St. Louis #1, New Orleans' first permanent cemetery. It's easy to spot the tomb of voodoo queen Marie Laveau: it has dozens of X's scratched into the surface.
CAVE HILL CEMETERY, LOUISVILLE (38 14'36.91"N 85 43'35.36"W)
Pick up a box of fried chicken and make your way to this very tourist-friendly cemetery. Cave Hill rightly touts itself as an arboretum and has long been popular with Louisvillians as a place to stroll or jog. Thanks to a thriving artistic community, there's a bonanza of fabulous sculptures dotting its immaculate grounds.
And don't forget to pay your respects to Colonel Sanders. There's often an empty red and white box or two reverentially laying beneath his bust. The cemetery staff will be happy to give you directions and a free map.
GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY, BROOKLYN (40 39'29.23"N 73 59'40.56"W)
Green-Wood Cemetery, which was founded in 1838, was modeled on Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. It's one of America's most tourist-friendly cemeteries: just ask and they'll give you a large foldout map, which pinpoints locations of famous residents. They also have a bookstore, conduct docent-directed trolley tours and sponsor lectures.
In the fall, Green-Wood participates in Open House New York and always opens some of their private mausoleums. Green-Wood is the last known address of many of New York's late nineteenth century movers and shakers including Horace Greeley ("Go west young man") and master designer Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Douglas R. Keister is a graveyard guru, who Sunset magazine said "has done for cemetery exploration what Audubon did for birding." His 39 books include four books on cemeteries such as Stories in the Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography. Read his blog on Red Room. The photos above are all courtesy Douglas R. Keister.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Budget Travel
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gale Wall Aug 6th 2010 8:32PM
Even our older cemeteries with non-famous people offer an afternoon of discovery. What each of us find is unique.
Lisa Lewis Aug 3rd 2010 5:16PM
Hi Doug,
As always your articles and books are amazing!! Thank you for keeping us informed on the beauty and history of cemeteries.
Kindest regards,
Lisa Lewis
Tracy Aug 3rd 2010 1:58PM
Great article! I always make it a point to stop at a local cemetery or ten when I am on vacation or just away from home. And I would love to see more people start appreciating the beauty of these places ... there was a time when visiting cemeteries was a completely normal thing to do on a regular basis - that is where our garden cemeteries come from. And whether you are going to see the celebs, looks at the beautiful artwork, or take in some history, they are wonderful places to visit :)
Dorene from Ohio Aug 4th 2010 7:06PM
What a terrific article!
Always a fan of cemeteries, my family is used to my frequent stops at one, even
while on vacation!
Garry Aug 3rd 2010 4:00PM
Père Lachaise is one of the neatest things I saw in Paris. Yeah, Jim Morrison is resting there, but there are dozens of other crypts and tombstones that are really amazing to see.
Tammi Aug 3rd 2010 3:40PM
Great article. Would love to see more.
Joe Dallmann Aug 3rd 2010 5:57PM
When I first got into cemeteries I had really no idea what I was looking at. I started seeing all these symbols. There is a cemetery near me called Rose Hill Cemetery which is part of the Black Diamond Regional preserve (old coal mines) I went in to ask the docent about the cemetery and noticed a book in the store called "Stories in Stone" It was my first and still most referenced cemetery book. I've now visited over 70 cemeteries in Northern California. Some great..some not so great but all with a Story in Stone...Thanks Doug..Keep it up....
Amy Walker Aug 3rd 2010 6:44PM
LOVELY pictures....it is always wonderful to see such serene, tranquil beauty and others who appreciate it!! Keep up your fantastic work!!
John Grant Aug 3rd 2010 8:42PM
Thanks again Doug. Cemeteries are certainly on the comeback and none to soon for our emotionally hungry society. I will do my part; you have been doing it for years with great results, and the people will come. Green-Wood is a most special place, and each time there I notice more and more visitors; most due to you I'm sure. Great job my friend.
Jenn Marcelais Aug 4th 2010 9:20AM
I always enjoy visiting cemeteries and like to view them more as outdoor museums. One of my favorites was St. Louis No.1 in New Orleans. Boston and the New England area have fantastically old cemeteries. I've made a hobby out of regularly photographing them and posting them to my website at http://www.gravematter.com. After visiting each one I do a little research, and often come up with some very interesting local history.
kathy Aug 5th 2010 10:36PM
Love it ! Your pics are great Marilyn Monroe's is my favorite of course been there many times
Graving Queen of the OC Aug 6th 2010 12:25PM
OMG, I loved your article and the line "It's a grave-cation!" As the Graving Queen of the OC. (california) I too have been a graver for over 20+ years. And yes it's free. We've done family outings and met up with friends to spend a day at a park. The park of the dead. And not only that. I work for a cemetery too.
Thanks again
Mark Novak Aug 5th 2010 11:22PM
Great article. Yes, cemeteries are such a beautiful place to visit. Been doing it for over 45 years. Love Stories in Stone Doug, indespensible guide on my cemetery visits.
Harriet Connides Aug 6th 2010 3:45AM
Fascinating, Doug - thanks! Its about time that our cemeteries in the UK were properly maintained as well!
Drakonian Aug 6th 2010 5:26PM
Congratulations for the informations and amazing pictures !
Jim Aug 17th 2010 12:41PM
I stop by cemeteries wherever I travel. Been to Green-Wood and St. Louis #1, need to see the others. Great article Doug, keep them coming!