Wander through these seven stunning cemeteries in Southern California to pay tribute to Hollywood legends.
A walk through a cemetery may sound like a creepy way to spend a day, but in Southern California, it’s an opportunity to visit your favorite celebrities. These final resting places are so beautiful that it feels like you’re walking through a well-maintained city park. Some have elaborate art displays; others have small lakes and a wide range of animals roaming around their grounds.
You’ll see tourists visiting these cemeteries, as they’ve become attractions in their own right. Who doesn’t want the chance to pay tribute to everyone from Walt Disney to Marilyn Monroe? If you have a favorite artist who is no longer with us, they may be laid to rest in one of Southern California’s beautiful memorial parks.
Note: Entry to all of these cemeteries is free, but some are stricter about things like taking photos or getting too close to certain graves.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Hollywood Forever is perhaps the most well-known celebrity cemetery. Nestled up next to the Paramount Studio lot, the grounds have a unique feeling of where stars are born and where they come to rest after a successful career. It’s stunning, with beautiful mausoleums, a small pond in the center, and peacocks and ducks waddling around throughout.
Here, you’ll find a mix of stars from yesteryear and modern celebrities. Inside the Cathedral Mausoleum comes the cemetery’s best lore. When Hollywood’s first major heartthrob, Rudolph Valentino, died in 1926, it was the first funeral that turned into fanfare. For decades after his death, a mysterious woman in black would leave flowers at his crypt each year. No one was certain of her identity, and some thought she might have been a ghost.
It takes about two hours to do a thorough tour of the grounds. Some of the stars that have come to rest there are Judy Garland, Paul Reubens, Chris Cornell, Cecil B. DeMille, and John Huston, just to scratch the surface.
It’s also home to a few infamous characters, such as Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, a noted mobster and an early pioneer of Las Vegas hotels and casinos, and Griffith J. Griffith, the owner of the property where Griffith Observatory sits. He rose to fame by donating the land to the city for the observatory, but he went from famous to infamous after he shot his wife only a few months later, permanently disfiguring her.
Forest Lawn Glendale
1712 S Glendale Ave, Glendale, CA 91205
Forest Lawn Glendale is a sight to be seen. Not only is it the final resting place of some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, but it also features some of the most elaborate art the city has to offer.
The Forest Lawn cemeteries can be found around Southern California, but the Glendale location is by far its most extravagant. It opened in 1906 and quickly became a cultural landmark. The founder, Hubert L. Eaton, wanted his memorial parks to stand out. His love of art, religion, and remembrance set his cemeteries apart from the others in the city. He famously said, “I shall endeavor to build Forest Lawn as different, as unlike other cemeteries as sunshine is unlike darkness, as Eternal Life is unlike death.”
Recreations of famous statues, like David, are located near the graves of megastars Humphrey Bogart and Mary Pickford. More art is spread out throughout the grounds. Inside the Great Mausoleum, where Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Clark Gable, and many other celebrities rest, is the world’s largest stained-glass depiction of the Last Supper. This is the cemetery’s pride and joy, and it will grant you access to the main floor of the mausoleum.
Here’s the catch: Forest Lawn is all about privacy. Many of the biggest names are not visible to the public. However, the cemetery definitely wants visitors to take in its beautiful art and well-manicured grounds.
Don’t fret; you can still see some wonderful stars in the areas open to the public. Elizabeth Taylor, Walt Disney, Errol Flynn, and Jimmy Stewart are just a few resting in open areas throughout the massive cemetery. If you’re planning a visit, I recommend driving, as the sprawling grounds are a very difficult walk.
Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
6300 Forest Lawn Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Forest Lawn’s Hollywood Hills location may not be the most famous, but it is the final resting place of a wide range of influential figures. Like Glendale, the Hollywood cemetery is sprawling, at nearly 500 acres. It has a similar vibe, but unlike its counterpart, all graves are available to visit. No special key needed!
Art is still a major focus here, much of it paying tribute to several presidents. Massive statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln line the area. Iconic silent movie star Buster Keaton is resting near a mural dedicated to Lincoln.
This cemetery became especially beloved after the tragic deaths of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. The mother and daughter are buried together here, drawing in fans from all over the world to pay their respects.
Bette Davis, Brittany Murphy, Liberace, Paul Walker, Matthew Perry, and John Ritter are just a few of the cemetery’s most famous residents.
Westwood Village Memorial Park
1218 Glendon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Westwood Memorial Village Park is a hidden gem. If you don’t look close enough, you might miss it. It’s tucked away between high-rise office buildings near the UCLA campus. When you enter the grounds, you may be surprised by its small size, especially compared to other cemeteries in the area. Don’t let it fool you; this is one of the most star-studded final resting places, hosting Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Bettie Paige, Burt Lancaster, and Truman Capote, to name a few.
What makes walking around this cemetery so fun is reading the fun messages some stars have as their epitaphs. Iconic writer and director Billy Wilder reads, “I’m a writer, but then, nobody is perfect.” Jack Lemmon hilariously says, “Jack Lemmon in:’ Famous talk show host Merv Griffin reads, “I will NOT be back after these messages.”
While many big names are buried here, Marilyn Monroe is the biggest draw. Often referred to as the most recognizable star, she was laid to rest here after a 1962 drug overdose that was officially ruled a “probable suicide.” What followed was the pre-purchasing of the crypts surrounding her. The man interred directly above her requested to be laid to rest facing her, which is how he stayed until his family sold the spot to the highest bidder. Beside her lies the Playboy creator, Hugh Hefner.
Unlike Forest Lawn, this small cemetery is an easy walk, but with the grounds covered in small graves and niches, you may spend a while looking for your favorite celebrity.
Holy Cross Cemetery and Mortuary
5835 W Slauson Ave, Culver City, CA 90230
Holy Cross Cemetery is located on the outskirts of Culver City, not too far from Westwood Memorial Park. It’s a catholic cemetery operated by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Opened in 1939, this cemetery is a whopping 200 acres and has an especially beautiful mausoleum.
There are many famous burials here. Rita Hayworth, Bela Lugosi, Rosalind Russell, Fred MacMurray, and John Candy are just a few of the stars who chose this cemetery as their final resting place. If you’re a fan of the “Wizard of Oz,” Jack Haley, best known for his role as the Tin Man, is resting peacefully not far from Lugosi and Hayworth.
Many people visit the cemetery to pay tribute to Sharon Tate, who is buried there with her unborn baby following her senseless murder by the Manson family. This case didn’t just shape true crime; it also changed how Los Angeles residents operated. Gone were the days of leaving doors unlocked and trusting your neighbors. The loss of Tate and her friends was devastating, even to those who didn’t personally know them.
Tate’s grave is near a beautiful shrine built from volcanic stone in the 1950s. Surrounded by ponds and flowers, it’s a peaceful place to pay tribute to the stars no longer with us.
Hillside Memorial Park
6001 W Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Culver City is also home to Hillside Memorial Park. The name of this Jewish cemetery describes it perfectly. It sits on the side of a hill, large and visible from the freeway. Opened in 1941, it was a resting place for Jews when many of the other cemeteries would not allow them to be buried in their plots. Sadly, Los Angeles cemeteries discriminated against various religions and races, which became especially problematic as the years went on.
Hillside Memorial Park gave the Jewish community an accepting place to lay their loved ones to rest. Many notable entertainment industry figures have been buried here, including Shelley Winters, Moe Howard, Leonard Nimoy, and Michael Landon, to name a few.
Al Jolson, best known for starring in the first talking picture, “The Jazz Singer,” has a large memorial statue by his final resting place here. He left a complicated legacy behind, as he was known to perform in blackface, which has opened up an important conversation about cultural appropriation, racism, and what entertainment used to look like.
This cemetery is large, but the areas where most of the stars are buried are walkable, though you may want a car to get to and from each section.
Angelus Rosedale Cemetery
Angelus Rosedale is one of the most important cemeteries in Los Angeles history. As mentioned before, many of the big-name cemeteries did not allow people of color to be buried on their property. In 1884, Angelus Rosedale opened as the first cemetery open to all ethnicities and religions.
It was not only socially progressive, but also revolutionary for the funeral industry. It was home to the first crematorium west of the Rockies and only the second one in the country during the 1800s.
The cemetery’s famous residents also made history. Hattie McDaniel was the first person of color to win an Academy Award. When she passed, she wanted to be buried in Hollywood Forever, but the original owners refused to allow a Black woman in their plots. Instead, she was buried in integrated Angelus Rosedale. Now, Hollywood Forever has a monument honoring the legendary actress.
Anna May Wong, another influential early Hollywood actress, was the first Chinese American international film star. She is buried in the cemetery as well, along with Ivie Anderson, who played in Duke Ellington’s orchestra.
You may not see influencers or tourists visiting this cemetery, but it’s one of the city’s most important landmarks. By paying tribute to these legendary people of color who were barred from being buried in the popular cemeteries, you help keep their memories alive.
