Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Old Hollywood, resting and still performing

⏱ 1-2 hours👤 All agesFree

The story of the cemetery mirrors Hollywood itself: early prestige as the film industry arrived, then decades of neglect, then a dramatic revival in the late 1990s when new owners restored the grounds and reinvented the cemetery as a cultural venue. That revival is why the place feels so unlike a typical memorial park, with film screenings, concerts and the Day of the Dead festival drawing crowds, and why it remains an active cemetery where families still hold services. It opened in 1899 as Hollywood Memorial Park, sold land that became part of the Paramount lot, slid into decline late in the century and was bought and renamed Hollywood Forever in 1998. The Valentino memorial service, held on the anniversary of his death on August 23, has run every year since 1927, which makes it one of the longest-running traditions in Hollywood and the origin of the Lady in Black story. Other stops for the curious include a cenotaph for Toto from The Wizard of Oz, Jayne Mansfield's cenotaph, Bugsy Siegel's crypt in the Beth Olam mausoleum and the grave of Virginia Rappe, whose 1921 death derailed Fatty Arbuckle's career despite his acquittal. Among the after-dark stories, the actor Clifton Webb is said to haunt the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum where he is interred.

Visiting well: pick up a map or use the cemetery's own guidance to find the famous graves, which are spread across the grounds and inside the mausoleums. The Cathedral Mausoleum (Valentino) keeps shorter midday hours than the grounds, so plan it first. Be respectful near active services, avoid climbing on monuments, and remember this is a working cemetery, so hours can change and it is worth calling ahead. Private guided tours by outside operators are available if you want a storyteller.

Building the day: combine Hollywood Forever with the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Paramount studio tour next door for a full film-history day, or come in summer for an outdoor screening (bring a blanket and a picnic). For a haunted California trip, pair it with the Queen Mary in Long Beach, the Whaley House in San Diego and a stay at the Hotel del Coronado.