Hollywood Forever Cemetery (historic Hollywood graves)

Hollywood Forever Cemetery, at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, is a historic cemetery founded in 1899 as Hollywood Memorial Park and often associated with the early film industry. The grounds adjoin Paramount Pictures and cover about 60 acres, with lawns, palms, lakes and mausoleums. Many pioneers of Hollywood are buried or memorialised here, among them Rudolph Valentino, whose crypt is in the Cathedral Mausoleum, director Cecil B. DeMille, actor Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and his son Douglas Fairbanks Jr., whose memorial overlooks a reflecting lagoon, as well as Tyrone Power, Mel Blanc, Peter Lorre, Jayne Mansfield's memorial and Johnny Ramone, whose bronze statue is a popular stop. Cemetery founder Hobart Johnstone Whitley, a developer credited as the Father of Hollywood, was an early supporter. The cemetery went into decline during the late 20th century, closing financially in the 1990s. Tyler Cassity and Brent Cassity purchased it in 1998, renamed it Hollywood Forever and led an extensive restoration of the landscaping, mausoleums and memorials. The Cathedral Mausoleum, Beth Olam Mausoleum, the Abbey of the Psalms and the Fairbanks memorial have all been renovated. The architecture mixes Classical, Gothic and Egyptian-influenced memorials, and the cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can take self-guided walks with a map from the office, usually for a small fee, and guided tours are offered by the cemetery and by outside groups. In the summer, the grounds host outdoor film screenings, and the Masonic Lodge and Cathedral Mausoleum are also used for concerts and special events, so the cemetery functions as a living community space as well as a historical site. Visitors are expected to treat the grounds with respect, as it remains an active cemetery with funerals and memorials.