California Attractions

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Celebrity Graves in Los Angeles

Photos left to right: Carol O'Connor (Archie Bunker) buried at Westwood; Elizabeth Taylor buried at Forest Lawn; Ronald Reagan (married at Forest Lawn) and Michael Jackson buried at Forest Lawn; Marilyn Monroe buried at Westwood

The stars of entertainment have their day in the spotlight. When famous people such as actors and musicians die, it seems like a part of us dies with them, especially when they leave” too early. The list of those who shined, and then were gone too soon is long and includes names like John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Anna Nicole Smith, Hank Williams, Natalie Wood, John Candy, Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Mama Cass Elliott, Karen Carpenter, Bob Crane, Brynn Hartman, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Buddy Holly, John Ritter and Christopher Lee.  The public honors well known entertainers they may never have met by visiting their grave sites after they have passed. Two of the best places for seeing stars” in spirit are located in Los Angeles area, as you might guess.

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery (Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park)  at 1218 Glendon Ave., Los Angeles, CA   pbwvmortuary.com

  • Partial list of stars buried at Westwood Cemetery:
    Eddie Albert (1906–2005), actor
    Eve Arden (1908–1990), actress
    Jim Backus (1913–1989), actor
    Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), author
    Truman Capote (1924–1984), author
    James Coburn (1928–2002), actor
    Bob Crane (1928–1978), actor
    Rodney Dangerfield (1921–2004), comedian, actor
    Don DeFore (1913–1993), actor
    Peter Falk (1927-2011), actor
    Michael Fox (1921–1996), actor
    Eva Gabor (1919–1995), actress
    Merv Griffin (1925–2007), producer, television host, and singer
    Hugh Hefner (1926-), founder of Playboy Magazine; future burial site next to Marilyn Monroe
    Janis Joplin (1943–1970), singer, was cremated here and ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean
    Stan Kenton (1911–1979), musician
    Don Knotts (1924–2006), actor and comedian
    Burt Lancaster (1913–1994), actor
    Peggy Lee (1920–2002), singer, songwriter, actress
    Janet Leigh (1927–2004), actress
    Jack Lemmon (1925–2001), actor
    Karl Malden (1912–2009), actor
    Walter Matthau (1920–2000), actor
    Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962), actress, singer, model
    Elizabeth Montgomery (1933–1995), actress, was cremated here
    Carroll O'Connor (1924–2001), actor
    Roy Orbison (1936–1988), singer; grave unmarked
    Donna Reed (1921–1986), actress
    Jimmie Reese (1901–1994), baseball player
    Buddy Rich (1917–1987), drummer, bandleader
    Sidney Sheldon (1917–2007), author
    Robert Stack (1919–2003), actor
    Cornel Wilde (1915–1989), actor
    Billy Wilder (1906–2002), movie director
    Carl Wilson (1946–1998), singer, member of The Beach Boys
    Natalie Wood (1938–1981), actress
    Frank Zappa (1940–1993), composer, musician; grave is unmarked

Forest Lawn,  Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA    forestlawn.com
Forest Lawn, Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA  forestlawn.com

Forest Lawn contains the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale that features rotating art exhibits.  There are  six Forest Lawn cemeteries and three non-sectarian chapels. Over 60,000 people have been married there, including Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, while more than 250,000 people are buried at Forest Lawn. The tourist attraction welcomes over one million visitors annually. Its theme park” approach to death includes replicas of great attractions around the globe, replicas of great art, and even hosts hundreds of field trips for schools annually!  The Great Mausoleum accessible to the public includes the Court of Honor where individuals are inducted as Immortals” by Forest Lawn's Council of Regents. Many of the celebrities are buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, though Walt Disney's grave is located in Glendale.

  • Partial List of Stars Buried at Forest Lawn
    Joe Barbera, animator and co-founder of Hanna-Barbera Productions
    Bob Burns, actor and comedian
    George Burns, actor and comedian
    Sammy Davis, Sr., dancer
    Walt Disney, entertainment park founder
    Errol Flynn, actor
    Clark Gable, actor (no public access)
    Andy Gibb, singer
    Michael Jackson, entertainer, singer and songwriter (no public access)
    Ted Knight, actor
    Louis L'Amour, novelist
    David Landau, actor
    Harold Lloyd, actor and comedian
    Ida Lupino, actress and director
    Chico Marx, actor and comedian
    Vincente Minnelli, director
    William Russell, actor
    James Stewart, actor
    Elizabeth Taylor, actress (no public access to grave)
    Robert Taylor, actor
    Spencer Tracy, actor
    Robert Young, actor



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