Hollywood Forever Cemetery
4.6(802)google
4.3(417)yelp
HistoryFilmHollywoodPhoto Spot
Overview
Founded in 1899 and located adjacent to Paramount Studios, Hollywood Forever Cemetery is one of the world's most unique cultural and historical landmarks. It serves as the final resting place for hundreds of Hollywood's greatest founders, directors, and stars, including Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, and Johnny Ramone. Far from gloomy, the beautifully landscaped grounds feature grand mausoleums, roaming peacocks, and peaceful reflective lakes, hosting vibrant community cultural events such as outdoor summer movie screenings on the Fairbanks Lawn.
Practical Info
Suggested DurationAbout 1-2 hours
Best TimeThe best time to visit is on Saturday evenings from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM during summer or autumn for the famous Cinespia outdoor movie screenings on the lawn. For a standard cultural walk, mornings between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM offer a peaceful and solemn atmosphere.
Getting ThereLocated in the heart of Hollywood, next to Paramount Studios. Drivers can enter through the main gates on Santa Monica Blvd, with parking available inside. For public transit, ride Metro Bus Route 4 to Santa Monica / Gower, which is a 1-minute walk from the entrance.
Travel Tips
- During summer weekends, the famous 'Cinespia' lawn movie screenings and evening concerts convert the grounds into a premium, ticketed ticket-only zone, forcing general daytime visitors out at dusk; event tickets sell out instantly, and hard coolers, high lawn chairs, and pets are banned.
- The main gates open onto Santa Monica Blvd with limited internal free parking that vanishes on event days; adjacent neighborhood street bays are restricted to local residents with dynamic permit parking checks. Use the Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Vine station and micromobility options instead.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- While this active cemetery allows free public entry, certain zones close unexpectedly for private funerals; maintain maximum decorum, strictly avoiding stepping on grave markers, leaning on angel sculptures, or noisy conduct. DSLR cameras and flashes are strictly barred inside mausoleums.
Reviews
Positive
- One of the world's most unique cultural landmarks; the burial resting place of early Hollywood golden-era icons features gorgeous, artsy, historic monuments.
- The grounds are lush and green; large peacocks roam freely among historic markers and palm trees under views of the Hollywood Hills, creating a calm, raw serenity.
- Far from just a graveyard, it hosts famous summer outdoor movie nights (Cinespia) and live concerts, offering a vibrant, unique cultural entertainment experience.
- Completely free for standard daytime visitors; the entrance booth offers detailed map guides to celebrity plots, and respectful staff keep the park immaculate.
- Interring countless Hollywood golden-age stars and legendary directors, the exquisite artistic monument sculptures and roaming peacocks offer a historic vibe.
- No general admission ticket required, offering great value; its summer open-air lawn movie nights (Cinespia) offer a highly unique LA cultural experience.
- The entire grounds are maintained like an exquisite city park with lush lawns, clear lakes, clear directional maps, and highly warm, respectful staff.
- Located in the heart of Hollywood right next to Paramount Studios, it is highly accessible via driving or buses, with ample free parking spaces inside.
Heads up
- Whenever popular summer movie nights or cultural festivals (like Day of the Dead) roll in, tourist density skyrockets, and line queue management can get chaotic.
- As an active cemetery, permanent public restrooms are sparse across the expansive lawns, restricted mostly to the main office, leading to poor convenience.
- For certain international travelers with traditional customs, merging a solemn cemetery with hyper-commercial movie and pop concert events can feel jarring.
- When driving inside, the internal single-lane asphalt paths are narrow; scoring a legal parking spot during events is brutal, and driving directions can be vague.
- While maintaining raw serenity normally, it gets packed with thousands of social media users during movie nights, turning noisy and commercialized.
- As an active historic cemetery, some enclosed indoor mausoleums feel chilly with stagnant air and sparse signs, which might cause discomfort for timid tourists.
- During hot public events, internal parking is strictly reserved for VIPs, forcing regular guests onto congested Hollywood streets to find sparse parking.
- The grounds lack kiosks or vending machines, offering zero dining convenience; walking across the exposed park on hot California days easily leads to dehydration.