Forest Lawn is a cemetery, but it’s not like any burial place before it. While more than 300,000 people, including some of America’s most famous celebrities, are buried there, it also boasts gardens, churches, a huge mausoleum and an art museum. It was designed so it doesn’t feel like a place of death and decay, but rather a celebration of life, a place you would want to visit. The museum houses original art and replicas of famous works, including one of the largest replica collections of Michelangelo's work. There’s even a 17-foot-tall reproduction of his famous statue of David. Forest Lawn is also home to Jan Styka’s “The Crucifixion” — a 195-foot wide, 45-foot-tall religious painting. Of course, what most people know Forest Lawn for is housing the graves of celebrities like Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Nat King Cole, Clark Gable, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few. However, don’t expect a list of who’s who — or rather, who’s where. Forest Lawn employees know people come to see the famous graves, but they won’t help you find them. While many of the final resting places of celebrities are openly accessible to the public, others are in locked gardens or private areas.
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| The Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn, featuring 11 terraces and more than 100 stained glass windows |
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| Jan Styka's "The Crucifixion” |
