Hollywood Cemetery
Also known as: Hollywood Forever
Why it's listed
Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, also known as Hollywood Forever, occupies about 62 acres along Santa Monica Boulevard in central Los Angeles. Founded in 1899 on land once part of a larger homestead, it was the first cemetery in Hollywood and is described as an early California example of the lawn-park type, with rolling lawns, low monuments and approved styles for family crypts. In 1920 about 40 acres on the south side were sold to Paramount Pictures and RKO Radio Pictures. The grounds include the Hollywood Cathedral Mausoleum, the Abbey of the Psalms, a columbarium, the Beth Olam Mausoleum, a crematory, the Eliza Otis Bell Tower, the William Clark Jr. Memorial and the Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Memorial with its reflecting pool. The original chapel, bell tower and a central lake no longer exist. The nomination ties the cemetery to the growth of Hollywood and to many film-industry burials, and it identifies 1899 to 1939 as the period when major construction and landscaping took place.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the first cemetery built in Hollywood and one of the earliest lawn-park cemeteries in California. It is also significant for its Italian Renaissance, Classical Revival, Egyptian Revival and Spanish-style architecture and landscaping, and for its burials of many figures from the film industry. The form states the integrity is high despite the loss of the original chapel, bell tower and a lake.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99000550, listed May 14, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | May 14, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000550 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1899-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Marston & Van Pelt; Marston & Maybury; Morgan, Walls & Clements; Robert Farquhar (additional architects listed in the report and Addendum A) |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance, Egyptian Revival, Classical Revival, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Exploration/Settlement, Social History, Architecture, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in cemetery and mortuary use. The Chapel of the Psalms was undergoing restoration in 1998-99, and the Southland Masonic Lodge in the Italian Renaissance complex is described as abandoned. |
| Acreage | 62 |
| Coordinates | 34.08907, -118.31897 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99000550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1624932
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.