Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) facts for kids
View from Griffith Park
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1906 by Hubert L. Eaton New cemetery opened in 1952 |
| Location |
Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Type | Public |
| Owned by | Forest Lawn |
| No. of graves | 119,216 |
Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills is one of the six Forest Lawn cemeteries in Southern California. It is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068, in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Contents
Features
The park features such sights as:
Court of Liberty
- The Court of Liberty features statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and the Birth of Liberty mosaic. At 162 feet (49 m) long and 28 feet (8.5 m) high, Birth of Liberty is the largest historical mosaic in the United States. It is composed of ten million pieces of Venetian glass and depicts twenty-five scenes from early America, from 1619–1787.
- The Old North Church, a precise replica of Boston's historic church, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride". The historical rooms have documents and mementos of the colonial period.
- The Hall of Liberty American History Museum has a copy of the Liberty Bell and other exhibits. The museum has a 1,200-seat auditorium.
- Monument to Washington, a marble and bronze tribute to America's first president, created by sculptor Thomas Ball. Four of Washington's generals are honored in the memorial.
Lincoln Terrace
- The Lincoln Terrace features a 16-foot (4.9 m) bronze statue of the 16th president by Augustus St. Gaudens, flanked by a panoramic mosaic depicting key scenes from Lincoln's life.
Plaza of Mesoamerican Heritage
The Plaza of Mesoamerican Heritage has indigenous by Meliton Salas Rodriguez, of Guadalajara, Mexico. Salas used hand tools to first quarry, then work, the native Mexican stone into precisely scaled, detailed replicas of artwork and artifacts that are representative of the Aztec, Huastec, Maya, Mixtec, Olmec, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Totonac, and Zapotec civilizations that preceded modern Mexican culture and are in contrast to the Christian and patriotic American themes which were originally reflective of the culture at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills and other Forest Lawn Memorial Parks since their inception by Christian American businessman Hubert L. Eaton. A smooth Olmecan head, an intricate Aztec sun calendar and a sinuous Teotihuacan bas relief are some of the sculptural features of the plaza that are set off by crushed stone walkways and complemented by groupings of Mesoamerican plants. This entire display has been removed and placed in storage.
History
The first Forest Lawn, in Glendale, was founded in 1906 by businessmen who hired Dr. Hubert Eaton, a firm believer in a joyous life after death. He believed that most cemeteries were "unsightly, depressing stoneyards," and pledged to create one that would reflect his optimistic beliefs and be "As Unlike Other Cemeteries As Sunshine Is Unlike Darkness." He envisioned Forest Lawn to be "A Great Park Devoid Of Misshapen Monuments And Other Signs Of Earthly Death, But Filled With Towering Trees, Sweeping Lawns, Splashing Fountains, Beautiful Statuary, Cheerful Flowers, Noble Memorial Architecture With Interiors Full Of Light And Color, And Redolent Of The World’s Best History And Romances".
Notable interments
Many prominent people, especially from the entertainment industry, are interred there.
See also
In Spanish: Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) para niños
