Above Ground Cremation Vaults: An Alternative to Traditional Burial
As preferences around end-of-life arrangements evolve, many families are seeking meaningful alternatives to traditional burial. Among the most dignified and increasingly popular choices is the above-ground cremation vault—a structure that combines the permanence of a traditional monument with the flexibility of cremation. This type of above-ground interment provides a respectful and lasting way to memorialize the deceased, while offering comfort and convenience to those left behind.
Final Resting Place Options for Cremated Remains
- Secure and Dignified Option: Above-ground cremation vaults provide a respectful and lasting way to hold urns and honor the deceased.
- Meeting Modern Preferences: This type of interment reflects the growing demand for flexible above-ground burial alternatives.
- Personalization and Connection: Many vaults allow for custom features and the option to house multiple urns, creating meaningful final resting places for families.
- Long-Term Value: While potentially more costly than traditional interment, above-ground burials offer durability, convenience, and lasting emotional comfort.
What Are Above Ground Cremation Vaults?
An above-ground cremation vault is a specially designed structure that holds urns containing cremated remains. Often housed in mausoleum crypts, cremation monuments, or columbaria, these secure chambers are built above the earth’s surface. The urn rests in a sealed compartment, protected from the elements and thoughtfully displayed instead of being buried in the ground.
These mausoleums are often constructed of granite or marble and can be personalized to reflect the life and legacy of the deceased. Some are constructed in cemetery complexes, while others are standalone monuments in peaceful garden settings — perhaps on private land.
Why Choose an Above-Ground Cremation Vault?
In-ground burial has been the norm for centuries. However, many people seek a new approach to final resting places. Here are some reasons why above-ground cremation vaults and mausoleums are popular.
1. Aesthetic and emotional value
Above-ground cremation monuments provide families with a beautifully designed and easily accessible final resting place. These structures carry special meaning, often incorporating engraved plaques, photos, or decorative elements that celebrate a life well lived. The ability to visit and reflect in a serene space can offer great emotional comfort after death.
2. Convenient visitation
Unlike traditional burials, above-ground interment allows for more accessible visitation. Many of these cremation vaults are located in indoor mausoleum crypts or sheltered outdoor settings, making it easier for friends and family—especially those with mobility issues—to spend time remembering their loved one.
3. Durability and protection
By being housed in above-ground structures, cremation urns are better protected from the effects of time and nature. This level of care ensures that the memory of the deceased is preserved in a secure and respectful environment for generations.
4. Family companionship
Some above-ground interment options are designed to hold urns for multiple family members. This allows spouses or relatives to share a final resting place, providing a beautiful symbol of enduring love and connection.
Cost and Planning Considerations
Although above-ground burials may involve additional costs compared to simple in-ground interment, the investment often reflects the lasting quality, aesthetics, and peace of mind they offer. Costs may vary based on the funeral home, location, materials, and the type of monument selected. Families are encouraged to consult with a trusted funeral home or cemetery professional to explore options that align with their values and budget.
Of course, private mausoleum options are available for those families requiring privacy.
Is an Above Ground Cremation Vault Right for Your Family?
Choosing how to honor a loved one after death is deeply personal. An above-ground cremation vault offers a thoughtful alternative for those seeking a balance of tradition, beauty, and lasting tribute. Whether placed within mausoleum crypts, elegant garden niches, or custom cremation monuments, this type of interment reflects the growing demand for dignified, meaningful remembrance.
Are you beginning the pre-planning process and would like to learn more about above-ground interment for the discerning family? Request a private consultation with Eternal Mausoleums by Forever Legacy. We are the premier provider of funerary architecture in North America.
Selecting Mausoleum Crypt Plates: Materials, Designs & Inscription Options
- At May 02, 2025
- By Lin McLeod
- In General Information, Mausoleumpedia
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Every detail matters when honoring a loved one’s legacy. For example, selecting the right mausoleum crypt plate is one of those meaningful decisions. It’s more than a nameplate—it’s a permanent tribute reflecting a well-lived life. Whether planning ahead or making arrangements after a loss, this guide will walk you through the most important considerations when choosing a crypt plate, including materials, design elements, and inscription options.
The Basics: Mausoleum Crypt Plates
- Crypt plates serve as lasting memorials, often made from bronze, granite, or stainless steel, and are used to honor those buried or placed in a columbarium or niche.
- Families can personalize plates with relief artwork, portraits, and emblems—suitable for both cremated remains and traditional interments.
- Inscriptions typically include the full name, dates, and a short epitaph, with various font and finish options available for bronze markers and plaques.
- It’s important to ensure the plate complements the overall mausoleum site.
What Is a Crypt Plate?
A crypt plate—also called a crypt marker or nameplate—is the panel affixed to the front of a mausoleum niche or crypt. It identifies the individual entombed or buried within and typically features their name, birth and death dates, and a short epitaph or symbolic design. These plaques may be made from bronze, metal, or stone and are often attached to the exterior of the crypt or columbarium.
Crypt plates serve a dual purpose: they preserve identity and provide a beautiful and respectful tribute to the remains of a loved one.
Selecting Mausoleum Crypt Plates: Materials, Designs & Inscription Options
Choosing the right crypt plate is integral to planning or personalizing a mausoleum. Families often seek clarity in the process, and this guide will answer the most common questions surrounding materials, designs, and inscription choices.
1. Crypt plate materials
Durability, appearance, and compatibility with the mausoleum structure are key when choosing the material for a crypt plate. Common options include the following:
- Bronze: Known for its elegance and longevity, bronze crypt plaques offer timeless beauty. They are corrosion-resistant and ideal for private mausoleums or columbarium fronts.
- Stainless Steel: Sleek and modern, stainless steel works well in minimalist or contemporary mausoleum designs.
- Granite: Often used for shutter-style crypts or full-front designs, granite pairs well with matching headstones or mausoleum facades.
2. Design options for personalization
A well-designed crypt plate should reflect the individual’s legacy, beliefs, and personality. Popular design elements include the following:
- Relief Artwork: Raised details like borders, angels, doves, or flowers add depth to bronze markers or niche plaques.
- Portraits: Laser-etched or bronze-framed images can create a more personal, visual connection to your loved one.
- Emblems: Military medallions, fraternal insignias, or religious symbols can be included to honor service or values.
Design elements can be included in plaques accompanying cremated remains in a niche or traditional full-body interments.
3. Inscription styles and options
Inscriptions turn a nameplate into a heartfelt tribute. Key elements include:
- Basic Information: Full name, birth and death dates, and sometimes a maiden name or middle initial.
- Epitaphs: Short messages such as “Forever Loved” or spiritual quotes reflect emotional sentiment and meaning.
- Fonts and Finishes: Choose serif, script, or modern fonts with finishes ranging from polished to antique, particularly for bronze plaques or niche markers.
Helpful Tips for Choosing a Crypt Plate
- Confirm Requirements: Always obtain approval from the cemetery or columbarium before ordering. Some sites have specific size or material requirements for plaques and markers. Of course, this is not necessary if you’re constructing a private family mausoleum.
- Plan Ahead: Preplanning gives families peace of mind and allows for thoughtful customization.
- Coordinate with the Mausoleum: Make sure your bronze crypt plaque, niche plaque, or stone engraving aligns with the overall aesthetic of the mausoleum or burial site.
A Tribute That Stands the Test of Time
A mausoleum crypt plate is more than a marker—it’s a legacy in bronze, steel, or stone. Whether you’re commemorating cremated remains in a niche or honoring a loved one buried in a private crypt, your design should offer a sense of permanence, elegance, and emotional connection.
At Eternal Mausoleums by Forever Legacy, we specialize in designing and building custom mausoleums where every detail—down to the plaque—is a lasting expression of love. Contact us to begin creating a mausoleum that honors your family’s story for generations to come.
What’s the Difference Between a Mausoleum and a Memorial?
- At September 04, 2013
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
When considering how to commemorate the life of a loved one, a family may contemplate a mausoleum, a memorial, or another commemorative structure. The terms can get confusing, though, so what’s the difference between a mausoleum and a memorial?
Read More»The Cemetery Mausoleum
A cemetery mausoleum offers an appealing opportunity to inter beloved family members above ground. Beautiful cemetery mausoleums draw admiration and appreciation from family members and strangers alike, and provide a permanent monument to the love and devotion that family members feel toward the deceased.
Read More»New Zealand’s Biggest Cemetery Plans Space-Saving Hillside Mausoleum
- At August 02, 2014
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
Waikumete Cemetery, the biggest cemetery in Auckland, spans 1.08 square kilometers but is running out of space. A popular place for burials, the cemetery has filled up the majority of its burial plots and mausoleums and is planning to expand to keep up with demand.
Waikumete was established in 1886 and serves as one of the city’s cultural landmarks. The cemetery currently has 59 private mausoleums, the first of which dates back to 1914. Waikumete’s two public mausoleums hold 24 and 96 people, respectively, and patrons are quickly snapping up available spaces.
Read More»Multi-Million Dollar Restoration of Roman Emperor Augustus’ Mausoleum Begins
- At August 06, 2014
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
Augustus may have initiated the era of the Pax Romana, but there has been little peace at his gravesite in the centuries following his death.
The mausoleum holding the remains of the founder and first emperor of Rome has withstood a series of rowdy events and interlopers, including a group of invaders who sacked the tomb in 410, a bullfighting ring, a cat colony, and present-day prostitutes. However, archaeologists and the city of Rome have furnished funding and plans to restore the mausoleum to its former glory.
Read More»Mausoleum Art Exhibition Brings Back Figures of The Gilded Age
- At September 15, 2014
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
One of the most famous cemeteries in the country is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a spectacular art party. As reported by the New York Times, the Bronx’s Woodlawn Cemetery is exhibiting its Gilded Age tombs at Columbia University’s Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, starting on Sept. 3: “Sylvan Cemetery: Architecture, Art and Landscape at Woodlawn.”
The exhibit features mausoleum artwork, furniture, stained glass, ironwork, and sculptures from the Gilded Age period (1870s to 1900). Curators of the exhibition took extra steps contextualize the pieces, including researching tomb designers and tomb inhabitants and reaching out to descendants of the deceased individuals entombed at Woodlawn.
Read More»The Last Link to a Bygone Era: Civil War Mausoleum To Be Restored
- At September 11, 2014
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
It’s difficult to envision a cemetery that was once “the center of town life,” but the grounds at Zion Chapel on Hilton Head Island (off the coast of South Carolina) was just that. The cemetery was the heart of the island’s settlements in the pre-Civil War period until Union soldiers invaded in 1861 and was the final resting place of numerous Civil War soldiers.
The cemetery has weathered the last 165 years, but now its historic Banyard Mausoleum is on the brink of collapsing, and the Heritage Library Foundation hopes to raise $175,000 for renovations. The group intends to preserve the historic antebellum architecture of the structure, which is the island’s oldest and only surviving building from the Civil War period. It houses the remains of affluent planter William Eddings Banyard and his family. The marble-covered crypt holds 21 burial chambers that are still intact, though only seven people were interred within.
Read More»Eisenstadt, Austria: The Eternal Home of Joseph Haydn
- At August 08, 2014
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
The quaint Austrian town of Eisenstadt, home to little more than 13,000 people, is the state capital of Burgenland. Nestled in the foothills of the Leitha Mountains, this town has a long and storied history that dates back to well before the time of Christ.
Located only a 45 minute drive from Vienna, the town of Eisenstadt is known for its wine production, beautiful castles, religious architecture, and the many museums that call the city home. It is, however, Eisenstadt’s most famous resident who is responsible for bringing the town to life each year.
Read More»Dead Men Tell No Tales
- At September 28, 2014
- By mausoleum
- In General Information
- 0
A final resting place is hallowed ground to be approached with an air of solemnity and a reverence for the individual who is buried or interred. We use these memorials as a way to quietly reflect on the lives of our loved ones. For these reasons and more, the recent act of Richard Hall of Spokane Valley, WA is unthinkable and abhorrent to most.
Hall, aged 30, was recently arrested by local police for the destruction of property and theft of small valuables from inside an area mausoleum. Detectives were able to track Hall down thanks to the presence of his fingerprints in the defaced memorial as well as security surveillance video shot during the crime.
Read More»
