Notable Mausoleums & Cemeteries

Roger Williams Park Mausoleum: About the Abandoned Crypts in Cranston

A man’s Tik Tok video showing an abandoned mausoleum in Rhode Island that was in extreme disrepair caused outrage and concern from viewers. The crumbling Cranston mausoleum had been damaged by trespassers – some who even removed caskets from the crypts. There’s also evidence human remains had been stolen.

History of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Consider the following story about the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus – a structure so magnificent that it altered the English language.

In the Eye of the Beholder: Qualities of a Beautiful Mausoleum

If you wish to build a beautiful mausoleum – or a private burial chamber – for your family, begin the design process by viewing images of the most famous mausoleums in the world for inspiration. 

Here’s what we can learn by studying the mausoleums and other beautiful buildings of the ancient world.

Stanford Mausoleum: A Memento Mori Comes To Life

In the spring of 1884, railroad magnet Leland Stanford and his wife Jane lost their son Leland Jr. to typhoid. The grieving parents decided to found a university in Leland Jr.’s memory. Using the land intended for their country estate’s home and garden, the Stanfords built a university for the future of others’ children. A Mausoleum to inter the remains of young Leland Stanford, Jr. and his parents was included in the grounds design.

The campus’s Mission Revival buildings were designed by the Boston based architect, Charles Allerton Coolidge. New York’s Central Park creator, Frederick Law Olmsted was commissioned as the landscape architect for the coeducational campus. Originally meant to be the cynosure of the university’s layout, the Stanford mausoleum was finally erected in the northwest of the campus, surrounded by the arboretum and Arizona Cactus Garden. At the behest of Mrs. Stanford, two Greek sphinxes were erected to guard the entrance of the mausoleum. However, the bare breasted female figures were deemed inappropriate and moved to the back of the building. They were replaced by two male, Egyptian-style sphinxes.

Where ‘Mausoleum’ Gets Its Meaning

There are many famous mausoleums:

The Taj Mahal, the tomb of the first emperor of Qin in China, and the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the founder and ruler of the 6th-century Persian Empire, are only a few.

The Taj Mahal

, an immense memorial carved out of marble between 1632 and 1653 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, ranks among the wonders of the world. So does the tomb of the first emperor of the Qin dynasty in China, which contains the 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses of his terra cotta army. The tomb of Cyrus the Great was a stopover for Alexander the Great during his conquest of Asia and remains a prominent monument in modern-day Iran.

Tomb of Jahangir: History of the Mughal Emperor Mausoleum

While you certainly have heard of The Taj Mahal, a white marble mausoleum on the bank of the Yamuna River in the Indian city of Agra, you may not have heard of The Tomb of Jahangir – and the nearby Tomb of Asif Khan, which are located on the banks of the Ravi River in Punjab, Pakistan. So let’s discuss this site nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Designation.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy

We all know that we will someday die. However, not all of us plan for this eventuality. One mausoleum in Ravenna, Italy – the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia – is a fine example of a beautifully designed final resting place commissioned by its future inhabitant. Let’s learn about the history of this beautiful historic site that was commissioned in the first half of the 5th century.

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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam

One can’t read about the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum without learning about the famous corpse on display in the glass sarcophagus for ten months a year. However, the structure itself, which was inspired by Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow, is definitely worth the visit – as long as you do the necessary research before making the long trek.

Let’s learn about this famous mausoleum, which honors Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Viet Minh and the Vietnamese Communist Party.

Forest Lawn Cemetery Mausoleums

Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York is the final resting place for over 152,000 souls. This historic cemetery was founded in 1849 by Charles Clarke, and covers more than 269 acres. Forest Lawn Cemetery is known for its monuments, mausoleums, and sculptures, as this 19th century style garden cemetery serves as a combination of outdoor museum, arboretum, park, and cemetery.

Woodlawn Cemetery Mausoleums in the Bronx, NY

Woodlawn Cemetery, in the Bronx, is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City. This 400-acre cemetery is the final resting place for more than 310,000 people. Established in 1863, Woodlawn Cemetery is designated a National Historic Landmark. It is an important cemetery, historically speaking, because it is a prime example of the transition from rural garden cemetery at the time of its establishment, to the more modern and orderly 20th-century cemetery style.