Mausoleum Burial Guide: Types, Benefits & Cost
Mausoleum burial is a highly desirable form of internment among families who can afford the associated costs. Mausoleum burial offers a dignified alternative to ground burial, and offers many benefits to grieving family members. Many who chose mausoleum burial do so to honor a distinctive life, as a loving way to memorialize the deceased, and to provide a beautiful place to visit and remember their loved ones.
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Mausoleum Burial vs. Ground Burial
Underground burial is often associated with a traditional funeral, but mausoleum interment also has a long history in funeral rites. Mausoleum burial has been practiced all the way back to ancient civilizations. When considering a mausoleum vs in-ground burial, remember that mausoleum burial:
- Provides an exceptional memorial for distinctive persons.
- Is a good option for people who have an aversion to being interred in the ground.
- Offers a quiet, personal place to visit and remember the deceased.
- Provides a place for people to mourn while being protected from the elements.
- Offers an alternative to increasingly scarce cemetery resources.
The mausoleum burial process is comparable to burial within the earth. A family generally holds a traditional funeral, followed by transportation to the mausoleum site for a commitment ceremony. In a vestibule mausoleum, also known as a walk-in mausoleum, the casket is carried through the door and placed within a crypt. The crypt is then sealed. With a sarcophagus mausoleum, a crane may temporarily remove a roof or wall to place the casket inside a vault in the mausoleum.
After the internment, the mausoleum may be accessible or closed, depending on the design and structure of the mausoleum. Many times, a private mausoleum’s design can include a comfortable space for visitors who wish to reflect on the life of the deceased or mourn in private. Family visit mausolea in much the same way they visit an in-ground burial site to remember a deceased family member.
Mausoleum Burial Options
Private Family Mausoleums
Families choose among a wide array of mausoleum burial options. The most expensive and elaborate mausoleum burial takes place in a private family mausoleum. This mausoleum may be custom designed and constructed from quality materials with elaborate details to commemorate the deceased. A private family mausoleum may be small enough for a couple, or large enough to house all members of an immediate family. It provides a wonderful opportunity to be near loved ones for eternity.
Custom Private Mausoleums
Private mausoleums can be constructed on plots purchased from public cemeteries or built on private land. If built on private land, special arrangements need to be made to upkeep the grounds and structure for perpetuity.
Above-Ground Burial Vaults
Above-ground burial vaults, like what is found in a mausoleum, can also be designed to hold cremated remains for eternity. If someone within the family prefers cremation instead of entombment, their cremains can be placed within a pre-designed niche within the mausoleum.
Private Monuments
Alternately, some choose individual mausoleums as private monuments. This is a common choice for a patriarch of the family, or less frequently, for families who have experienced the untimely loss of a child. These mausoleums tend to be elaborate and serve as reminders of monuments to lost loved ones. In some cases, individual mausoleums may be grouped together with family mausoleums; particularly in the case of large or extended families that want to be near one another in death.
Other Above Ground Burial Options
Of course, there are other above-ground burial options for those who are not interested in cremation.
Cemetery Mausoleums
Public mausoleums are available at some cemeteries across the country, especially in areas with a high water table, such as New Orleans. Some of these indoor structures hold thousands of bodies. Public mausoleum spaces are typically less expensive the higher the crypt is within the wall.
Garden Mausoleums
Garden mausoleums provide a space for above-ground entombment. Unlike a typical mausoleum, the vaults on a garden mausoleum open to the outside. With this design, mourners visit the crypt just as they would a headstone at a cemetery.
Public Mausoleums
Of course, when comparing mausoleums vs burial vaults of this type, the cost is the only advantage. Whether indoor or outdoor, public mausoleums do not provide a private space for families to mourn. When selecting a public above-ground burial option, you may not be able to be entombed next to more than one family member.
Cost of Mausoleum vs. Burial
One can’t really compare the cost of building a private mausoleum with that of a typical cemetery burial. The difference would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, families concerned about privacy issues or those seeking private, above-ground burial options are willing to make such an investment.
Those who are concerned about mausoleum vs burial cost may consider the amount their trust will spend for the entombment of multiple family members in a high-end cemetery mausoleum. Once those costs are compared, the amount one would spend for a customized, private space may not be as concerning.
Many families view buying a mausoleum as part of their legacy. Rather than utilizing a public cemetery mausoleum, these families wish to create a distinctive, unique monument that celebrates their contributions to the world.
Choosing a Mausoleum or Burial
When considering a burial mausoleum for yourself or your beloved family, carefully consider the design to ensure it reflects your love, appreciation, and stature through the structure, art, materials, and location. These factors determine the appearance and outward message of a cemetery mausoleum or private mausoleum, as well as the cost. Mausoleum burial is a beautiful statement of both love and deep loss.
A mausoleum burial is similar to any other cemetery burial. Burial in a mausoleum is an above-ground process compared to burial on the earth. Interment of the deceased may be below ground level within the mausoleum, even with the structure of the cemetery mausoleum primarily above ground.
After burial services, if the mausoleum is a vestibule with windows and doors, the casket is carefully interred within the mausoleum through the doorway, or, in the case of a sarcophagus mausoleum with no openings, a crane may temporarily remove the roof or one wall in order to place the deceased inside.
Mausoleum Burial Structure
Mausoleums can be placed on private property or in public or private cemeteries. The placement of mausoleums may define their appearance in addition to driving mausoleum costs. Although the size of mausoleums can drive costs, larger mausoleums can hold more generations of family members, and, over time, be more economical as well as keep family together.
A burial mausoleum for an individual represents honor and respect while a family mausoleum represents closeness. It is not uncommon to find a small group of mausoleums for the same family, with an individual mausoleum positioned alongside those in a family mausoleum.
The monument, and the placement and size of the mausoleum burial structure, tell tales of love, appreciation, and devotion to our beloved deceased. Families carefully consider features to arrive at the right mix of statements that convey their love, their loss, and their faith to the world. American mausoleums are monuments of love, standing for future generations to keep the memory of those within fresh and alive in the world.
Comparing Mausoleums and Burials
Mausoleum vs. Burial: Final Thoughts
Mausoleum burial tells a tale of respect, honor, and distinction, or familial appreciation and devotion to the beloved deceased. Every family approaches the mourning process differently and makes different choices about the best type of mausoleum burial for their lost loved ones. However, mausoleum burial is the best opportunity to make a statement of love and provide a place of remembrance long after the deceased has left this world.
For those interested in learning more about custom, private individual, or family mausoleums, consult with the premier provider in the United States – Forever Legacy. Forever Legacy offers concierge-level service for families wanting a custom-built private mausoleum anywhere within the U.S. We will be there for you every step of the process – from the site selection, design, and construction. The result will be a beautiful space that can be visited by your progeny forever.
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