Sleeping in Beauty ~ Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson

Ten weeks after his untimely death, Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest last night at Forest Lawn Glendale in the Great Mausoleum, Holly Terrace, during a much publicized private funeral.  

I was invited to be a guest commentator on ZDF German TV and would like to say a big, big thank you to producer-reporter Melanie Hillmann for arranging my media credentials.  While there, I was also interviewed by Channel One Russia, BBC World News and our local newspaper, the Glendale News-Press.

As a cemetery historian, it was an unparalleled experience to be a part of the scene outside the park gates on Glendale Blvd., which had been closed to traffic for the historic event.

Michael Jackson's casket prior to entombment (© Reuters 9/3/2009)

The Jacksons filmed the funeral (speculation abounds that the footage will be used in their upcoming A&E reality show) and provided a public video feed of the guest arrivals.  Beamed around the world by a pool camera, the feed cut out once Michael's casket arrived at the Great Mausoleum in a hearse after a short drive from the cemetery mortuary.

After the ceremony, I was told by eyewitnesses that once the funeral was over -- which was a loving celebration of Michael's life -- no one from his family opted to watch his casket be entombed. (This is not an unusual practice.)  Forest Lawn personnel handled the sacred, solemn task with dignified professional aplomb, sealing Michael and his gold casket into an elaborate marble sarcophagus some time after approximately 9 p.m.

Based on insider descriptions of the immediate area, my best guess -- and this is ONLY an educated grave hunter's guess, not an officially confirmed fact -- is that Michael now rests on the main floor of the terrace, at the end of a sanctuary hallway with cathedral ceilings, under three stained-glass windows which are a re-creation of Nicola D'Ascenzo's "The Ascension."

No public photos have been released of this stunningly gorgeous location since Michael was possibly entombed there less than 24 hours ago. But a quick look through my Forest Lawn archival materials produced this promotional image, released by Forest Lawn in 1952, showing a final resting place that is truly fit for a king:

Ascension Window Sarcophagus promotional photo
(© 1952 Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Association)

Word has it that the price tag, which also includes an unspecified number of nearby crypts reserved for other family members, is in the neighborhood of $600,000.

This sarcophagus was one of the last (and possibly the last) remaining interment type of its kind on Holly Terrace or within the entire mausoleum itself.  It has remained largely unchanged since it was constructed 50 years ago.  I saw it in person about a year ago. The photo does not do it justice. It's breathtaking.

At that time it was also notable because it remained seemingly unoccupied, sans any engraved names, dates or epitaphs.

The only difference I noticed from the original photo was the addition of a marble and brass waist-high gate in front of the steps, which partitions it off from the rest of the hallway.  Update: the partition was always there per other vintage photos I've seen. The photo above was taken from inside the gate.

Construction began on the Great Mausoleum in late 1917.  It was constructed of steel and concrete, with each terrace on its own foundation, although they are all connected in a "building within a building" architectural style.

Engineers designed the entire structure to be earthquake-proof, and their work stands up today in spite of several monumental tremblers over the decades.

The Great Mausoleum, Holly Terrace addition in red
(© 1939-top, 1952-bottom Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Association)

Holly Terrace was opened to the public on March 21, 1949.  Forest Lawn invited and encouraged the public to visit the new terrace with a promotional campaign that included large ads in newspapers like The Los Angeles Times. 

Glorious artwork such as a marble replica of Donatello's St. George statue and a stain-glassed re-creation of Raphael's "Madonna of the Chair" painting were the attraction -- pre-need purchases of cremation niches, crypts and sarcophaguses within "the finest mausoleum memorial property available anywhere" was the sell. 

Since the Great Mausoleum is rumored to be fairly sold out (no official figures are available) I wonder if this could be an additional reason as to why the public visitation policy (now limited only to the Memorial Terrace to see The Last Supper Window) has radically changed over the years? It seems to make dollars and sense to me.

Thank you to Mark Masek and Harry Martin for your research and brainstorming assistance!

Comments

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1434426283]

I really hope you are right about the location inside the Great Mausoleum because that does look like is a fitting final resting place for the King Of Pop. I also think the mausoleum is filled and if there is anything left it's very pricey. When my family was buying property at FL we were told the only cremation niches available indoors were in the Freedom mausoleum. I am glad that Michael will finally have some peace but there is a part of me that thinks he would want his fans to be able to visit his grave.

[Debbie]

Thank you for posting this, lovely photos, interesting commentery.

[david2323]

Thanks Lisa,

You have done a good public service by providing this info for all to see.

[Alycia Wicker]

Lisa, great article! I wonder how long it will really take to get that picture of his final resting place and how much money the photo will go for.

[jenny]

Ridiculously ostentatious. Who is the gold casket and burial site supposed to impress? Heaven or those of us still on Earth?

As much as I respect the Jackson's grief and the fact that Michael died well before his time the family need to get real. That it was supposedly filmed does not show the family in a good light.

[Linda]

Personally
Lisa:
Thank you so much for the article. What a beautiful space. Perfect for Michael--He deserves to be at peace--This is all I need to see--I don't need to see his actual resting place. This why the media kept houding Michael, because people always wanted more.

[sunday roberts]

He is in a very beautiful place that he deserves. I,m so happy he is getting the rest he needs till the day comes for Jesus to say come forth Michael Jackson. Yes it a great place but i to would of loved him to maybe go to Neverland but i know that Michael left it all up to his beloved mother so thats that how beautiful. love you Michael and king of hearts.

[CEC]

I grew up in the neighborhood behind Forest Lawn Glendale and problems in the Great Mausoleum began in the late 70s when a demographic change in the neighborhood brought a lot of local rowdies into the building. Since it is so huge and at one time, had numerous doors open for entry, people would go in and trash statues and stained glass, or tag the crypts.

We used to like going in there because it was dark and scary and had creepy music emanating from the walls, and it was fun to see the famous people, but I still don't understand why those who followed felt so aggressive towards the place...

[Hippo]

I would like to respond to the person (Jenny?) who says that it's ridiculously ostentatious.

I agree, but I also understand it.

It's the last thing you will buy for your loved one.

When my mother died, I bought her a cremation niche with a marble statue at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. It was nothing compared to Michael Jackson's grave, but it was over my budget and I don't think that either of my parents would have approved. My dad would have thought that it was ostentatious, but he would have used the word "asinine."

As the only child of two deceased parents, this was something I wanted to do, even though it was a little pricey and impractical.

Ten years later, I do not regret it.

[jenny]

Hippo, I fully understand what you did and do not criticize you for it, but there is a world of difference between what you did for your mother and what the Jacksons are doing.

What a contrast between the gaudiness of his funeral and casket and the sad, poignant coffins of the victims of the Italian earthquake earlier this year which included the small coffins of chidlren lying on top of their parent's coffin.

In no way do I disrespect the Jacksons' sense of mourning for Michael but sadly I think they do and are so wrapped up in their image bubble they don't even realize it.