This cemetery is the forever home of many notable persons from the last 100 years of Hollywood. It was founded in 1899 on 100 acres as Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery. Unfortunately, by the latter part of the 20th century it had become run down. The Forever enterprise purchased the now 62-acre property in 1998 , restored, refurbished and renamed it.
I first went to this cemetery when I was in high school with my mom and my sister. Weekend adventures with my mom commonly included trips to cemeteries, psychic eye, bookstores, historical places and cultural events. ( I am sure many of you are surprised! :P) Some of my earliest memories are playing at West
wood Memorial Park by the wall crypt of Marilyn Monroe.
That particular day we were just looking around. One area of particular interest was the main mausoleum on the right of the park. When walking down the first corridor on the left, you get the feeling that it goes on forever. The farther in you get, you feel like you have walked into some sort of portal. I have taken pictures in there and by the time I got in the car, i had 10 or 15 shots of pure black nothing.
One of Hollywood Forever's most famous resident's - Rudolph Valentino - is involved in the park's most well known ghost stories: The Lady in Black. The Lady in Black is known to be seen walking into the mausoleum at night, every night. She brings him exactly 2 long stemmed roses. There are also reports of a near by statue of an angel appearing to cry and the smell of a woman's perfume appearing even if nobody else is around. Valentino's crypt is in the mausoleum with the strange corridor.
Could it just be a dedicated fan? An urban legend? If
you're local, check it out. Maybe you will see the Lady in Black bringing 2 long stemmed roses to The Sheik.
