FAQs

Niches are small compartments designed to accommodate urns containing cremated remains.

We offer niches with a variety of fronts, including granite, marble, bronze, wood or glass. Depending on the location of the niche, it may have an open front protected by glass where the urn remains visible, or a closed-front faced with granite or marble where an inscription is placed on the niche front. A vase may be placed on some closed-front niches for the placement of flowers by those who care to commemorate special occasions.

Crypts are designed to hold casketed remains as well as urns containing cremated remains. Following a casket entombment or inurnment, the crypt is sealed, and a granite or marble front is attached. At Green Hills Memorial Park, we use granite, a harder and more durable material, for outdoor crypts and marble for indoor crypts.

We offer a variety of crypts for the entombment of caskets. These include: 

• Single crypts designed for one entombment only
• Tandem crypts permitting two entombments lengthwise in a crypt
• Companion crypts permitting two entombments side-by-side
• Westminster crypts permitting two entombments, the first below floor level, and the second above it 
• We also offer crypts designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.

Mausoleums are indoor or outdoor structures that house crypts containing caskets and urns, as well as niches containing urns that hold cremated remains. Historically, the word mausoleum comes from the large temple-like structure, which was erected by Queen Artemisia as the final resting place for her husband King Mausolus, who died in 353 B.C. His mausoleum is now regarded as the fifth of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Green Hills Memorial Park offers an exceptional selection of mausoleums, including indoor, outdoor, private family and community mausoleums.

A columbarium, often located within a mausoleum or chapel, and sometimes freestanding, is constructed of numerous small compartments (niches) designed to hold urns containing cremated remains. Columbariums can be indoor or outdoor.

Green Hills Memorial Park offers a large variety of columbariums from which to choose. These include freestanding structures located outdoors in picturesque settings, for example, overlooking a pond. Others are located indoors in either a chapel or a mausoleum, often as a bank of niches along a corridor or a series of special alcoves.

Most commonly, interment refers to the burial of a casket or other container in the ground. Most ground interments are single graves, and lots composed of two or more graves. Wall interment, where a casket or container is placed within a wall, is another option.

Most commonly, interment refers to the burial of a casket or other container in the ground. Most ground interments are single graves, and lots composed of two or more graves. Wall interment, where a casket or container is placed within a wall, is another option. Is a casket required for interment? No. What is required is an enclosed, rigid container to allow for the dignified handling of human remains.

Interment rights designate who may be interred or entombed in the space itself. Interment rights also include the right to place a memorial. An interment right holder is the person(s) who own interment rights in a cemetery, mausoleum, or columbarium. Anyone may be interred in any grave or lot with the permission of the interment rights holder(s). Written permission from the interment rights holder(s) is required prior to each interment or entombment. When choosing your interment rights, there are a number of factors to consider, including: your preference of memorial; the number of interments you expect to take place; will any of these interments be cremated remains; and your budget. We also strongly recommend seeing the site before buying any interment rights. Types of interment right ownership include: Sole Ownership: Where one individual owns the interment rights. Upon the death of the interment rights holder, his/her estate retains ownership of the interment rights. Joint Tenants: where two or more individuals own interment rights. Upon the death of an interment rights holder, the surviving interment rights holder(s) retains the ownership of the interment rights. Tenants-in-Common: Where two or more individuals own interment rights. Upon the death of an interment rights holder, his/her estate retains ownership of the interment rights together with the surviving interment rights holder(s). Transfer of Ownership: You may transfer your interment rights to a third party. Green Hills Memorial Park provides interment rights for all wishes and budgets. A complete list, with specific price information, is available upon request. Please call a Counselor at 1-310-521-4333.

Either natural or artificial flowers may be placed on graves providing appropriate containers are used. We respectfully request that you do not use glass or pottery containers. You are welcome to light a candle while you are visiting the grave-site, provided you extinguish it and take it away with you. We also allow the temporary placement of personal items and decorations for holidays and other special occasions. For more information, please call us at 1-310-521-4333.

Cremation is only one step in the journey of commemorating a life. Cremation properties allow you to provide a respectful and lasting place for family and friends to visit and remember a loved one. We offer an expanded choice of exceptional properties for those considering cremation, as well as for families currently in possession of cremated remains. If I chose cremation, can I still have a traditional ground burial? Yes. Among the many options available to those who prefer cremation, is traditional ground interment. For more information on these and other

Inurnment refers to the respectful placement of cremated remains within an urn, which is then interred or entombed in a final resting place, such as a grave, a niche or a crypt.options, please visit our Cremation section.

Yes. Cremated remains may be interred in a grave. One grave can accommodate many cremated remains. Even graves, which no longer have room for casket interments, can accommodate the interment of one or more urns. If you plan on interring cremated remains in a grave, be sure to choose a memorial that provides enough room for multiple inscriptions. If space permits, and with the permission of the interment rights holder(s), you may be able to add an additional inscription on an existing marker. We also provide crypts that allow for the entombment of a casket or container, as well as an urn containing cremated remains.

Yes. We offer a wide range of memorial properties that can accommodate multiple family members. These include: 

• Ground interment for two individuals
• A variety of double crypts
• Crypts that accommodate both a casket or container and an urn containing cremated remains
• Family mausoleums designated for individual families
• Mausoleum family room with 15 crypts
• Private and semi-private family estates and gardens for traditional ground burial

For more information, please visit our Memorial Properties.

Advance Planning allows families to make important decisions about where and how loved ones will be memorialized, commemorated and laid to rest, before the time of need arises. Advance Planning includes pre-selecting a memorial or cremation property to serve as a final resting place, as well as location, markers, urns, and other options for memorialization. During the Advance Planning process, you will also determine the budget you wish to spend on your memorial property, and establish the terms for purchasing the memorial property in advance. This allows your family to secure today’s prices, and protect against inflation and overspending. Green Hills Memorial Park offers no-cost Advance Planning services to guide you through your options, make the best selection for your needs, and secure the most favorable financial terms for you.

Yes, we offer a range of flexible and convenient payment plans, including payment plans for certain pre-purchased memorial properties. Our Pre-Planning Counselor will be happy to go over any payment plan and financing options with you as part of our no-cost, no-obligation pre-planning services.Please contact us at 1-310-521-4333 to schedule your no-cost consultation.

While every memorial property at Green Hills Memorial Park offers serene beauty, we do have a range of exceptional private settings for families seeking more seclusion. These include: 

• Private family mausoleums
• Private walled estates with benches
• Private and semi-private gardens
• Courtyard settings with sidewalk access, shrubbery beds and year-round flowers

For more information, please visit our Memorial Properties.