Hollywood Forever Cemetery

The owners of Hollywood Forever have been criticized for promoting the place as a tourist attraction, but any cemetery that houses the remains of such celluloid luminaries as Cecil B. DeMille and Jayne Mansfield would probably have become one regardless. It’s also the resting place of Rudolph Valentino; legend has it that a mysterious “Woman in Black” still stalks the cemetery, mourning the demise of Hollywood's original loverboy. Mel Blanc’s headstone says "That's All, Folks!"; Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Jr. are in a huge tomb in front of a lake guarded by a fountain and black swans. William Andrews Clark Jr., founder of the LA Philharmonic, has an even bigger mausoleum in the middle of a lake.

Aside from popular posthumous celebs, Hollywood Forever is also home to Cinespia’s summer outdoor movie screenings and an amazing annual Día de los Muertos festival. It’s also one of the city’s best places to see a concert, whether on the Fairbanks Lawn or inside the more intimate Masonic Lodge (past performers include Father John Misty, Lana Del Rey, Bright Eyes and Sigur Rós). You can even practice open-air yoga—from kundalini to silent disco vinyasa—on the lawn (or inside the lodge in the cooler seasons) every morning of the week. Classes are donation-based, and parking is free. So yes, it’s a bit strange for a cemetery to be such a cultural destination, but we’ll stand by every one of those five stars.