Most Expensive Cemeteries: Rest in Pricey Peace:

Houdini grave, Machpelah Cemetery, Queens, NY

As men, we are all equal in the presence of death. (Publilius Syrus, circa 100 BC)

The wealthy may while away their lives in walled castles in exclusive enclaves, separated from the masses, but in death they must share the same neighborhood with the rest of us. While everyone is dying to get into them, cemeteries don’t require Board approval. Still, the wealthy will find a way to separate themselves, even in their perpetual rest.

Here are 10 US cemeteries where the rich can reside in their final pricey piece of real estate– the burial plot.

1. Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, CA. Established 1906. Best resting place: $825,000. The rest: $8,275- 19,175. Lucille Ball has them dying of laughter.

2. Santa Barbara Cemetery, California. Established 1867. Best are on the bluff: $83,000. The rest: $3,300. Sam Battistone, founder of the Sambos restaurant chain is here. The original Sambos is still in town.

3. Glenwood Cemetery, Houston, Texas. Establsihed 1871. Best: $25,000 The rest: $7,000. Howard Hughes is buried here– bet his casket is sealed tight.

4. Sparkman-Hillcrest, Dallas, Texas. Big D deathbed: $45,000. The rest: $5635. The Mick is here. So is Mary Kay Ash.

5. Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, NY Established 1863. Best mausoleum tops out at $1.5 million. Now that’s a lot of cold cash. The rest can park it for $4800. The five-and-dime magnate F.W. Woolworth is buried here.

6. Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, NY (now that’s a nice place for a cemetery). Established 1899. Spend eternity by spending $500,000. Spend less money for the same time in eternity: $1,800 (Best Buy) . Lou Gehrig covers first base in the hereafter.

7. Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY. Est. 1838. You don’t have to watch your back buried in the same neighborhood as mobster “Crazy Joe” Gallo. Best: $300,000. The rest: $1515 (a steal)

8. Graceland, Chicago, IL. Est. 1861. Chitown unLiving boxseats for $120,000. Bleachers: $2,600- 4,000. A lot of Civil War vets here and city mayors. Also the burial site of heavyweight boxing legend Jack Johnson.

9. Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, MA. Est. 1831. Buried in the same dirt as the Mayflower hoi polloi can cost you $500,000… or $3500 gets you a lower cabin in the back of the boat, no window. John Wilkes Booth’s older brother Edwin is buried here. (ironic historical trivia: Edwin Booth saved the life of President Lincoln’s son Robert at a train station in Chicago). Quote aggregator John Bartlett is here too. Not much being said here.

10. Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia. Est. 1868. Enjoy everlasting southern hospitality for $4,510. Too bad you can’t sip the mint julip.

Sources: Forbes; Findagrave. To find out where the famous and infamous are buried visit FindaGrave.

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