Sacred Ground

“A cemetery so beautiful, it invites one to die,” said the caretaker of Tulcán, Ecuador's cemetery, before he was buried beneath the toucan topiaries he had sculpted. While ostensibly for the dead, burial rituals can also tell rich stories of a culture's living. From epitaph roasts in Romania, to cliff-hanging coffins in the Philippines, to a graveyard movie theater in Hollywood, here are some of the burial sites that are as fascinating as their tenants.

- Meghan Gunn

1 Hollywood Forever

LOS ANGELES

Notable residents here include actors Judy Garland and Iron Eyes Cody, silent film heartthrob Rudolph Valentino and figure skater Mabel Fairbanks; but this is not your average cemetery. It doubles as a lively event space that hosts concerts and summer movie screenings. It's also home to roaming flamingos, who bask in the sun near over-the-top reflective pools (because, L.A.).

02 Neptune Memorial Reef

OFF THE COAST OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

You'll need your scuba diving certification to explore this one. This underwater necropolis doubles as an artificial reef and sits 40 feet under the sea. Cremated remains are cast in concrete then placed within a gated area that's guarded by sculpted lions.

03 Janitzio Cemetery

LAKE PÁTZCUARO, MEXICO

During Day of the Dead, family members embark on a candlelit boat procession across the lake to visit loved ones' tombs. They stay overnight, decorating altars with yellow marigolds, holding vigils, performing traditional dances and drinking mezcal. The cemetery bell tolls throughout the festivities, calling the souls to their graves.

04 Tulcán Cemetery

TULCÁN, ECUADOR

While working as the graveyard's caretaker, José María Azael Franco Guerrero began planting hundreds of cypress trees. He then pruned them into huge topiaries of Incan symbols, mythical birds and other animals. When he passed, he was buried in the shadows of his art, his tombstone inscribed with a quote from him: "a cemetery so beautiful, it invites one to die."

05 Whalers Bay Cemetery