Forest Lawn Glendale: Flower Rules, Holiday Decoration Dates and Visiting Hours

Forest Lawn in Glendale has been a Southern California landmark since 1906, and it is one of the most visited cemeteries in the country. It is also one of the strictest about what stays on a grave. Here is what Forest Lawn's own visitor guidelines say, checked against its website.

Where it is and when it is open

• Address: 1712 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205.
• Visitor hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
• Customer service: 1 (888) 204-3131, around the clock.

The grounds include three churches (the Little Church of the Flowers, the Church of the Recessional and the Wee Kirk o' the Heather), a museum and large statuary gardens, so plan extra time if you have never been.

Finding a grave

Forest Lawn has an online search for services, graves and obituaries at sgo.forestlawn.com, and a mobile visitors guide with GPS directions to a space. On the lawn, watch for the flat memorial tablets, lawn vases and sprinkler heads underfoot. Our guide to finding a grave in a cemetery covers reading section markers.

What you can leave at a grave

• Fresh cut flowers are welcome at any time.
• Potted plants are allowed if they are under one gallon or 8 inches across, and they must sit on the memorial tablet or in a ground vase to protect the grass.
• Three floral placements per space, at most.

Funeral flowers are removed on the third day after the interment. Any flowers are removed once they wilt, along with whatever decorations came with them.

What is removed

Outside the holiday windows below, Forest Lawn removes artificial flowers and items such as ornaments, borders, fences, planter boxes, glass or ceramic containers, balloons, solar lights, statues and metal objects. Fencing or outlining a space is never allowed. Forest Lawn says it is not responsible for items that are lost, stolen or damaged, so nothing of value should be left.

Holiday decoration windows for 2026

Artificial decorations are allowed only during set holiday periods. Crews start removing them at 6:00 AM on the removal date, so collect anything you want to keep the day before. The remaining 2026 windows:

• Halloween, Día de los Muertos and All Souls: decorate from October 11, removed November 9.
• Veterans Day: from November 8, removed November 16.
• Thanksgiving: from November 15, removed December 7.
• Christmas and New Year's: from December 13, removed January 11, 2027.

Decorations may not exceed 4 feet, use support wires, block maintenance access or spread onto a neighboring space.

Before you go

Children under 16 must be with an adult, pets are not allowed, and there is no picnicking or lying on the lawns. Rules can change, so check Forest Lawn's visitor guide or call before a special trip. Our cemetery etiquette guide covers the rest.