Two terms you may hear
A mausoleum contains spaces, called crypts, for entombment, often above ground. A columbarium contains smaller spaces, called niches, for urns holding cremated remains. Some buildings contain both. Ask the cemetery to show you the exact type of space being offered.
Read more: FTC · Buying a cemetery site
Think beyond the purchase
Ask about opening and closing charges, inscriptions, long-term care, access hours, and rules for flowers or other memorial objects. Find out whether the price includes the specific space you viewed and what rights your agreement provides.
Read more: FTC · Buying a cemetery site
Make room for the family’s needs
Visit if you can. Notice how the space feels, whether there is seating, and how a wheelchair user or someone who tires easily would reach it. Ask where the ceremony can happen and whether people can gather privately. A quieter visit may help more than photographs alone.
Questions to talk through
You don’t need answers to all of these. Keep any that might help your family.
- Would our family feel comfortable visiting this place?
- Are we discussing a crypt for a casket or a niche for an urn?
- What are the total costs and future responsibilities?
Kept on this browser only, until you choose to bring them into the planning prototype.
Open our planning prototype