Forest Lawn Museum

Seriously people need to know about this activity to do in Glendale. It is practically free, allows for you to get some walking in and see recreations and stained glass art that is top notch. I had gone several years ago with my art history class to tour all the art located within the cemetery… it sounds creepy, but it is actually very nice. Now, I am working on planning a ticketed tour throughout the park and hope that several others will learn of the Forest Lawn Museum.

Visited 1÷16÷2016
Came here to see the exhibit called Leading Ladies from Fantasy to Reality. It explores the world of female heroines. It presented Disney princesses to world leaders.
There were watercolor, digital, oils, sculptures, animation and photographs. Many different artists. Walt Disney Animation Studios provided many artworks.
Afterward, we went next door to The Hall of the Crucifixion-​Resurrection. Inside there’s a large auditorium. This hall was specifically built in order to hang the picture of the Crucifixion. The painting is HUMONGOUS! All I could think and say was «WOW»!! You got to see this painting to experience the awesomeness of the length! After the Crucifixion painting, you get to see the Resurrection. That painting is about ¼ the size of the Crucifixion. There’s a interesting video you get to watch which explains both pictures. Takes less than half hour.
All this is free and abundant parking.
Interesting drive through the cemetery/​memorial before you get to the museum. Many statues along the way. The grounds are well kept.

This museum came to my attention because it is rumored that there is a painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau at Forest Lawn Museum. I owe it to a posted image by Brittany B. on Unilocal.She confirmed that I’d find «Song of the Angels» :http://​www​.wikiart​.org/​e​n​/​w​i​l​l​i​a​m​-​a​d​o​l​p​h​e​-​b​o​u​g​u​e​r​e​a​u​/​s​o​n​g​-​o​f​-​t​h​e​-​a​n​g​e​l​s​-1881 is actually at Forest Lawn Museum.
The first time I made the trek from San Diego to Glendale I was met with BIG disappointment. There was a special exhibit and their permanent collection was not on display. Devastated!
BE SURE TO CALL (800) 204‑3131 and ask to talk to the museum gift shop to CHECK what is on view.
The second time I visited Forest Lawn Museum I was delighted to see an amazing painting that is nearly 134 years old and is extremely lovely and breathtaking. This artist was truly gifted and I’m on a quest to see as many of his paintings as a possible.
This location also has an Easter island head, an ENORMOUS painting titled the Crucifixion by Jan Styka that is displayed on the hour except during the lunch hour. Call for more info.
The museum also has a replica of the bronze doors from the Florence Baptistery by Lorenzo Ghiberti:
, but they were not on display the day we visited. There are lovely statues everywhere and you can also visit a stained glass reproduction of Leonardo Da Vinci’s — The Last Supper in the Memorial Court of Honor. This is also where Elizabeth Taylor was laid to rest.

Visit the Forest Lawn Museum but be sure to call to check on what art is being displayed. Free to visit and free parking. Small but worth it especially if the Bouguereau is on view!

Quite simply one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. With over 300 acres there was not enough time in my few hours to see it all. I will definitely be back to take in its grandeur. It was so peaceful there!

The FL: G museum is one of my very favorite places to visit in LA. It’s a real hidden gem!

What an awesome part of Forest Lawn!
This building complex comprises the museum and the Hall of the Crucifixion-​Resurrection. We unfortunately didn’t get to see the museum, but the Hall is amazing in its own right.
The front of the Hall is built like a cathedral, in a style inspired by cathedrals of old. Inside, stained glass panels depicting the life of Christ are on display. These panels were made in 1913 by Franz Meyer & Co. in Munich, Germany, and used to be part of St. Joseph’s Catholic Cathedral in Buffalo, New York.
But the main attraction is The Crucifixion, an enormous 195 by 45 feet panoramic painting depicting an elaborate scene during the imminent crucifixion of Christ.
Unveiled in 1897 by artist Jan Styka, the painting has quite the storied history, particularly in 1904 when the painting was on its way to the St. Louis Exposition. Let’s just say that you know your business partners suck when they fail to pay customs tax and your giant painting gets seized by U.S. customs.
The painting was found in 1944, abandoned in the basement of the Chicago Civic Opera Company. It was later acquired by Hubert Eaton, the founder of Forest Lawn, who commissioned it to be restored by Styka’s son, Adam Styka. The Hall of the Crucifixion was completed in 1951 to be a permanent place where the painting could be displayed.
The painting now rests behind a curtain and is unveiled during a video presentation explaining its history. It’s like watching a segment on the History Channel — not always the most exciting, but interesting in its own way. The Resurrection, a painting commissioned by Forest Lawn, is also shown in this theater.
As with everything else at Forest Lawn, admission is free.

What a nice little gem of a place. I had a lovely day exploring the architecture and sculptures outside the museum before going in. There’s a lot to see. The motorcycle show was interesting and the motorcycles on display were awesome. I had to go see the huge painting in the other building and it was breathtaking. I was moved by the presentation as well. What a nice Saturday afternoon I had here.

What a fantastic venue! We drove around the complex on a very nice and beautiful day. We were on our way up, for the first time, to the museum. I wanted to check out the last day of the Drew Struzen show. Spectacular museum! We even SAW Drew Struzen!!! The museum was awesome! Truly a diamond in the rough of LA. The entire Forest Lawn is great!
We’ll be back soon!

This museum is free, has plenty of parking (which is also free), and rotates its exhibits regularly. It’s kind of a win-​win-​win.
I came here on a Sunday morning, and was surprised by how empty it was, however, I was glad because a crowded museum makes for a less enjoyable experience. I only saw a few other people during the hour or so that I was there. Although, the staff seemed to be enjoying the quiet a little too much and gabbing it up thus ruining my zen, but 30-​somethings will be 30-​somethings, I suppose.
Aside from hearing way too much about the store clerk’s and security guard’s personal lives, the museum was excellent. The Movie Poster exhibit was amazing: seeing the artwork from familiar posters was great. I had no idea that so many memorable posters were actually drawn and not photographs (especially the ones by Drew Struzan). And the sculptures were beautiful, it’s hard to believe so many were made over a hundred years ago and still look flawless. The Lego art was not as impressive to me, but it was still interesting to see how someone created lamps and tables out of Legos.
I’ll definitely be returning to the Forest Lawn Museum, and highly recommend it. One of the things I was glad I was told before going, and will now share with you, my fellow Unilocalers, is that the museum is in a cemetery. So be respectful of mourners, and don’t get too freaked out as you drive past graves.

I didn’t know Forest Lawn Museum existed until I came here for the A Million and One Pieces by David Tracy exhibit. The exhibit was a lot smaller than I expected. We were done within 10 minutes.
I went on the opening reception day and it was pretty fun. I got to see David Tracy’s modern contemporary furniture, mostly lamps, made from lego bricks. I was so cool! Each piece required about 65,000 pieces of legos depending on size. We were so curious that we even searched how to create one of these.
David was there that night for a meet and greet as well. It was nice to see him speak about his work.
Forest Lawn Museum has a small but beautiful courtyard. The view is great as well. I love the Glendale city lights!
Getting here was a bit difficult. In order to get to the museum you have to drive all the way to the top. You will see a big lot for parking and a building with «MUSEUM» on top.
Parking is free!

Driving here is a little confusing. It’s located right next to a church and a cemetery.
You have to keep driving up to the top otherwise you will get lost driving around the cemetery.
I came here for the Drew and Bob– The Masters of Movie art exhibit. It was interesting and if you are lucky, you will bump into Bob’s son who will tell you about his dad’s legacy and give you some fun facts.
The artwork is awesome and they are really gifted and talented artists. You will see a lot of familiar movie art.
In the next gallery, there are random older sculptures and art pieces from different artists.
It’s free and a good place to visit!

Hubby had commented that he wanted to look at some art. My oldest was complaining about not being able to play on his tablet, ’cause he wanted to look up stuff to draw. The little one didn’t want to look at art. I wanted to avoid crowds. What to do… Remember that castle-​looking place I always see from the train and exclaim, «We’re going to a museum in a graveyard!» Everyone was game.
The place did not disappoint. Free parking, free admission, and some damn pleasing art. You get to it by following the road with the white reflectors up the hill from the entrance. Now, for starters, the museum is NOT in the castle (that is the mausoleum, where apparently there is a Last Supper stained glass). It is farther up the hill, in the other structure you see from the train, which is actually the large Hall of the Crucifixion-​Resurrection. From the train it looks like a big, modernist church. From the parking lot, it looks like an old European cathedral. Hubby commented that such a building could only exist in Los Angeles, and I do have to say I agree. The adjacent museum has a rotating gallery in front (we saw one on LA Women); a room of some amazing stained glass dating back centuries (three displayed together date from the 13^th, 14^th and 16^th centuries, respectively, and it was a great lesson for my son on how studying cadavers positively informed artists’ knowledge of the human body – if you are me); and a room with 19^th and 20^th century sculpture (my sons’ favorite). There are more stunning stained glass windows in the Hall of the Crucifixion-​Resurrection. If you haven’t visited yet, I highly recommend it.

Six Stars if I could. I love small museums. This is a small museum and the quality of the art and the presentation of the art is absolutely phenomenal!!! Yes Pheenomenal!!!
There are shows set for a few months and I can hardly wait for the the next one, Oh, and I want to come back to the current show LA Woman, art by 24 (? or more) women of LA. It is top quality. Then the bronzes in the next room are oh so lovely, then the replica of the Paradise Doors, then the church next door that rivals Westminster Abby! (no kidding and I have been there too!) SO if you catch my drift I am excited about this little museum. Just figure out the maze of serpentine roads and get to the top of the hill and be sure to have you camera for the panoramic views of the surrounding area! Double WOW.

After spending a few hours seeing most of the cemetery’s gorgeous statuary yesterday, we visited this small but wonderful museum. It has two large rooms, of which one contains the permanent collection (which primarily consists of many beautiful [mostly small] statues). The other room has temporary exhibits and the current exhibit just opened two days ago. It’s called «L.A. Woman», and the artwork (by many women) is beautiful.

I am a huge Lego fan and once I quickly passed through the billboard sign that they were having a sculpture event here I was shocked. Hyperventilating with the words «OMG» repetitively.
I needed to make sure if this was for real or if I missed it (billboard signs tend to be there longer than expected). I went online to search it. YES!!! It was totally happening and I did not miss the exhibit, Nathan Sawaya’s The Art of the Brick. More excitement came on to me like a little school girl getting a brand new barbie doll. Once I tamed down I started telling everybody about the event, mind you I was still excited and all I got was ‘OK’ stares and probably thought I was nuts.
For all Lego fans this is the place to be. Sadly, no photography or video was allowed (in any of the buildings). I was bummed because I wanted to take pictures of the beautiful and creative artwork that were created :(. This made my «OMG» to «Oh man!»
The exhibit was great, a lot of sculptures of mainly figures and a few non relations. The one thing I did not like was the exhibit was quite small. I was expecting it to be a bit bigger (only about ¼ of the building) and more time worthy to examine the pieces, since it was a bit crowded. One of my favorite was the fairy tale castle, reminded me of Disney.
The rest of the building consisted a gift shop and an exhibit of religious art, artifacts and people.
Overall great museum and outside on to the parking lot gives you a wonderful view of LA/​Glendale.

Forest Lawn memorial garden (aka cemetary) has a surprising art museum with beautiful views of Glendale, Burbank and SFV and SGV.

Los Angeles is filled with a plethora of museums: art, technology, neon lights, punishment, science, history, the Holocaust, classic cars… You name it, LA seems to have it. But have you ever thought of a museum containing medieval art, religious relics, and rotating exhibits being located in a cemetery? No? Well, behold the Forest Lawn Museum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.
The Forest Lawn Museum is certainly a hidden gem in LA. It can best be described by my boyfriend, who stated that although he was born and raised in LA, he was never aware of this museum. Located on the top of a hill at the cemetery; Forest Lawn Museum is a charming, peaceful, and down-​right fun dosage of art in the unexpected location of the cemetery. Open everyday (except Tuesdays) from 9 – 5; the museum is attractive not only for its art but for its price tag: FREE! You can’t ask for more in this economy!
Although calling this spot a museum may be stretching it (it is essentially three large rooms); the real estate is used to prime advantage with lots of pieces which are well displayed and yet bright, airy, and and accessible. The first room features rotating exhibits which, during my visit, was «The Art of Brick» which included large, amazing Lego sculptures. The museum had just the right amount of pieces to make the trip worthwhile but yet not overwhelm the viewer. For Lego lovers, such as myself, this exhibit is heaven.
The second room features a medieval world (aside from Legos, I also LOVE anything Medieval); displaying two 14^th century suits of armors, throne chairs, stained glass, etc. Despite its small size, there is no museum in LA like this room so it is sure to please. The third room offers bronze and marble sculptures of animals, famous figures, mythological personas, and a Tiki head from Easter Island; before leading to a back patio filled with flowers, a fountain, and absolutely glorious views of Glendale. It is so quiet, peaceful, and clean; that one will forget they are in a city filled with millions of people.
Parking is bountiful and there are tables available for picnics plus of course plenty of opportunities for photos. The only downside? Photos are strictly prohibited within the museum. Although, I snuck photos which the security guard and the girl at the gift shop desk must have surely seen but I was not reprimanded. Whew!
The Forest Lawn Museum is must-​see, free adventure for those young and old when looking for a respite. Heck, it’s even great for tourists due to the beautiful views and architecture. Don’t let your fear of cemeteries deter you!

The only downside of this museum is the gas you burn getting UP the hill!
Went for the Lego exhibit which was really interesting. I didn’t realize there was a full on museum up there and they have some really nice pieces, as well as nice recreations of very famous pieces. The view alone is worth it.

It seems odd to have a LEGO sculpture/​art exhibit at a cemetery, but, trust me, it’s all good! It’s a large, beautiful cemetery and you feel very «not-​in-​LA» when you’re there. I am not very familiar with LA (we live in Santa Clarita Valley), and I felt totally comfortable with the drive there and being there with my 2 kids (ages 11 and 8).
The LEGO exhibit is great! We all loved it. It’s not huge; it’s all in one room of the museum, but the pieces are each so awesome that this will probably be the one museum exhibit in their lives that your kids will actually stop to look at each item! :)
No photos allowed, but they do have a hardcover book and a coloring book available for purchase if you want to take something with you.
The museum also holds a room of Christian-​related religious art and artifacts, including some nice stained glass and some full knights’ body armor. We’re not really into the religious stuff, but my kids still liked to look around.
Then at the back there’s a room of bronze sculptures which my kids actually enjoyed (to my surprise). They will recognize sculptures of people like Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as sculptures of animals like bears and antelopes. There are some bare-​breasted sculptures which will intrigue the tweens and pre-​teens, hahaha. And there’s even an actual Maori sculpture from Easter Island there! As well as a replica of golden doors from Italy that took 27 years to carve.
The museum is very calm and peaceful and clean, and when we were there (Wednesday at 10:30), it wasn’t crowded at all, so the kids felt comfortable, I think, and not rushed. And I didn’t feel like I had to discipline every two seconds — they could roam around the rooms at their own paces and study the pieces they liked.
I’ll pass along the questions/​comments that my kids seemed to respond well to:
— In the LEGO room, «Which sculpture represents you the best?»
— In the LEGO room, «What do you think the fist coming out of the Earth represents?»
— In the LEGO room, «How is Nathan (the artist) an innovator?»
— In the LEGO room, «How will seeing this exhibit influence the way you look at and build with your LEGOs from now on?»
— In the bronze room, «Can you imagine devoting 27 years of your life to carving 2 doors?»
— In the bronze room, «Notice how the sculptor can take something hard like metal and make it look like it’s moving.»
There are clean restrooms out the back door, as well as a soda machine ($ 0.85 to $ 1.35). There’s a nice view from there as well (You’re up on a hill).
We spent a nice, relaxing hour at the museum, between the three rooms and the bathroom. ;)
TIP: On Saturdays during the LEGO Exhibit, they have free LEGO build sessions for kids. Call ahead to reserve a spot.

Go see the Lego exhibit. Visit the website for more info on current exhibitions. Behind it are sculptures and a few paintings. Further out is a beautiful view of the city.