Rules and Regulations

Owned And Operated By Trustees Of Graceland Cemetery Improvement Fund

Your Cooperation With These Regulations Will Help Keep Your Cemetery Beautiful And Dignified

Office Hours
Monday Thru Saturday 8:30 am To 4:30 pm
Cemetery Gates
Monday Thru Sunday 8:00 am To 4:30 pm

June - 2007

A. Guidelines and Regulations for Floral Tributes and Landscape

1.Permanent or perennial landscaping. No permanent or perennial landscaping of any kind whatsoever may be installed by individual lot or graveowners.

2. Artificial flowers, foliage or plants. No artificial flowers, foliage or plants or any similar artificial landscaping or planting of any kind whatsoever may be installed by individual lot or grave owners.

3. In-ground vases for cut flowers and flower bouquets. Individual lot or grave owners may place cut flowers and flower bouquets only in in-ground vases. Individual plot owners may install one (1) in-ground vase per family monument, gravestone or headstone. In-ground vases shall be installed flush with, i. e. no higher than, the surrounding ground. In-ground vases shall be installed flush with the ground.

4. Other cut flowers and flower bouquets. Cut flowers and flower bouquets may be placed near family monuments, gravestones or headstones.

5.Decorations. No decorations of any kind whatsoever may be installed on either a temporary or permanent basis by individual lot or grave owners. Such decorations include glass, ceramic pots, toys, balloons, statuary and other similar objects.

6. Removal of cut flowers and flower bouquets. Cut flowers and flower bouquets shall be removed by the Cemetery when, in the sole opinion of the Cemetery, such flowers or bouquets have become unsightly, withered or otherwise are no longer attractive.

7. Removal of non-conforming or non-permitted improvements. Landscaping and decorations shall be removed by the Cemetery when they have not been approved by the Cemetery.

8. Pruning, cultivation, weeding and all landscape maintenance. Pruning, cultivation, weeding and all landscape maintenance will be done entirely and only by the Cemetery and individual lot or grave owners are expressly prohibited from performing any such activities or retaining landscape contractors or other parties to perform such activities on their behalf.

9. Grave blankets and live wreaths. Evergreen grave blankets and live evergreen wreaths are permitted from November 15th until approximately March 1st. Cemetery cleanup will be done on March 1st and again on November 1st each year.

B. Family Lot Monument Guidelines

All family burial lots shall follow the landscape design principles first established by O. C. Simonds when he devised the landscape plan for Graceland Cemetery in 1890. Simonds, one of the leading landscape architects of his time, presented naturalistic environmental designs of proper proportions, where each element, whether natural or laid by man, related to one another with dignity and respect. By this vision, a clear hierarchy of appropriate scale has been formed at Graceland, a precedent that shall be carried through the development of the Family Burial Area.

All proposed family monuments shall be in keeping with the Cemetery’s traditions of original creative design, the highest level of craftsmanship and the finest quality of material. The Cemetery encourages creativity in the monument designs, whether it be in relief or “garden style” sculpture in the round. However, the size and design of a monument shall follow the Monument Guidelines below.

Guidelines

1. Only one family monument shall be permitted on each lot.

2. No monument or marker shall be constructed of material other than natural granite or bronze. No artificial material shall be permitted. No surface of the granite may be of a polished finish.

3. The appropriate size of any monument is site specific, i. e. the size of the lot as well as its location and plantings shall set the scale for the monument. In addition to plantings and lot size, all proposed monuments should consider the monument scale of the neighboring lot in order to maintain accordance with the existing built environment.

4. All proposed family monuments shall not exceed the following size limitations per lot:

5. All individual markers shall be no larger than 2’ x 1’ in plan and flush to the existing ground level in the lot areas of Ridgeland and Evergreen. On other lots where upright markers exist, the owner may utilize a flush marker or match the existing markers.

6. All proposed monument designs shall be reviewed for approval by the Cemetery. Once the design is approved, the monument company responsible for the manufacturing of the stone shall be required to furnish the Cemetery final shop drawings with all appropriate dimensions and material specifications for final approval prior to construction. The Cemetery reserves the right to make exceptions to these Guidelines.

C. General Rules and Regulations

1. Rules and Regulations of the cemetery and prices for burial spaces and services are made by the cemetery and become effective upon approval by the management of the cemetery.

The cemetery may, and it hereby expressly reserves the right, at any time, with or without notice to lot owners, to adopt new rules and regulations or to amend, alter and/or repeal any rule, regulation and/or article, section or paragraph in these Rules and Regulations. Special cases may arise in which the literal enforcement of the rule may impose unnecessary hardship. The cemetery, therefore, reserves the right, without notice, to make exceptions, suspensions or modifications in any of the Rules and Regulations when, in Rules and Regulations of the cemetery and prices for burial spaces and services its judgment, the same appear advisable, and such temporary exceptions, suspensions or modifications shall in no way be construed as affecting the general application of such.

2. The cemetery retains to itself, for the benefit of all interment right owners, full and complete supervision, control and management of the land, buildings, improvements, roads, walks, utilities, development, books and records, and the full and complete authority, rights and privileges to make, change administer and enforce all rules and regulations and restrictions not inconsistent with the laws of this State wherein this cemetery is located.

3. Lots must be paid in full before a burial is made. Full purchase price must be paid before a burial rights agreement or grave receipt is issued.

4. All lot owners are required to notify the cemetery of any change of address. All notices required to be sent shall be sent to the last recorded address and such notices shall be deemed adequate.

5. No person, other than employees of the cemetery, shall be allowed to perform any work within the cemetery without permission from the cemetery.

6. The cemetery will take all reasonable precautions to protect lot owners and their property within the cemetery from loss, damage or injury but it shall not be responsible for any loss, damage or injury.

7. The use of the cemetery land as a thoroughfare will not be permitted.

8. The right to use automobiles or other vehicles in the cemetery is authorized solely and exclusively for the purpose of transporting persons to visit burial plots. The speed limit within the cemetery is fifteen (15) miles per hour. Parking and/or driving on any gardens or grassy areas are prohibited for purposes other than those obtained from the cemetery.

9. Bicycles, skates, motorcycles, horses, etc., may not be used on cemetery lands except with the approval of the cemetery. Pets are not permitted on the grounds.

No lawn chairs, blankets or towels are permitted.

Food and beverage are not permitted.

10. Bringing alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs into the cemetery is strictly prohibited.

11. The cemetery shall have the right to enter upon or use any adjoining lot or lots to carry out its duties as to interments, erection of monuments or markers, etc., without prior notice to the lot owner.

12. No signs, notices or advertisements of any kind shall be allowed in the cemetery unless placed by the cemetery.

13. Peddling of any kind or soliciting the sale of any commodity, other than by the cemetery, is prohibited within the confines of the cemetery.

14. Only still photography is permitted in the cemetery. The use of bipods and tripods is strictly prohibited, as is the photographing of funerals. Written permission must be obtained from the Cemetery before any filming, videotaping or commercial photography are allowed.

15. No animals, with the exception of assistance dogs, are permitted on the premises.

The feeding of wildlife is strictly prohibited.

Visitors are prohibited from disturbing plant life or damaging any monument or structure in the Cemetery. (Stone rubbings and the climbing upon monuments or trees are prohibited).

16. Tour buses and other large vehicles should be driven into the Cemetery for drop-off only. Special permission is required for buses to drive through the Cemetery and they must remain on the designated bus route or they will be ejected from the Cemetery.