Top 10 Most Visited Famous Gravesites

Those who plan a visit to the gravesite of this reggae artist, who died of cancer in 1981, will get more than a trip to the cemetery out of this outing. Tourists to Nine Mile, Jamaica can experience a Bob Marley themed tour, which includes a visit to the house where he was born as well as his gravesite, located in a local mausoleum. Marley’s reggae was infectious, and a popular tour guide known as Captain Crazy keeps that spirit alive through his lively singing and dancing. Who knew visiting a grave could be such fun?

He was only active as a professional actor for four years and he starred in just three films, but that’s all that was necessary to make him a legend. The face of his generation, Dean died in a car crash in 1955 at the age of 24. After his death, he was nominated not once but twice for an Academy Award and his iconic status as a symbol of disaffected youth skyrocketed even further. The adulation has continued through the decades, as new generations of fans flock to both his grave and his childhood home, which is now a museum dedicated to the star.

Both a heartthrob and a rabble-rouser from the 1940s until his death at age 82 in 1998, Sinatra was one of pop music’s biggest idols. Although best known for his singing, this versatile performer also enjoyed a lengthy, Oscar-winning movie career, boasted celebrity friends aplenty and rubbed elbows with important people like Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as several U.S. Presidents. Nicknamed “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” Sinatra may no longer be filling concert halls; but his grave in Desert Memorial Park, near Palm Springs where he lived for many years, still packs them in.

This country music icon, who died in 2003, had a lengthy career and a colorful life. The “Man in Black” survived the Great Depression, drug addiction, and legal problems, and performed for both prisoners and presidents, forging friendships with leaders from both political parties. Cash always sided with the underdog and advocated for the rights of the poor, Native Americans, and the incarcerated, among others. His grave in Hendersonville Memory Gardens is next to that of his wife, fellow country star June Carter Cash, and fans of country, rock-n-roll and gospel music regularly pay tribute to his memory.

Between her marriage to heir to the throne Prince Charles in 1981 and her untimely death in 1997, she became the People’s Princess, a Royal who was approachable and real. She acknowledged and spoke openly about her struggles with bulimia, depression, and marital problems, while raising awareness about issues others were afraid to confront at the time, such as AIDS. Ever since Princess Di was killed in a car accident in Paris, many people have sought to fill the void left by her loss by visiting her grave at the Spencer family estate.

One of the most iconic blondes in American entertainment – and probably the world – Marilyn remains a pop culture phenomenon. People born long after her death of a drug overdose at age 36 have fallen under the spell she cast onscreen, and her performance of “Happy Birthday” to President Kennedy is a part of 20th century history. Singers as diverse as Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera have all been influenced by her; as have actors like Michelle Williams and Scarlett Johansson. It’s no wonder that so many admirers continue to visit her grave each year in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

“The King” was credited with popularizing rock-n-roll and influencing countless musicians, including artists like Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, and even John Lennon. And he remained a fan favorite from the mid-1950s until his death, at age 42, in 1977. His grave, as well as those of his parents and grandmother, is located on the grounds of his estate, Graceland, and the house where Presley died has been turned into a shrine for fanatics to tour. Even decades after his death, Elvis’ gravesite is still visitedby more than half a million fans each year, making Graceland the second most-visited private home in the United States.

You remember reading his plays in school, but you might not realize that some of your favorite films or television shows are also based on Shakespeare’s stories. If you liked “10 Things I Hate About You,” “West Side Story,” and “My Own Private Idaho,” or even TV’s “Sons of Anarchy,” you can thank Will Shakespeare. The “Bard of Avon,” who died in 1616, is today considered by many as the greatest writer the English language has ever seen, and he ranks high both in visitors to his grave in the Holy Trinity Churchyard and in career longevity, as he’s remained relevant four centuries after his death.

The “King of Pop” represents a well-known example of a child star who achieved even greater success in adulthood. He was popular as a youth when performing with his siblings in the Jackson 5, and he found unprecedented solo success in the 1980s with the album “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time. Even after his death in 2009, which shocked the world and prompted a huge outpouring of grief, Jackson continues to influence the musical style of other performers. His funeral was one of the most-watched televised funerals ever, and each year, fans continue to make the pilgrimage to Jackson’s grave in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park to say goodbye.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Bruce Lee (1940-73)
Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle, WA, USA
- Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY, USA
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France
- Jimi Hendrix (1942-70)
Greenwood Memorial Park, Renton, WA, USA
- Buddy Holly (1936-59)
City of Lubbock Cemetery, Lubbock, TX, USA

For many fans of 1960s psychedelic rock, a trip to the City of Light includes a stop at the final resting place of The Doors’ lead singer in Père Lachaise Cemetery, where countless other renowned artists and musicians are also interred. The anniversary of Morrison’s death on July 3 is a popular date for a visit, as is his birthday on December 8. While many devotees honor this member of the 27 Club by leaving items on his gravestone, others have vandalized the spot and stolen memorial pieces. Ironically, while the cemetery where Morrison is buried is visited by around 1.5 million fans per year, rumors persist that the rock star faked his death.

Do you agree with our list? Have you visited any famous gravesites? For more fascinating Top 10s every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.