Growing up, I was a huge fan of The Doors. So when visiting Paris, I had to visit Jim Morrison’s grave at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. The first time we visited Paris, I was just 21 years old and popped in quickly to see Mr. Morrison. Luckily I’ve had the privilege of going back again to see the city and its cemeteries with new eyes. Plus, I knew all about the other famous residents of Cimetiere Père Lachaise so I could pay homage to those who chose the cemetery as their final resting place.
Paris has other cemeteries that are worth visiting too. Montmartre Cemetery and Montparnasse Cemetery both have famous residents and you should visit them too! But if you are going to see one cemetery in Paris, Pere Lachaise is a must. Check out our breakdown of how to see them at 3 Days in Paris: The Best Paris Itinerary
Table of Contents
Pere Lachaise Cemetery Famous Graves
The Pere Lachaise Cemetery is possibly the most visited graveyard in the world. Not only is it popular for its size and artistry of its tombs it also houses some very famous souls that died in Paris and chose this as their forever resting place.
Located in the northeast corner of Paris, the Pere Lachaise Cemetery is the most visited cemetery in the world. But that doesn’t mean it feels crowded, the Cimetiere Pere Lachaise is huge! Pere Lachaise is the largest cemetery in Paris spanning an area of 110 acres (44 hectares). And more than 800,000 souls are buried here and besides Morrison, there are many other famous residents including Chopin, Moliere, Edith Piaf, Rossini, and Oscar Wilde.
Besides the famous residents, we mention in this post, you’ll also see the resting places of actor/singer Yves Montand and actress, Simone Signoret and the Playright Molière. This cemetery is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in Paris.
We explored the cemetery on our own, but Get Your Guide offers walking tours. We have taken other cemetery-guided tours in New Orleans and Rome since, and wish we did the Pere Lachaise Famous Graves Tour to see more. Find out Details here
1. Jim Morrison
Our first stop like many other people in Pere Lachaise was the grave of Jim Morrison. Everyone in the cemetery was looking for him. Many people didn’t know where to get a map and were wandering aimlessly. We would run into them at times and they would ask if we know where to find Jim Morrison. We had our map, so we knew the answer! You can pick maps up at the entrance.
Pere Lachaise is still a functioning cemetery and I couldn’t imagine what it must be like for the families that have plots near his and the other famous resident’s sites.
The headstones near Morrison’s grave have endured residual graffiti and the spill off of vandalism all around the famous singer’s final resting place.
Cimetiere Pere Lachaise is one of many Free Things to do in Paris. See our guide for more ideas.
Jim Morrison’s grave has become legendary. It looks like it is undergoing major restoration as his bust on top of his headstone is gone. Much of the graffiti on his and the surrounding graves has been cleaned up as well. It looks like they are working to stop this as Jim Morrison’s grave is off-limits. A fence has been put around it and there is security watching at all times. But it is still very cool to see. I wish I paid more attention when I visited when I was 21. Then it was a mess of grafitti and garbage.
A Great compliment to your Pere Lachaise cemetery tour is a visit to the Catacombs of Paris. The underground maze housing millions of human bones on display as works of art.
2. Oscar Wilde’s Tomb
Oscar Wilde’s grave is vastly popular at Pere Lachaise. It just might be more popular than Jim Morrison. After serving a two-year sentence in England for sodomy, Wilde moved to France in poor health where he died of meningitis. He died a pauper in France and was buried in a modest grave. But he was moved to
It is covered with pink and red kisses from adoring fans. People have written poems and left love notes and have scratched their names into the already once-restored gravestone. It is truly a beautiful tomb.
Visiting Pere La Chaise is free, but it is much more interesting with a guide Get the Guide offers guided tours for just $9.
3. Abelard and Heloise
One can always tell when you happen upon a famous grave by the crowd of people. Walking with our heads buried in our map we would look up to see a crowd and rush to take a look at what famous person is buried there.
We didn’t know the story of the ill-fated lovers Abelard and Heloise, but the crowd drew us to their tomb and we looked into their story to find that their story is tragic and confusing. I will let you read more about it rather than going on in my own words. Abelard and Heloise: The Love The day was grey and raining which made for a perfect setting for a visit to the old cemetery.
4. Frédéric Chopin
One of the greatest composers in history, Frederic Chopin is buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Look for the crying Musique Statue. Euterpe, the muse of music is seen crying over a broken lute. (an old time stringed instrument)
5. Marcel Proust
Another name you might recognize is French Author Marcel Proust. He wrote the longest novel in the world. It was published between 1913 and 1927 in seven parts!
Planning a trip to Paris? Check out these hotels with the best Eiffel Tower Views
6. Grim Reaper Tomb
The Cimetiere Pere Lachaise is a fascinating tourist destination in Paris. Giant mausoleums, chapels and even a pagoda loom in every spare piece of land. Massive monuments tower over crumbling tombstones and rotting graves as giant chestnut trees stand guard overhead.
7. Paris Commune
A final noted monument in Pere Lachaise is the Communard’s Wall. It pays tribute to 187 workers were shot and killed in 1871. We missed this during our visits, but if you are looking for it, it is located on the outer pathway of Avenue Circulaire
Other French tombs to look out for are Jean de la Fontaine, a French Poet of the 17th century and Honoré de Balzac, a French playwright of the 1800s.
For some of the graves, it is obvious that their bloodline has ended and their plots have been left to fall apart. Others have relatives that are alive and well and are maintaining the sites with flowers and sculptures, they are clearing away the debris and even washing the stones to shine brightly.
Even Unknown Graves are Impressive
It is impressive to visit Pere LaChaise even without a map. When we didn’t have our nose buried in it running from one famous gravesite to another, we had the chance to slowly to witness the grandeur and intricate designs of love and despair that have gone into some of the lesser-known monuments.
If you are not interested in the famous residents of Cimetiere Pere la Chaise you can still visit the cemetery and be in awe of the artwork on display at this museum of the dead.
Composers, Dukes, and celebrities not only from Paris but from all around the world are buried here alongside normal families are at Cimetiere Pere LaChaise. Did you know, King Louis the XIV was buried here? Although we didn’t see his tomb but then again, maybe we did without knowing it.
This cemetery is massive and we didn’t spend all our times trying to find the famous souls resting here. We strolled through admiring all the graves. Unknown children, fathers, brothers, and sisters have made Cimetiere Pere Lachaise their doorway to the other world.
Pere Lachaise is a working Cemetery
We were brought back to the reality of the sadness that Cimetiere Pere Lachaise holds when we happened upon a funeral taking place on the path where soldiers that have died for France are buried. The sorrow and the misery in the faces of the people reminded us all to respect the dead.
How to Get to Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is located in the 20th Arrondissement on boulevard de Ménilmontant.
Catch the #2 or #3 metro to the Pere la Chaise subway stop at the east end of the city and you exit right at the cemetery’s west corner entrance.
Philippe Auguste is another subway stop for Cimitiere Pere Lachaise.
There will be a crowd of people examining the large map on display, but don’t bother with trying to memorize or write down the numbers of the sections and graves.
Instead, walk east to the main entrance at Avenue Principal and pick up your own map to search for the final resting place of your favorite musician, writer or politician.
While I thought it was cool when I was 21 to see the graffiti-covered tombstone of Jim Morrison. I was happy to go back and visit Pere Lachaise again to really take in the tombs of these fascinating souls.
I am also happy to see that the Cimetiere Pere Lachaise is doing something to clean up the memory of not only a rock legend Jim Morrison but the people around him and the other famous graves of the world’s most popular cemetery. Enjoy the artistry and investment that has gone into some of the monuments, but we must stop defacing and ruining a family’s final memory of their loved one.
Get the Lonely Planet Paris Travel Guide before you visit this great city.
More Information For Your Trip to Paris
- Where to Stay in Paris, the Complete Guide to Neighbourhoods
- How to visit Paris on a Budget
- Free Things to do in Paris
- Three Days in Paris Itinerary
- What to do in Paris at Night
- Visiting the Catacombs of Paris – An Underground Labyrinth of Death
- Cheapest Ways to get from Orly & Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Paris
If you are planning a trip to France, make sure to check out our France Travel Guide!
The only tomb I was able to visit in Père Lachaise Cemetery was that of Jim Morrison. I was, at the time, unaware of other famous people who were buried there.
What a great bunch of shots. Love the jumble of mausoleums and headstones. So many different levels and features to entertain the eye. Your photos really bring that out. Especially like the contrast afforded by black and white composition. Thanks for the post!
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..What We’re Reading: June 11, 2010 =-.
Thanks Daniel. Dave had a fabulous time photographing the Cemetery. It is an incredible mixture of crumbling tombstones to impeccable family plots. It is definitely a worthy attraction to visit in Paris.
I love the morbid humor found throughout the cemetery, especially the grave with the hands sticking out.
As cool as this place was, I don’t have the fondest memories. I’m pretty sure a guy was trying to pickpocket us, as it was an empty day at the cemetery and he followed us around for a while, hands concealed under his coat, drawing so close I could smell his breath, until eventually I just stared him in the eye and didn’t move. Then he darted away.
.-= The Jetpacker´s last blog ..Grindhouse Films At The New Beverly Cinema =-.
It is true Jetpacker. There are some graves with some great humour. Hey we all die, we might as well have some fun! Too bad you had such a bad experience, that would freak me right out.
This reminds me so much of the Cementerio de la Recoleta in Buenos Aires. It has the beautiful statues, the narrow “streets,” and the sad stories. Recoleta’s most famous resident is Eva Perón, and like Morrison, her tomb is always crowded. No graffiti though, just flowers.
.-= Jennifer Barry´s last blog ..Live Richly Round-Up #1 =-.
To Jetpacker – The man who spooked you,sounds more like a “flasher”, than a pick-pocket. Still, you were very lucky! – It could have been an unfortunate encounter indeed. I’m glad you weren’t alone.
A shame that your memory of this stunningly beautiful and melancholy place has been tainted. I particularly like the tomb of Abelard & Heloise – also the graves of Edith Piaf,Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, Yves Montand….and I always enjoy paying homage to Maria Callas and Isadora Duncan, whose ashes are in the underground “Columbariam”, in Division 87. An awe inspiring place – especially for an artiat and poet, like me.
Cheers, Ian, Tasmania.
I love visiting cemeteries, even those where there is no one famous buried – the older the better, but I’m not really sure why….I’m guessing it’s because cemeteries remind us that we DO have a history that needs to be remembered and respected….or maybe it’s just because they’re kind of creepy and spooky, and that can be fun. 🙂
.-= Trisha Miller´s last blog ..Lost Work: A Life Lesson in a Bottle =-.