The Père Lachaise cemetery is located in the 20th arrondissement, or district, of Paris and has the distinction of being the city's largest cemetery, encompassing almost 119 acres of land. With five entrances, the cemetery is served by to two separate metro stations, the Gambetta, which lets visitors off directly at Oscar Wilde's grave, and the aptly named Père Lachaise stops on the number 2 and 3 lines. Père Lachaise cemetery is home to over 300,000 burial sites and a vault of cremated remains. Numbering among the famous interred at the cemetery are American rock musician Jim Morrison, classical musician Frédéric Chopin and legendary lovers Heloise and Abelard. Created in 1804 by Napoleon I, the cemetery was originally situated outside the city of Paris proper due to health concerns, the city eventually grew to encompass the cemetery proper.
Located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, the Montparnasse cemetery was opened in 1824 as one large cemetery. It has since been split by the rue Emile Richard into two cemeteries, designated the petit and grand Montparnasse cemeteries, respectively. Unlike the other famous Parisian graveyards, Montparnasse is entirely flat and designed along a grid pattern, making it easier to find graves. The graveyard is served by the number six metro line and is accessible from the Rapsail and Quinet stops. Numbering among the famous interred at the cemetery are American author Susan Sontag, French poet Charles Baudelaire, philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and feminist Simone de Beauvoir. Montparnasse graveyard is noted for its elaborate sculptures, one of which was designed by sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The petit Montparnasse graveyard is served by two entrances located on rue Emile Richard, rue meaning "street." The grand Montparnasse graveyard is accessible from four separate entrances, two on rue Emile Richard directly across from the entrance to the petit cemetery. The main entrance to the grand Montparnasse cemetery is located at 3 boulevard Edgar Quinet. The fourth entrance is situated on rue Froidevaux.
The Passy cemetery is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Opened in 1820, the cemetery was considered the premier resting place for the aristocracy, equipped with a heated waiting room. The Passy cemetery is served by the Trocodero metro stop and is located in the shadow of the Eiffel tower. This cemetery is small, covering slightly more than four acres of land, but is home to notable figures such as French impressionist painter Édouard Manet, classical composer Claude-Achille Debussy, American actress Pearl White and aircraft designer Henry Farman. The cemetery is served by one entrance located on rue Commandant-Schloessing.
The Montmartre cemetery is built on almost 25 acres of land, situated below street level in an old quarry located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Opened in 1825, the cemetery is accessible via the number 13 and number two metro lines, served by the Place de Clichy stop. The sole entrance to the graveyard is located at avenue Rachel. Like the other famous Parisian cemeteries, Montmartre graveyard is the home a number of notable figures including painter Edgar Degas, musician and inventor of the saxophone Adolphe Sax, composer Jacques Offenbach and German poet Heinrich Heine. Like Montparnasse cemetery, Montmartre is home to a number of interesting sculptures.
