Wisconsin Memorial Park Inc.

Breathtaking grounds, many burial options

Wide paved boulevards and smaller footpaths wind through sweeping lawns and manicured gardens dotted with ground-level bronze markers. Imported statues, elegant fountains and a geese-filled pond add to the park-like atmosphere. There is no question that this perennially pretty property is a feast for both the eyes and the heart.

Wisconsin Memorial Park is the final resting place for tens of thousands of people, many of them notable. From congressmen to sports figures, artists and authors to governors, many recognizable names are memorialized here, but you don’t need to be famous to be buried at Wisconsin Memorial Park. We serve people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds and are inclusive of a wide range of Milwaukee County populations.

Burial options at the cemetery include in-ground interment, above-ground entombment or inurnment. Wisconsin Memorial Park offers traditional ground burial sites, mausoleum crypts and lawn crypts, and numerous cremation alternatives.

The Great Memorial Building looks like a stone mansion and functions as an impressive indoor mausoleum. With thousands of crypts and niches in spaces that look like a handsome home library or a restful alcove, this unusual mausoleum is truly one of a kind. There is plenty of outdoor mausoleum space, as well, and the cemetery also has urn gardens.

With a wide range of memorialization choices, we can usually find a match for most budgets.

If you own property at our cemetery, you can use 1 of the chapels for a committal service. Just have your funeral home call us ahead of time to make sure the chapel is available.

Contact us for all your funeral needs

Though Wisconsin Memorial Park does not have a funeral home on the property, we can coordinate with any funeral home you choose to ensure you or your loved one gets the personalized service you desire. In addition to 2 chapels, the stately Family Center at Wisconsin Memorial Park has 4 reception halls and a kitchen, so hosting a catered event—anything from a breakfast buffet to an afternoon cake-and-coffee break to a sit-down dinner with waitstaff and elaborate decor—is convenient and easy. It’s so beautiful and adaptable that people even hold their weddings here!

Though photographs convey a lot, they simply cannot do this magnificent property justice. We invite you to see it for yourself. You are welcome to visit the cemetery any time, and if you would like a guided tour and more information about the services at Wisconsin Memorial Park, please call us.

History

Brookfield’s Wisconsin Memorial Park serves more than 1,600 families each year. The 160-acre cemetery west of Milwaukee opened in 1929 on a farm purchased by the Froedtert Foundation, a group of prominent local businessmen. The men originally intended to build a country club and golf course on the property, but after Kurtis Froedtert visited California and saw an exclusive cemetery outside of L.A., he returned to convince the foundation’s board to develop the land as Wisconsin’s most prestigious cemetery.

The cemetery’s estate-like Great Memorial Building was part of that country club plan. When the business plans changed, the majestic stone clubhouse was converted to a mausoleum. It has been expanded multiple times in the decades since to accommodate even more entombments. The building spans more than 2 acres and has more than 175 individual stained-glass windows—the largest collection of imported stained glass in Wisconsin. It is also home to wealth of donated paintings, collectibles and other artifacts. The building is so well constructed that the government designated it as a bomb shelter during the Cold War.

Cemetery Gardens of Significance

Wisconsin Memorial Park’s Garden of the Apostles was the first garden crypt area in Wisconsin. Developed in 1956, it has 4 8-foot-tall bronze statues.

The Garden of the Last Supper holds the country's largest carving from a single block of solid marble—a depiction of The Last Supper, of course. In this garden, the cemetery offers above-ground burial at a cost no greater than traditional ground burial.

Striking modern architecture accents the Gardens of Eternal Life, a mausoleum complex with 2 outdoor chapels, a series of lush gardens and Liberty Court, which holds an exact replica of the Liberty Bell.

The Great Memorial Building

The Great Memorial Building at Wisconsin Memorial Park looks like a mansion and functions as an impressive indoor mausoleum. It holds 3 stories of crypts and cremation niches, 2 chapels, antique furnishings and a collection of art and artifacts. It is also home to the state’s largest collection of imported stained-glass windows.

The building’s Freedom Rotunda and Heritage Hall celebrates the founding of the United States and some of the many historically significant accomplishments Americans have made since. A large bronze statue of George Washington presides over the space, which has a colorful mural showcasing the battle of Iow Jima, the moon landing and more great moments in history.

The Great Memorial Building also houses the gorgeous and inspirational Chapel of the Chimes. With a soaring ceiling, stained-glass windows and wooden pews, it seats more than 200 guests. A smaller chapel, called Little Chapel of the Flowers, seats up to 50. Both chapels are heated and air-conditioned for daytime or evening use year round.

With a Steinway & Sons grand piano and exceptional acoustics, the Chapel of the Chimes often hosts musical events. For a less formal musical environment, the building's lounge has a Mason & Hamlin grand piano and is ideal for an event like a piano recital.

The Family Center

Many families choose graveside memorials, but our cemetery has indoor options as well—especially important when it’s freezing outside. The Family Center at Wisconsin Memorial Park has 2 chapels (each with its own entrance), 4 spacious community rooms and a kitchen.

Here you can hold a funeral or memorial service and then a catered reception, never having to leave the building. Later, you could return to throw a birthday tribute or an anniversary party—the family center is available to anyone who owns property at Wisconsin Memorial Park. What’s more: meeting rooms are available free of charge for seminars, clubs and more.