East Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Crystal Shrine Grotto
Erected by Memorial Park and Shelby County Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Man-Made Features.
Location. 35° 6.334′ N, 89° 52.569′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in East Memphis. Marker is at the intersection of Poplar Avenue (U.S. 72) and Oakhaven Road, on the left when traveling east on Poplar Avenue. Marker is located at the south wall of Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5668 Poplar Ave, Memphis TN 38119, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Memphis University School (approx. 1.1 miles away); This Chimney Swift Tower (approx. 1.2 miles away); Mosby-Bennett House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mertie's Lake and the Buckman Water Science Trail (approx. 1.3 miles away); Shelby County / Memphis (approx. 1.3 miles away); Hutchison School (approx. 1.4 miles away); Tragic Accident Sparks Sanitation Strike (approx. 1.8 miles away); Eudora Baptist Church (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Also see . . . Find a Grave listing for Elliott Clovis Hinds founder of Memorial Park and the Crystal Shrine Grotto. Elliott Hinds is buried in the cemetery that he created. (Submitted on September 7, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)
Additional commentary.
1. Memphians and the Crystal Shrine Grotto
It is not unusual to visit Memorial Park Cemetery and see a burial happening in one part and a professional photographer taking photos of brides at the Crystal Shrine. There are often school buses full of children going on field trips to the Grotto in the cemetery. This was the vision of Elliott Hinds who had visited a cemetery in which no vertical markers were allowed and envisioned a park-like setting where families might come to picnic at a cemetery. While this correspondent has never seen a picnic there, a very pregnant, extremely stylish woman was having her photo taken, by a professional photographer, next to the Abraham Tree sculpture, when I last visited the cemetery September 7, 2015.
— Submitted September 7, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 11, 2012, by Ken Smith of Milan, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,002 times since then and 29 times this year. Last updated on September 7, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 11, 2012, by Ken Smith of Milan, Tennessee. 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on September 7, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.