# The famous crypts in Hollywood. How do they control odors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007 "2018-01-06T22:55:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/1 "2018-01-06T22:55:57Z")
Perhaps a bit TMI. Many celebrities are buried in Hollywood mausoleums. Often in a drawer along a long wall. [https://goo.gl/images/m3HHht](https://goo.gl/images/m3HHht) That does raise the question of decomposition and odors. A grave buried under six feet of dirt doesn’t have the same concerns. How is this handled in densely packed mausoleums? I am awed at the efficiency of interring so many people in a small space. I’ve never been in a large mausoleum like they use in Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/2 "2018-01-06T23:17:50Z")
Cremation is the obvious non-olfacient choice. Otherwise, I believe the ancient Egyptians were the first to employ desiccation for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/3 "2018-01-06T23:24:52Z")
I hadn’t thought of odors as being a problem - figured everyone in one was cremated I guess. So I went looking for an answer, which I haven’t found yet, and came across this interesting bit of info: > [@](#): > > Caskets have been known to explode in a mausoleum as a result of gas build-up from the natural decomposition process. > An explosion can cause considerable damage to not only the remains of the person, but all the other crypts that are also buried in that mausoleum. > However, manufacturers have since changed the design of casket sealers to include “burpers” which release – or burp out – accumulated gases, considerably reducing this risk. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/4 "2018-01-06T23:25:15Z")
Would they use a big crypt drawer for a tiny urn of ashes? I assumed the crypt held caskets. Grave Wax (Adipocere) can form in the ground. I’m not sure about a crypt. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/5 "2018-01-06T23:31:18Z")
Casket explosions, gives a whole new meaning to clean up on aisle three. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/6 "2018-01-06T23:39:26Z")
[Air fresheners seems to be one choice](http://www.beyondthepall.com/blog/that-smelly-mausoleum) [Ventilation seems to be another answer](https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7b775g/how-to-avoid-being-an-exploding-corpse-814) Not sure how great/reliable those two links are - I’m having trouble finding much that doesn’t go into sensational stuff. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/7 "2018-01-06T23:42:47Z")
Thank you Fluffy PickleSniffer. Great username for this thread. 😉 Your link confirms my suspicion. Visiting an indoor mausoleum might not be a good idea after a meal. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/8 "2018-01-07T00:57:49Z")
This answers your question exactly…including the hollywood angle. Beware, her youtube channel is fascinating; its a rabbit hole. We’ll see you back her in several hours. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2018, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/9 "2018-01-07T01:33:09Z")
A lot of information there. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/10 "2018-01-07T01:52:58Z")
I’ll stick with a hole in the ground. Decomposing in a lined cubicle with drains doesn’t seem very appealing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/11 "2018-01-07T02:18:25Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > This answers your question exactly…including the hollywood angle. > > > Beware, her youtube channel is fascinating; its a rabbit hole. We’ll see you back her in several hours. She’s also a terrific writer; she’s like Mary Roach in that she specializes in writing, in a very simple and entertaining way, about things most people would rather not think about. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/12 "2018-01-08T19:05:23Z")
_“They’re decomposing composers, ♫ There’s less of them every day, You can still hear Beethoven, ♪ But there’s not much of him left to play…”_ I would imagine too that pickling a body in formaldehyde when it’s embalmed must significantly slow the decomposition process? Sort of like the explanatory note in the mummified animals section of the Cairo Museum - “this small crocodile was lovingly preserved by means of a turpentine enema.” ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/13 "2018-01-08T23:41:06Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > This answers your question exactly…including the hollywood angle. > > > Beware, her youtube channel is fascinating; its a rabbit hole. We’ll see you back her in several hours. That was such an interesting rabbit hole that I was lost for 2 days! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/14 "2018-01-09T01:18:39Z")
[AntiStink Spray.](https://frinkiac.com/meme/S12E12/223306.jpg?b64lines=IFdlIGhhdmUgYWxsCiB0aGUgbGVhZGluZyBicmFuZHMgb2YKIGFudGktc3Rpbmsgc3ByYXku) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/15 "2018-01-09T07:55:56Z")
This has been quite informative, but I think there are still questions - where are the gases vented to? Surely if they just vent through the outer wall of the building (even at roof level), there must be a risk that people walking by outside will experience them. Where do the fluids drain to? Into the soil? A public sewer? A specially-constructed cistern? What happens when it’s full? ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/16 "2018-01-09T15:27:56Z")
Archaeologists have some horrible stories to tell under the rubric of runny coffins… It’s so not Indiana Jones. So, every so often, a church needs some repairs and this necessitates the temporary removal of old lead coffins. The people who get called in to do this are archaeologists so that everything can be properly recorded. And yes there are revolting putrid fluids involved as the old lead coffins are moved and tilted and stuff comes seeping or even running out. it’s a really unhealthy job. I heard of one long term project where the only person who stayed the entire course was the director. He developed a mysterious skin fungus which turned out to be previously unknown to humans or indeed anything living and was normally known as a library hazard on the leather bound books [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/images/smilies/eek.gif](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/images/smilies/eek.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/17 "2018-01-09T15:49:59Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This has been quite informative, but I think there are still questions - where are the gases vented to? Surely if they just vent through the outer wall of the building (even at roof level), there must be a risk that people walking by outside will experience them. Where do the fluids drain to? Into the soil? A public sewer? A specially-constructed cistern? What happens when it’s full? I know in one of her videos, Caitlin (the mortician referenced upthread) commented that when the soil around cemeteries is tested for contaminants, they mostly find the chemicals\* used in embalming. When decomposition is allowed to happen naturally, nature does a pretty good job of cleaning up afterwards. \*Known carcinogens, embalmers must use protective garments when handling them in the funeral home. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/18 "2018-01-09T16:01:52Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > This answers your question exactly…including the hollywood angle. > > > Beware, her youtube channel is fascinating; its a rabbit hole. We’ll see you back her in several hours. Curse you! I just fell down that rabbit hole! ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/19 "2018-01-09T16:37:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Perhaps a bit TMI. > > Many celebrities are buried in Hollywood mausoleums. Often in a drawer along a long wall. > [https://goo.gl/images/m3HHht](https://goo.gl/images/m3HHht) Just curious why you think this is particularly associated with Hollywood? It seems to be a common internment practice, at least across Southern California. I’m assuming it is widespread elsewhere as well. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007/20 "2018-01-09T23:08:47Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > This answers your question exactly…including the hollywood angle. > > > Beware, her youtube channel is fascinating; its a rabbit hole. We’ll see you back her in several hours. Can’t watch videos at the moment. Whose channel? (I’ll be able to check in half a day, but I’m curious now.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-famous-crypts-in-hollywood-how-do-they-control-odors/806007.md?page=2)