Sonny Bono's Grave
Cathedral City, California
Desert Memorial Park is in the heart of the Palm Springs Cemetery District, just off Ramon Road. While it is not the most opulent cemetery on the drag, with little in the way of ornamentation, it is the only one in the world that can currently claim to hold half the remains of Sonny and Cher. There is no permanent grave marker* yet for the late California Congressman, who died in a skiing accident on Jan. 5, 1998, but his final resting place is easy to spot. Just look for the homunculus of flowers that seem to grow from his nourishment.
Actually, the floral manifestation of America's outpouring of love and remembrance seems muted, but this is not due any lack of national grief. Rather, it is due to the Memorial Park's "No Flower Wednesdays." Every Wednesday at 6 AM, all flowers in the cemetery are removed, and so a proper overflowing Sonny tribute mulch can never get going. Still, when we visited, recent mourners had left a lacquered wood version of the Lord's Prayer and a tennis racket, and the City of San Jacinto, California had sent a lovely wreath bearing the inscription, "City Of San Jacinto."
*Update: A permanent marker has been added.
Sonny Bono's Grave
- Address:
- 31705 Da Vall Dr, Cathedral City, CA [Show Map]
- Directions:
- Desert Memorial Park
- Phone:
- 760-328-3316
Nearby Offbeat Places
- Big Hand-Carved Indian Head, Desert Hot Springs, CA - 10 mi.
- Shields Date Garden in the Date Capital of the World, Indio, CA - 13 mi.
- Desert Christ Park, Yucca Valley, CA - 21 mi.
- In the region: Sanchez's Beer Bottle Chapel, Folk Art, Riverside, CA - 55 mi.
