Glossary
What is crypt?
A crypt is a chamber, typically above ground in a mausoleum, that holds a casket. Families purchase the right to entomb a body in a specific crypt, often choosing between single, companion, or stacked arrangements.
Entombment in a crypt is an above-ground alternative to in-ground burial. A single crypt holds one casket; a companion crypt holds two, placed side by side (an end-to-end "Westminster" arrangement) or stacked ("tandem"), so spouses or family members can rest together. Some cemeteries also offer lawn crypts — pre-installed underground chambers in a garden setting.
What you buy is the right of entombment in a specific space, plus the cost of the crypt itself; opening and closing it for the entombment and engraving the front are typically separate charges. Crypt pricing varies with the cemetery and the crypt's height within the mausoleum, with eye-level and "heart-level" spaces usually costing more than those near the floor or ceiling.
Cemetery charges are paid to the cemetery and are separate from any funeral home services, so a crypt purchase does not fall under the FTC Funeral Rule the way a funeral home's goods do. As with any cemetery purchase, ask for an itemized price list so you can compare a crypt against a standard burial plot.
Related terms
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an above-ground building that holds caskets in crypts, and sometimes cremated remains in niches. It offers entombment as an alternative to in-ground burial, either in a large community structure or a private family mausoleum.
Interment
Interment is the act of placing a body or cremated remains in their final resting place, most often by burying a casket in the ground or entombing it in a crypt. The cemetery fee to open and close the grave is commonly called the interment charge.
Casket
A casket is the container, traditionally rectangular with a hinged lid, in which a body is buried or sometimes cremated. Caskets are made from wood, metal, or other materials and vary widely in price depending on construction and finish.
Niche
A niche is a compartment in a columbarium or niche wall that holds an urn of cremated remains. Families buy the right to place an urn in a specific niche, which provides a permanent, visitable resting place without an in-ground grave.
See also
Common questions about Crypt
Sources
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This definition is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws and prices vary by state and provider. See our editorial standards.