Located "in one of the most beautiful memorial parks in Tacoma," the newly opened Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum is, according to Mountain View Memorial Park's website, "a stunning new cremation estate garden development."

With about a thousand burials a year, Mountain View Memorial Park's need for more space led to the idea for a unique memorial garden and mausoleum.

The Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum was designed by Dave Montgomery with Northstar Memorial Group, the company that owns Mountain View. Carrier Mausoleums Construction out of Portland, Oregon, was contracted to bring Montgomery's design to life. The project was completed in July 2015.

The stunning Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum consists of a private interior cremation space and a peaceful exterior cremation garden. There are also crypts and full spaces available for both above-ground entombment and in-ground burial.

Access to the small, interior space is by key-card only. These cards are issued to family members to keep the number of visitors at any one time to a minimum. The intimate design of this small, "bookend" mausoleum allows families the privacy to visit their loved one's memorial in peace. Urns are placed in individually lit, glass front niches that are large enough to allow for personal items, creating a unique memorial that reflects the life and passions of the deceased. The high ceilings, natural wood, and extensive use of glass to visually connect the interior with the beauty of nature contribute to a feeling of peace.

The centerpiece of the exterior garden is a perpetually lit fireplace surrounded by comfortable benches for quiet contemplation. The cremation garden is designed to allow for highly individualized and thoroughly unique memorials to celebrate the lives of loved ones. The possibilities are endless and can include nearly anything that the family might choose to memorialize a loved one.

According to Mountain View's sales manager Rich Snider, the Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum "needs to be experienced" to be believed. "No one has ever seen anything like it," he said.

Since 1915, the Thomson family has worked to make Mountain View Memorial Park a place of healing for families in the community who are processing through grief and loss. According to its website, with 160 acres of property, Mountain View "continues to grow and is committed to preserving the beauty and peacefulness of the park."

The Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum is an outstanding part of that commitment.

For more information about Mountain View Memorial Park in general or the Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum in particular, or to schedule a tour of the park, contact Rich Snider at 253.579.3760.