How and Where to Store an Urn

After cremation, where does the urn go?

Many families choose to bury the urn. This is handled much like a traditional burial, but in a smaller space. The urn is placed into a protective vault, buried, and marked with a headstone.

We finance caskets CLICK HERE and send it directly to the funeral home of your choice. Or go directly to the application HERE.

Others choose to scatter the ashes. This can be a lovely gesture, sending your loved one’s remains “back to the earth” with a simple scattering ceremony.

But often families will keep the urn

At the Cemetery: Mausoleum, Columbarium, Niche

These three terms—mausoleum, columbarium, and niche—usually refer to the same thing: a compartment in which to store an urn.

A mausoleum is any building in which cremated remains are stored. Mausoleums are generally a part of a funeral home or cemetery.

A columbarium is a structure with small spaces for placement of urns or other approved containers. It may be outdoors, as its own building, or as a separate wing of a mausoleum.

A columbarium niche is exactly what it sounds like: a small compartment for holding a cremation urn, usually one of many on a wall in a columbarium. Sometimes a niche can have a glass door, so that the urn can be visibly displayed; more often, the niches are designed along the lines of a decorative safety deposit box with a metal door for permanent storage of the urn.

If you are placing the urn in a niche, be sure to find out the exact dimensions of the urn vault or niche before you purchase a cremation urn. Many of our urns here or at Urns Northwest will fit into standard columbarium urn niches, and some can be modified to fit.

At Home: Traditional & Creative Options

Urns can be stored or displayed at home; for storage in an out-of-the-way location such as a closet or drawer you can use the box provided from the crematorium, or choose a simple and affordable urn from our wide selection. We have many urns that don’t look like urns to help expand your display options.

As you consider how to create a memorial space in your home, be aware of the size restrictions for where you want to display the urn. Make sure to choose an urn with a fitting design that will honor the individual no matter where the urn is placed.

Here are some places to display or store the urn at home:

• Fireplace mantle
• Bookshelf
• Display cabinet
• Bedside table
• Dresser
• Dedicated memorial room
• Floating shelf
• Closet
• Cabinet
• Bay window*

*Note: Exposure to sunlight can warp or damage wooden urns, and may discolor other types of materials.

If your loved one’s final resting place is in a columbarium niche but you would still like to have something to display in honor of the memory of your loved one, we offer small keepsake urns to hold a tiny amount of remains. These are ideal for display in a wide variety of places, such as a fireplace mantle, a bookshelf, or end table, while remaining small and unobtrusive.

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