Forest Lawn Memorial Park has both developed and undeveloped land. An estimated 47 acres has been developed into the cemetery. It has been divided into over 40 sections containing over 44,000 graves. Today there are over 19,000 individuals interned. Geographically the cemetery lies 0.2 miles south of Shields Road; it is bounded on the east by Market Street (Ohio Route 7) and on the west by Glenwood Avenue. Entrances are located off Market Street and Glenwood Avenue. The undeveloped land remains natural and acts as a buffer between the cemetery and the busy roadways, residential and commercial properties.
Pitkin and Mott of Cleveland were hired as the landscape architects. They were responsible for design of the paved-curbed boulevard and roadways that wind through the rolling grounds. They were transforming farm land into a memorial park with broad green lawns accented by a variety of towering trees, pines and shrubbery. A 1934 newspaper article describes the cemetery as a “mass planting of shrubs interspersed with perennials which affords a complete rotation of bloom from spring to late fall.” The use of flush to the ground bronze markers and absence of upright tombstones and monuments complements the design. The landscaping design was completed by Miss Carol H. Lawrence, landscape architect, of Flint Michigan in 1934. She supervised the purchase and planting of over 4,000 trees and shrubs from the Kohankie Nurseries in Painesville, Ohio.
Today the grounds remain true to their original design. Its tranquility is a place for loved ones to remember and mourn, walkers to enjoy, and a shared community asset.
In September of 2018 the State Historic Preservation Office, Ohio History Connection approved Forest Lawn's nomination to the "National Register of Historic Places." The cemetery contracted with Youngstown State University to research, write and submit of the nomination. Under Donna DeBlasio, Ph.D. supervision and consultation, April Caruso-Richards, M.A. authored the nomination. The United States Department of the Interior National Park Service listed the cemetery (SG100003244) on December 18, 2018.