Haunted Mansion Headstones Return to Disneyland Park

It has been fifteen years since we last saw the original headstones fill the hillsides at the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland park. Claude Coats, Marc Davis and X Atencio are just a few of the masterminds behind the Haunted Mansion whose whimsical headstones disappeared. I spoke with art director Kim Irvine who explained how the headstones made it back to their original home.

The original headstones and the Imagineers they represented are as follows:

• Claude Coats (lead designer – specializing in backgrounds and environments, he also developed the Omnimover layout)
• • At Peaceful Rest Lies Brother Claude
    Planted Here Beneath This Sod
• Marc Davis (lead designer – specializing in character design and sight gags)
• • In memory of our Patriarch
    Dear Departed Grandpa Marc
• X Atencio (script and song)
• • Requiescat Francis Xavier
    No time off for good behavior R.I.P.
• Bill Martin (concept architect)
• • Here Lies A Man Named Martin
    The Lights Went Out on this Old Spartan
• Dave Burkhart (models)
• • Dear Departed Brother Dave
    He Chased a Bear into A Cave
• Yale Gracey (special effects and illusions)
• • Master Gracey Laid to Rest
    No Mourning Please, at His Request. Farewell
• Bob Sewell (models)
• • R.I.P. Mister Sewell
    The victim of a dirty duel, Peaceful rest
• Chuck Myall (show designer)
• • R.I.P., in memoriam Uncle Myall,
    Here you'll lie for quite a while
• Gordon Williams (sound and Audio-Animatronics system)
• • Good Friend Gordon
    Now you've Crossed the River Jordan
• Cliff Huet (architecture/interiors)
• • Rest in Peace Cousin Huet
    We All Know You Didn't Do It
• Wathel Rogers (figure animation)
• • Here Rests Wathel R. Bender
    He Rode to Glory on a Fender
• Fred Joerger (models/effect modeling)
• • Here Lies Good Old Fred
    A Great Big Rock Fell on His Head, R.I.P.