Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation

The Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation, located within Valhalla Memorial Park in Burbank, California, stands as a remarkable tribute to the pioneers of flight. Originally constructed in 1924 as the main entrance to the cemetery, the structure was designed by architect Kenneth MacDonald Jr. and sculptor Federico Augustino Giorgi. The elaborate rotunda, built in a combination of Spanish Revival and California Churrigueresque styles, features a 72-foot-tall domed marble monument adorned with mosaics and intricate carvings. In 1937, cemetery employee James Gillette, inspired by the proximity of the site to the Burbank Airport and Lockheed Aircraft Company, envisioned transforming the rotunda into a shrine to aviation. After decades of effort, the site was rededicated on December 17, 1953, the 50th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight, as the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation. Today, the shrine serves as the final resting place for several aviation pioneers, including Bertrand Blanchard Acosta, Walter Richard Brookins, and Winfield Bertrum Kinner. Visitors can explore the four small rooms off the central chamber, each dedicated to different aspects of aviation history and the shrine's restoration. The site also features a 21-foot-long model of the Space Shuttle Columbia, added in memory of the Challenger and Columbia crews. The Portal of the Folded Wings is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a unique glimpse into the early days of aviation. It is open to visitors daily during cemetery hours.