Granite Benches

Types of Granite Benches

Our granite benches come in a range of styles designed for different cemetery settings and memorial purposes. Every bench is crafted from natural quarried granite, available in colors including jet black, gray, mahogany, pink, and blue pearl.

Classic Engraved Benches: These are the most popular style of granite benches for cemetery plots. A solid granite slab with a smooth, polished top surface provides space for engraved names, dates, and memorial inscriptions. Classic benches are available in both straight-seat and contoured designs, and they pair well with an existing upright headstone or flat grave marker on the same plot.

Cremation Benches: Cremation benches include a discreet internal compartment or niche that holds one or more sets of cremation ashes. They look identical to a standard bench headstone from the outside, but they function as both a memorial and a final resting place. Families who want to keep ashes at a gravesite without a traditional burial often choose a cremation bench as an alternative to a cremation headstone.

Pedestal and Pillar Benches: These bench grave markers feature raised supports at each end, creating a more traditional park-bench silhouette. Pedestal benches offer additional surface area for engraving on the front face of each support, allowing families to include longer inscriptions, emblems, or portraits alongside the standard memorial information.

Custom Granite Benches: For families looking for a one-of-a-kind granite bench memorial, we offer fully custom designs. Custom benches can incorporate specific granite colors, unique dimensions, bronze accent plaques, vases, or even sculptural elements. Contact our memorial specialists for a personalized quote.

Choosing a Memorial Bench for Cemetery Use

Cemetery Regulations: Before ordering benches for cemetery plots, contact your cemetery to confirm their rules on bench-style memorials. Some cemeteries restrict bench dimensions, granite colors, or placement locations. We perform a free cemetery verification on every order to ensure your bench meets the requirements before production begins. For a broader overview of cemetery policies, see our guide to cemetery regulations for urns and markers.

Size and Placement: Granite benches for cemetery use typically range from 36 inches to 60 inches in length. Smaller benches work well as accent memorials beside an existing headstone, while larger benches can serve as the primary bench headstone for a plot or family section. If you are purchasing a bench as a companion memorial, our companion headstones collection offers additional options for couples.

Personalization and Engraving: Every bench includes engraving for names, birth and death dates, and a line of additional text at no extra cost. Families can also add custom emblems chosen from over 10,000 designs, ceramic photo portraits, or bronze accent plaques. For guidance on inscription wording and engraving techniques, read our article on headstone engraving costs and options.

Granite Color Selection: We offer granite memorial benches in more than a dozen natural granite colors. Popular choices include Jet Black for its contrast with white or gold engraving, India Red for a warm traditional appearance, and Georgia Gray for a classic understated look. Each piece of quarried granite is unique, so slight natural variations in pattern and veining add character to the finished memorial.

Bench Headstones vs. Traditional Headstones

Bench headstones combine the function of a grave marker with the comfort of a seating area for visitors. Unlike a standard upright headstone or slant gravestone, a bench memorial invites family members to sit, reflect, and spend time at the gravesite. Many families choose bench grave markers for prominent cemetery locations, family plots, or veterans sections where visitors gather regularly. Because granite benches offer a large, flat engraving surface, they can accommodate more detailed inscriptions, longer epitaphs, and multiple names than many traditional marker styles. For an overview of different headstone and marker styles, see our article explaining the differences between headstones and grave markers.

What Is Included with Your Granite Bench

Every granite bench from Memorials.com includes your choice of granite color, engraving for names and dates, one line of additional memorial text, and your selection from our emblem library. We also include a free cemetery verification before production begins and free shipping to all 48 continental United States. If you need expedited production, premium granite colors, bronze accents, a ceramic photo, or additional engraving, please contact our customer service team for a quote. We are here to help you create the perfect granite bench memorial for your loved one.

Free Shipping on All Granite Benches

Every granite bench ships free to all 48 continental United States. Our granite memorial benches near me search results reflect our nationwide shipping — no matter where you are located, your bench arrives at no additional delivery cost. We also offer expedited shipping for families with upcoming memorial services. Contact our customer service office at any time for a shipping estimate or to discuss your order.