Cemeteries are inevitable and ubiquitous. We are all eventually going to leave this mortal coil, and for many that means being laid to rest in a local cemetery where loved ones can visit and pay their respects.
But cemeteries offer so much more than simply being a final resting place for the departed. They are a vital resource that can provide a glimpse into a community’s history and local historical figures. They are an interesting intersection of art, architecture, sculpture and nature. And cemeteries can be solemn and solitary spaces that are ideal for reflection and contemplation.
Here is our look at some of the most interesting graveyards you can find on the Peninsula.
Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma
Cypress Lawn Memorial Park was established by Hamden Holmes Noble in 1892 in Colma — or as it is sometimes known, the “City of the Silent,” since the ratio of the deceased to living is estimated to be about 1,000 to one.
Cypress Lawn spans 200 acres of lush Northern California landscape dotted by gravestones and monuments. It is classified as a rural cemetery (as opposed to a city cemetery). Rural cemeteries became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of city cemeteries. Rural cemeteries were typically built 1-5 miles outside of a major city so that they were far enough to be separated from the city but close enough for visitors. They are typically a landscaped, park-like setting filled with monuments, memorials and mausoleums.
Cypress Lawn has an east and west campus flanking both sides of El Camino Real. Both sides are the final resting place for many Bay Area residents, including prominent historical figures that helped shape California’s history. Some of the most famous inhabitants include pioneer journalist Charles de Young, famed newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, author Gertrude Atherton, and baseball player and manager Lefty O’Doul.
Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, 1370 El Camino Real, Colma; 650-550-8808.
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma
Holy Cross is a Catholic cemetery that is operated by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It was established in 1887 on 300 acres of land and is recognized as the oldest and largest cemetery in Colma.
The expansive grounds are home to many ornate and interesting headstones that stand in stark contrast to the blue sky above the green hills that the cemetery covers. Holy Cross is so picturesque that it was used as a filming location for the 1971 dark comedy “Harold and Maude.”
The first interment at Holy Cross was Timothy Buckley on June 7, 1887. Since then, many Californians of different eras have been laid to rest at Holy Cross. A few notable names among the many interned include San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, famed sculptor Benny Bufano and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 1500 Mission Road, Colma; 650-756-2060.
Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno
Golden Gate National Cemetery covers 161.5 acres in San Bruno. It was one of seven national cemeteries established during the expansion of the National Cemetery System. This was the first major expansion since the Civil War and was due to an increased veteran population and quickly diminishing burial space at existing national cemeteries.
The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 and is notable for being the first cemetery to initiate a large flag display on Memorial Day. A monumental flagpole and speaker’s platform stand as the highest point of the grounds, flanked by rolling hills and well-manicured lawns. Golden Gate National Cemetery serves as the final resting place for over 143,500 individuals, including military personnel and their families.
Noteworthy names amongst the many that are interned at the cemetery include Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, fantasy author and Vietnam War veteran David A. Hargrave and 15 Medal of Honor recipients.
Golden Gate National Cemetery, 1300 Sneath Lane, San Bruno; 650-589-7737.
Mount Hope Cemetery and St. Anthony’s Cemetery, Pescadero
Mount Hope and St. Anthony’s cemeteries sit on the top of a hill off Stage Road overlooking downtown Pescadero. There is a small road separating the two, and both cemeteries are full of large family plots, history and more than a few gopher holes. The grounds are dotted by pink amaryllis flowers poking out of the browned overgrown grass.
There are close to 600 headstones between the two cemeteries, spanning generations. The earliest graves date back to the late 1800s. Mount Hope Cemetery is affiliated with the Pescadero Community Church, while Saint Anthony’s is owned by the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Catholic Cemeteries. The first documented burial at Saint Anthony’s was Fred McCormick in 1875.
Saint Anthony’s most famous headstone is a chainsaw that marks the resting place of La Honda resident Tom Klingele, who enjoyed the outdoors and chopping wood. Mount Hope is the final resting place of 7-year-old child pilot Jessica Dubroff, who perished in 1996 while attempting to become the youngest person to fly a light aircraft across the United States.
Mount Hope Cemetery and Saint Anthony’s Cemetery, 690-1146 Stage Road, Pescadero.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery and Pilarcitos Cemetery, Half Moon Bay
Further north on the Coastside is another pair of historic cemeteries. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Pilarcitos cemeteries are located off Highway 92 near the Main Street intersection in Half Moon Bay. The Catholic Church established Pilarcitos Cemetery in 1820, and the Odd Fellows (a volunteer-driven civic organization) built another cemetery immediately adjacent in 1875.
The delineation between the two cemeteries is distinguishable by the names on the headstones and by the styles of the grave markers. Most of those with Spanish names are buried in the original Pilarcitos Cemetery. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery served as the final resting place for non-Catholics, suicide victims and sailors who had washed ashore. It’s also home to notable local figures, including the Johnston brothers (the namesake for the historic Johnston House, Johnston Lane and Johnston Street in Half Moon Bay); Robert Israel Knapp, a blacksmith and inventor of the side-hill plow; and Edward Schubert, who established the original Half Moon Bay Brewing Company in 1873.
The two cemeteries are no longer in active use. Skylawn Memorial Park was built in 1959 and now serves as Half Moon Bay’s main cemetery, while the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Pilarcitos cemeteries offer a glimpse into coastal history. The cemeteries are enclosed by a white picket fence and a hedge of overgrown Monterey cypress trees.
There isn’t an exact number for how many people are buried in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Pilarcitos cemeteries. Some graves may never have been marked and others have deteriorated past the point of recognition. Walking through these decrepit graveyards truly gives the sense of visiting a different time in history.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery and Pilarcitos Cemetery, intersection of Highway 92 and Main Street, Half Moon Bay.
Historic Union Cemetery, Redwood City
Historic Union Cemetery was first opened in 1859 and is one of the oldest burial grounds in San Mateo County. It is located on Woodside Road near El Camino Real and is about a mile outside of downtown Redwood City.
Union Cemetery originally contained special plots for the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masons, members of the International Order of Odd Fellows and other Californians who fought during the Civil War, but it has officially been closed for burials since 1918. It was named a California historic landmark in 1967 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Union Cemetery offers self-guided and guided tours, as well as QR codes next to some of the headstones that can be scanned on a smartphone to link to information about the person buried there.
The most notable monument is a life-sized statue of a Union soldier that was built in 1889 to commemorate the Civil War. It served as the centerpiece of the first Memorial Day celebration on the Peninsula. Notable interments include early pioneers Lester Phillip Cooley, John Howell Sears and Sarah Wallis, who was the first president of the California Woman Suffrage Educational Association. The cemetery’s website also has a searchable directory of individuals buried on its grounds.
Historic Union Cemetery, 316 Woodside Road, Redwood City.
Stanford Mausoleum
The Stanford Mausoleum is located in the arboretum of the Stanford University campus and holds the remains of the university’s namesake Leland Stanford Jr. and his parents, university founders Leland and Jane Stanford. The original plan for this land was to build a family mansion for the Stanfords. However, they only got as far as planting a cactus garden (which still exists) before the death of their only son Leland. After his death, they changed plans to instead build a university in his name.
The Stanford Mausoleum is an architectural gem with a formal staircase, large cast iron door and four marble sphinxes located at the corners of the building. A short walk from the mausoleum is the iconic “Angel of Grief” sculpture, a memorial to Jane Stanford’s brother, Henry Clay Lathrop. The original replica was built in 1901, but it was severely damaged in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and replaced in 1908. After years of neglect, the 1908 replacement was fully restored in 2001. This memorial is a copy of the original statue by the prominent American sculptor William Wetmore, who originally created it for the grave of his wife Emelyn Story at the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.
Stanford Mausoleum, arboretum at Stanford University (50-28 Palm Drive), Stanford.
Holy Cross Cemetery, Menlo Park
The oldest gravestone at Holy Cross Cemetery Menlo Park dates back to 1860, but the exact date of its formation is unknown. It was a nonsectarian cemetery until the Catholic Church purchased it in 1872. In 1953, Stanford University required the relocation of burials at nearby St. Dennis Cemetery to make way for the development of the linear accelerator, and reinternments occurred at Holy Cross Cemetery. However, only 24 of the 174 bodies were moved because the rest could not be found, according to a 2014 story in The Almanac.
The grounds are filled with interesting headstones and striking old growth oak trees. On a fall day, the crunch of leaves underneath provides extra graveyard atmosphere while exploring the historic burial ground. Many of the area’s early pioneer families are buried at Holy Cross Menlo Park, including John Beltramo, Walter Jelich and Mary Jelich, and Elena Atherton Selby.
Holy Cross Menlo Park continues to serve Catholic families in the southern portion of San Mateo County and is currently working on fundraising to erect a new fence around the grounds.
Holy Cross Cemetery, intersection of Santa Cruz Avenue and Avy Avenue, Menlo Park; 650-323-6375.
Joan Lane, trailblazing volunteer and Stanford’s go-to for ‘sticky problems,' dies at 97March 25, 2026 3:23 pm