133 votes

Mountain View Cemetery

5000 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, California 94611 USA

Free

Free to Visit

Independent
Pet Friendly
Wheelchair
Accessible
Outdoor
Seating

“California's important historical figures buried here”

Every visit to Mountain View Cemetery is like a trip back in time. It is like shaking hands with railroad builder Charles Crocker, admiring the brushwork of Yosemite landscape painter Thomas Hill, and hearing architect Julia Morgan rhapsodize about her designs for Hearst Castle. Designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (whose other credits include New York's Central Park), Mountain View's acreage offers spectacular vistas of the San Francisco Bay's surrounding areas. The cemetery is an impressive repository of local and state history. Docent-led tours begin at 10am the second and fourth Saturdays of each month and last approximately 2 hours. There are several tour options. Please check our Calendar section for specific tours and dates. No RSVP is necessary, simply meet in front of the administrative office and wear comfortable walking shoes.

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Reviewed by
roskeezy

5 Reviews
3 Helpful

September 06, 2015

Rated 4.0

Who would ever think to visit a cemetery for fun? I didn't but took a wrong turn and ended up here and it was definitely a good find. If you like history, off beat/weird things and tomb stones this is the place to spend your afternoon. I spent 2hrs walking around looking at the old tomb stones (oldest one I found was 1803) and the fantastic mausoleums scattered through the cemetery. A lot of the founders of Oakland have mausoleums here that are bigger than an SF apartment and theres even 2 pyramids. Also great views of SF, Bay Bridge and GG Bridge if you get high enough. Bring sun block, snacks, water and a good pair of walking shoes and explore, I'd recommend sticking to the older side which is to the right as you enter or up top near Millionaire Lane, thats where all the old stuff are.

1 person found this review helpful