Buena Vista Park Tombstones
The Verdict
"Look at the stone borders of the footpaths as you hike through the park. Fragments of old cemetery headstones are built into the walkways. Buena Vista Park is at Haight and Lyon, uphill from the Lower Haight."
What you need to know
Cemetery Headstones Lining Park Paths
When San Francisco relocated its cemeteries to Colma in the early 1900s, the city repurposed thousands of leftover tombstones as construction material. At Buena Vista Park, old headstones were used to line footpaths and reinforce gutters. Walk the park’s trails today and you’ll see fragments of 19th-century grave markers (names, dates, and inscriptions) embedded in the stone borders along the paths.
What Makes It Worth It
The tombstones are visible once you start looking. Pieces of marble and granite with partial inscriptions sit flush in the path edging, mixed with regular stone. Some are face-up with readable text. Others are turned sideways or broken, with only fragments of names or dates showing.
San Francisco reused cemetery materials across the city, at Aquatic Park, Ocean Beach, the Wave Organ, and the Marina District seawall. Buena Vista Park is one of the most accessible spots to see them because the paths run right past them.
The park itself is worth visiting regardless. It’s the oldest park in San Francisco (1867), perched on a steep hill with dense tree cover and views of downtown, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. The tombstone-lined paths add an eerie layer to an already atmospheric park.
A 10-minute walk through the park will reveal several stones. The most visible ones are along the western paths near the Haight Street entrance.
Visiting
Address: Buena Vista Park, between Haight Street and Buena Vista Avenue
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Cost: Free
Best time to go: Morning, when the park is quieter and the light is angled for reading stone inscriptions.
What to know: The paths are steep. Wear sturdy shoes. The tombstones are scattered, so look at the stone borders along path edges.
Getting There
Transit: Muni 6-Haight/Parnassus, 7-Haight/Noriega, or 37-Corbett to Haight and Lyon.
Parking: Street parking on Buena Vista Avenue or Haight Street.
Walking: Adjacent to Haight-Ashbury and the Lower Haight. A short walk from the Duboce Triangle neighborhood.
📍 Location: This activity is in Haight Ashbury. Explore the neighborhood →
