Mission Dolores Cemetery
The Verdict
"Next door to Mission Dolores basilica at 3321 16th Street. Small admission fee. The cemetery is outdoors and takes about 20 minutes. Hitchcock fans will recognize it from Vertigo. Near 16th Street BART."
What you need to know
San Francisco’s Oldest Burial Ground
The cemetery at Mission Dolores dates to 1776, the year the mission itself was founded by Spanish missionaries. It’s the oldest cemetery in San Francisco and one of the oldest on the West Coast. The small, walled graveyard sits adjacent to the mission basilica on Dolores Street, holding the remains of early settlers, Ohlone Native Americans, Mexican-era Californians, and Gold Rush-era pioneers.
What Makes It Worth It
The cemetery is compact, maybe 100 graves, many marked by weathered headstones with dates in the 1800s. A few are older, though many early markers have been lost to time. The graveyard appears in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo.” Kim Novak’s character visits a grave here in one of the film’s key scenes.
The adjacent Mission Dolores itself is the oldest intact building in San Francisco, a whitewashed adobe structure that survived the 1906 earthquake while the grand basilica next door was destroyed. The ceiling inside is painted with Ohlone designs. The mission and cemetery together take about 30 minutes to tour.
A garden walkway connects the cemetery to the mission. The whole site is quiet and well-maintained, a pocket of 18th-century California in the middle of a busy neighborhood.
Skip this if you’re not interested in early California history or old churches. It’s small and understated.
Visiting
Address: 3321 16th Street, Mission District
Hours: Daily, 9:00 AM-4:30 PM (May-October until 4:00 PM November-April)
Cost: $7 adults, $5 seniors/students. Includes mission and cemetery.
Best time to go: Weekday mornings for a quiet visit. The cemetery is peaceful anytime.
What to know: The mission is an active parish. Respect services if they’re in progress. Photography is allowed in the cemetery and garden.
Getting There
Transit: BART to 16th Street Mission, 2-minute walk. Muni 22-Fillmore or 33-Ashbury/18th stop nearby.
Parking: Street parking on Dolores and surrounding blocks. Tight on weekends.
Walking: Steps from Dolores Park, Valencia Street restaurants, and the heart of the Mission District.
📍 Location: This activity is in The Mission District. Explore the neighborhood →
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