This might sound odd, but we do enjoy a day in the cemetery.

Not just any cemetery, but the historic Frederick Law Olmsted–designed Mountain View Cemetery, in the foothills of Oakland and Piedmont. Not only is this place incredibly beautiful, you will recognize the names of many of its residents, whose monikers grace many a street and landmark throughout the Bay Area. Take a visual journey behind the gates of this 154-year-old piece of history, and into our day with the dead.

(Courtesy of Slate.com)


The main mausoleum is exquisite in its beauty. Notable residents inside include Hoover Dam builder and Kaiser-Permanente namesake Henry J. Kaiser, Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, Chinese-American banker T.A. Soong, Oakland Tribune publisher and former U.S. Senator William F. Knowland, and Warren Bechtel, founder of Bechtel Corporation.

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(via Picssr.com)


This stunningly elaborate tomb, a miniature version of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, befits the stature of Dr. Samuel Merritt (1822-1890), the 13th mayor of Oakland, as well as a physician, for whom Lake Merritt, Merritt Hospital, and other Oakland institutions are named. The replica of one of the Seven Wonders of the World is complete with stained-glass windows and Romanesque details.

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(V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi)


These beautiful stained glass windows from David Hewes' (1822-1915) grave are still in good condition. Hewes provided the golden spike—a nearly 56-inch-long, 17.6-carat gold spike made by San Francisco jewelers Schulz, Fischer & Mohrig—that was part of the Pacific Railroad dedication in 1869.

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(via Flickr)


Perhaps the most extravagant of all the graves at Mountain View Cemetery is that of Charles Crocker, one of the famed Big Four—also including Leland Stanford, Collis Potter Huntington and Mark Hopkins—that created the Central Pacific Railroad. Crocker's family is interred with him in this family mausoleum, located on Millionaires' Row.

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(Courtesy of stephendanko.com)


Let's finish on a sweet note, shall we? Mountain View Cemetery is also home to our beloved and most iconic chocolatier, Domingo Ghirardelli (1817-1894), who moved his family's graves from St. Mary Cemetery (also in Oakland) to Mountain View.

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(V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi)


The nature setting seen on the headstone of Thomas Hill is a fitting tribute. Hill was an artist who captured scenic landscapes of Northern California. Hill's 1865 painting, View of the Yosemite Valley, was selected as the backdrop for the head table at President Obama's 2009 inaugural luncheon.

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(Courtesy of stephendanko.com)


Julia Morgan was the first female architect in California and put that license to good use, designing more than 700 buildings in California (an average of 15 a year) including Hearst Castle, the San Francisco YWCA, and the Berkeley City Club.

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(Eden by the Bay)


Dedicated in 1893, this area honors those who served in the Civil War, including Obediah Summers, a black Civil War vet and Oakland minister, and General Jeremiah C. Sullivan, who was part of Ulysses's S. Grant's staff.

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(V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi)


You may have heard of Henry Huntly Haight. The 10th governor of California was one of several in the Haight family who gave the iconic street its name. H.H.H. was also known as the first governor to use the state capitol offices in Sacramento.

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(V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi)


Opened in 1863, Mountain View Cemetery was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, famed for his designs for New York City's Central Park, Stanford University, and Yosemite Par. The emphasis at Mountain View is the relationship between man and nature.

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