One of my favorite things to do, and an appropriately spooky outing for this Halloween, is to visit Mountain View Cemetery at the end of Piedmont Avenue. It’s a gorgeous piece of prime Oakland real estate, nestled against and stretching into the hills with stunning views of the entire Bay Area… nevermind that it’s full of dead people.
Because it’s also chock full of incredible art & architecture, not to mention a ton of local history. It’s here that you can read about the Merritts (former mayor of Oakland Samuel Merritt, after whom Lake Merritt was named) and the Crockers (railroad builder Charles Crocker, namesake to Crocker Highlands) and a slew of other politicians, philanthropists, shipmasters, and businesspersons who helped shape this city.
The cemetery comprises over 220 acres containing, chapels, columbariums, crematoriums, mausoleums, and traditional graves, all amidst a breathtaking park-like setting that frequently draws hikers, bikers, a picnickers alike. It always makes me smile to see a family stretched out, enjoying an afternoon lunch in the midst of the graves.
Founded in 1863, the park was designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, known as the father of American landscape design, and designer of many urban parks including Central Park in New York City. Part of what makes Mountain View unique from other cemeteries is this park-like design, which grew out of his integrated “vision of man and nature and their relationship to each other.”
There are fantastic examples of sculptural work in stone, concrete, and metal. I love this bronze angel…
These next two crypts are from “Millionaires’ Row”… The one on the right is the Crocker crypt – I like to call it the giant penis. I’m sure he didn’t have a complex… um, right.
Lots of angels…
Below is the view of San Francisco from the top…
The cemetery is open to the public everyday during daylight hours. Run by a nonsectarian, non-profit association, free docent tours are available the second and fourth Saturdays of each month starting at 10am.
Oaktown Art | Oakland Art, Public Art, Murals, Graffiti, Culture, Oakland 
Awesome pic! I had no idea this was Olmsted’s design!
I just learned it too… it’s amazing what you can find out on the internet! I’ve been meaning to take their docent tour for years but missed the ones in October, so I had to rely on Google and Wikipedia to get this up in time for Halloween 😉
what a beautiful place to rest….
Beautiful photos!
Wonderful post and stunning photos. This is a special place for me as an old friend who passed away a long time ago unofficially calls it home. If guerrilla art is controversial, I wonder what people will think about a guerrilla ash sprinkling memorial?
I love it! I did my own guerilla memorial act in Redwood Park… ssshhhh, don’t tell!