SACRAMENTO OLD CITY CEMETERY, Exhibitor at Family History Day

Adorned with beautiful statues, dramatic markers and lush gardens, Sacramento Historic City Cemetery is an outdoor museum recording California history from the Gold Rush Era through today.  It is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento. 

Since its establishment in 1849, the City Cemetery has become the resting place of many remarkable Californians, demonstrating the diversity of California history and culture. Visitors will discover the burial sites of Sacramento mayors and California governors as well as numerous group plots honoring members of the Pioneer Association, Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Volunteer Firemen, the Improved Order of Red Men, the state government, Donner Party survivors, Civil War and other military veterans, and the victims of the 1850 Cholera Epidemic.  A treasure trove of stories about the lives of these pioneers awaits the family history researcher, including their role in the history of baseball and the railroad in Sacramento. 

Keeping with the popular style of the times, the cemetery was designed to resemble a Victorian garden with monuments symbolic of Victorian funeral customs. Traversed by pathways and grand avenues, the cemetery provides a park-like setting for exploring history. Today, volunteers with the Adopt-a-Plot program take over the gardening of plots - a task once performed by long since departed relatives.

Could your ancestors be buried here?  Visit our exhibit at Family History Day and talk to the docents about accessing the burial index, guided and self-guided tours, and year-round events.

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery

1000 Broadway

Sacramento, CA 95818

(916) 448-0811