Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Colma
A late 19th Century cemetery full of spectacular angels, over-the-top mausoleums, just south of San Francisco - and the last resting place of famous, infamous and just plain interesting San Franciscans. Guided walking tours given every third Saturday of the month.
Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles
The Studio for Southern California History offers occasional walking tours through one of the city's largest cemeteries, with 300,000 grave sites.Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles
The last resting place of many famous stars and film makers hosts the Los Angeles Day of the Dead celebration (late October). Otherwise, you can take a regular tour a couple of times a month.
Long Beach Municipal and Sunnyside Cemeteries
On Halloween night, the Long Beach Historical Society hosts tours of the city's oldest resting grounds, where (as they say) "every plot has a story," retold by costumed docents.
Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland
This place is so interesting (it dates from the 1860s) and popular that they offer tours twice a month, all year round.
Old City Cemetery, Sacramento
Sacramento mayors, California governors, Civil War Veterans and victims of the 1850 Cholera Epidemic are only a few of the folks interred here and they offer plenty of guided tours so you can learn all about them. In late October, their Lantern Tours raise lots of money, selling out well in advance.
Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, Sonoma County
This one is full of Sonoma area pioneers and you'll find an interesting collection of historical recreations as well as the cemetery tours.Woodland City Cemetery
Once a year in early September, costumed characters bring the local cemetery back to "life." It's part of the city's annual Stroll Through History.Yorba Cemetery, Orange County
This historic cemetery dates back to 1834 and it was active until 1939. Now it's part of the Orange County Parks system and they give tours on a regular basis.
