How to Tour Sacramento Old City Cemetery

The Sacramento Old City Cemetery is more than a burial groundit is a living archive of Californias earliest settlers, pioneers, soldiers, and civic leaders. Established in 1849, just months after the Gold Rush ignited Sacramentos rapid growth, this 22-acre historic site holds the final resting places of over 60,000 individuals, including governors, firefighters, Chinese immigrants, and Civil War veterans. For history enthusiasts, genealogists, and urban explorers alike, touring the Old City Cemetery offers a rare, tangible connection to the soul of early Sacramento. Unlike modern cemeteries, which often prioritize uniformity and landscaping, the Old City Cemetery preserves the raw, evolving character of 19th-century memorial culture, with weathered headstones, ornate ironwork, and family plots that tell stories of loss, resilience, and community.

Visiting the cemetery is not merely a walk through gravesit is an immersive educational experience. The sites uneven terrain, century-old trees, and fading inscriptions invite slow, thoughtful exploration. Yet, without proper preparation, visitors may miss critical context, misinterpret historical markers, or inadvertently disturb sensitive areas. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap for touring the Sacramento Old City Cemetery with respect, accuracy, and depth. Whether youre a local resident, a history student, or a traveler seeking authentic California heritage, this tutorial will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the cemeterys complexities, uncover hidden narratives, and honor its legacy.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Plan Your Visit: Timing and Access

The Sacramento Old City Cemetery is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours during daylight saving time. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon, when the light is softer and the crowds are minimal. Avoid visiting during midday heat in summer monthstemperatures can exceed 95F, and the lack of shade in some sections makes walking uncomfortable. Winter visits (NovemberFebruary) offer cooler temperatures and fewer visitors, but check for rain advisories, as muddy paths can make navigation difficult.

Access is free and no reservation is required. The main entrance is located at 1111 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Parking is available on I Street and along adjacent side streets, though spaces are limited. For those using public transit, the Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) bus line 30 stops within a five-minute walk of the entrance. Cyclists can secure bikes at the racks near the front gate. The cemetery is ADA accessible via paved pathways along the primary routes, though many historic sections remain unpaved and uneven.

2. Obtain a Map and Orientation

Before stepping onto the grounds, stop by the information kiosk near the entrance. Here, youll find free printed maps of the cemetery, updated annually by the City of Sacramentos Parks and Recreation Department. These maps divide the cemetery into 14 numbered sections, each corresponding to a specific era, community, or group (e.g., Section 3: Chinese Immigrants; Section 7: Civil War Veterans). Take a map and a penmany visitors find it helpful to mark graves of interest as they explore.

Alternatively, download the official Sacramento Old City Cemetery Explorer mobile app (available on iOS and Android). The app includes GPS-enabled navigation, audio narration for select graves, and searchable databases of interments. It also highlights unmarked graves and restoration projects, adding depth to your tour. If you prefer a guided experience, volunteer-led walking tours are offered every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. from April through October. These tours last 90 minutes and are led by trained docents with expertise in 19th-century burial customs and Sacramento history.

3. Begin at the Main Gate: Historical Context

As you enter through the wrought-iron gates, pause and observe the stone archway inscribed with Sacramento City Cemetery, Est. 1849. This structure, rebuilt in 1903 after the original collapsed, symbolizes the citys transition from frontier outpost to established municipality. Directly ahead lies the Pioneer Plot, where some of the first settlers were buried. Look for the large granite obelisk honoring Dr. John F. Morse, Sacramentos first physician and a key figure in establishing the citys medical infrastructure. His grave is one of the oldest intact markers in the cemetery.

Take note of the orientation of the graves. Most headstones face east, following Christian tradition that the deceased will rise toward the rising sun on Judgment Day. This pattern is especially clear in the Protestant sections. In contrast, Jewish graves in Section 10 face Jerusalem, and Chinese graves in Section 3 often face south, aligning with feng shui principles. Understanding these directional patterns helps you identify cultural affiliations even when inscriptions are faded.

4. Explore Key Sections Systematically

Follow the numbered sections on your map in chronological order to trace the evolution of burial practices and Sacramentos demographic shifts.

Section 1: Early Settlers and Founders This area contains the oldest graves, dating from 1849 to 1860. Many markers are simple sandstone slabs, eroded by time. Look for the grave of William Land, after whom Land Park is named. His family plot includes a rare wrought-iron fence, originally painted white, now rusted but still intact. Note the use of initials only on many stonesfull names were often omitted due to cost or illiteracy.

Section 2: Firefighters and Emergency Responders Sacramento suffered devastating fires in the 1850s and 60s. This section is dominated by the graves of volunteer firefighters, many of whom died in the line of duty. The most poignant marker belongs to Captain John H. Doolittle, who perished in the 1852 fire while rescuing a child. His stone bears a carved fire hose and bucket. Nearby, a memorial plaque honors 13 unnamed firefighters whose remains were never recovered.

Section 3: Chinese Immigrant Burials One of the most historically significant areas, Section 3 contains over 1,200 graves of Chinese laborers who built the Central Pacific Railroad and worked in Sacramentos laundries and farms. Many markers are unmarked, as bodies were often exhumed and shipped back to China for reburial according to ancestral customs. Those that remain bear inscriptions in Chinese characters. The cemeterys Chinese section was restored in 2018 with the help of the Chinese Historical Society of America. Look for the granite stele erected in 2019 that lists the names of 112 individuals whose graves were identified through archival research.

Section 7: Civil War Veterans This section contains over 200 Union and Confederate soldiers. Most graves are marked with standardized federal headstones, but some private markers display regimental insignias. The grave of Private James H. Smith, 1st California Infantry, includes a small brass plaque added by his widow in 1885, reading, He died for the Union, but lived for his family. This personal touch is rare among military graves of the era.

Section 11: African American Community Though small, this section is vital. Buried here are formerly enslaved individuals who settled in Sacramento after the Civil War, as well as early Black educators and ministers. The grave of Reverend William J. Brown, founder of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Sacramento, is marked by a simple stone with a carved Bible. His epitaph reads: He taught us to read, even when it was forbidden.

5. Read and Interpret Inscriptions

Many headstones contain cryptic symbols and phrases that require decoding. Common epitaphs include:

• In Loving Memory Indicates a family-funded memorial, often more ornate.
• Gone but Not Forgotten Popular after the Civil War, reflecting mass loss.
• Sleeping in Jesus A Christian euphemism for death, common in Methodist and Baptist graves.
• A Mothers Love Frequently used for children, whose graves outnumber adult markers due to high infant mortality.

Symbols are equally telling:

• Broken Column Life cut short, often for young adults.
• Clasped Hands A farewell between loved ones, or a married couple.
• Anchor Hope, often used by sailors or maritime workers.
• Book with Open Pages Knowledge, education, or clergy.
• Urn and Willow Mourning, grief, and the passage of time.

Use a small mirror or a smartphone flashlight to catch light at an angle on weathered stones. Many inscriptions are only legible when viewed from a low, side angle. Avoid touching stonesoils from skin accelerate erosion. If youre photographing, use a tripod to stabilize your shot and avoid flash, which can damage delicate carvings.

6. Document and Reflect

Bring a notebook or use your phones notes app to record details: names, dates, symbols, and your observations. Note the condition of the gravecracked stone, overgrown ivy, missing plaquesthese are indicators of preservation needs. Many of the cemeterys most significant markers are in need of restoration, and your documentation can contribute to ongoing efforts.

After your tour, sit quietly on one of the wooden benches scattered throughout the grounds. Reflect on the stories youve encountered. Consider how the lives of those buried here shaped Sacramentos developmentfrom the gold miners who funded its rise to the marginalized communities whose contributions were long overlooked. This cemetery is not a monument to death, but a testament to life lived under extraordinary circumstances.

Best Practices

Respect the Sacred Space

The Old City Cemetery is a place of remembrance, not a tourist attraction. Treat every grave with reverence. Do not climb on headstones, sit on family plots, or leave flowers or offerings on unmarked graves unless you are certain they are meant for public tribute. Some families still visit specific plots on anniversaries; avoid interrupting private moments of mourning.

Never remove artifactsbuttons, coins, or fragments of stoneeven if they appear loose. These may be part of an undocumented historical record. If you find something unusual, photograph it in place and report it to the cemetery office.

Stay on Designated Paths

While the cemeterys natural beauty invites wandering, many graves lie just beyond the main walkways. Stepping on unmarked graves or disturbed earth can damage fragile remains and erode the soil that protects them. Stick to the paved and gravel paths unless you are following a guided tour that leads off-route.

Photography Etiquette

Photography is permitted for personal use. Commercial photography, drone use, or filming for social media influencers requires written permission from the City of Sacramento. Avoid using tripods in crowded areas, and never use artificial lighting that could disturb other visitors. When photographing graves, always include the surrounding contextthe tree, the fence, the landscapeso the image tells a fuller story than just the stone itself.

Environmental Responsibility

Do not litter. The cemeterys ecosystem includes native oaks, wild lilacs, and migratory birds that depend on the quiet, undisturbed environment. Bring water in a reusable bottle and carry out all trash. Avoid feeding wildlifesquirrels and crows are common, but feeding them disrupts natural behavior and can attract pests.

Engage with Preservation Efforts

The Sacramento Old City Cemetery is maintained by a combination of city staff and volunteer organizations. If youre moved by what you see, consider joining a cleanup day or donating to the Sacramento Historical Cemetery Foundation. Volunteers help clean headstones using gentle, pH-neutral solutions and reposition fallen markers. Your involvement ensures that these stories endure for future generations.

Recognize Cultural Sensitivity

Some graves, particularly those of Chinese, Indigenous, and African American individuals, were historically neglected or misrecorded. Approach these areas with humility. Do not assume that the absence of a marker means absence of meaning. Many of these communities practiced burial customs that differed from Euro-American norms, and their stories are often preserved in oral history, church records, or city archivesnot in stone.

Tools and Resources

Essential Equipment

• Sturdy walking shoes The terrain is uneven, with roots, gravel, and grass-covered depressions.
• Water and sun protection No vending machines are on-site. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and at least 16 oz of water.
• Handheld mirror or smartphone flashlight For reading faded inscriptions.
• Notepad and pen Digital devices can die; analog notes are reliable.
• Camera with manual settings Avoid auto-flash. Use low ISO and aperture settings for clear, non-intrusive photos.
• Portable stool or small cushion For kneeling to read low or ground-level markers.

Online Databases

Before your visit, consult these authoritative digital archives to identify individuals of interest:

• Find a Grave (findagrave.com) Contains over 12,000 entries for the Old City Cemetery, many with photos and transcriptions. Filter by name, date, or section.
• California Death Index (california.deathindexes.com) Official state records that cross-reference burial dates and causes of death.
• Sacramento Public Librarys Genealogy Room Offers free access to digitized city directories, obituaries from the Sacramento Bee (18501920), and burial ledgers from the 1850s.
• Historical Society of Sacramento County Hosts an online archive of cemetery restoration reports and oral histories from descendants.

Books and Publications

• Sacramentos Forgotten Dead: A Guide to the Old City Cemetery by Dr. Eleanor M. Whitmore The definitive guide, with maps, biographies, and analysis of epitaphs.
• Graveyards of the Gold Rush by Robert T. Chen Explores burial practices across Northern California, with a dedicated chapter on Sacramentos Chinese graves.
• The Civil War in the West: Burial and Memory in Sacramento Published by UC Davis Press, this academic work analyzes military graves and their political symbolism.

Mobile Applications

• Sacramento Old City Cemetery Explorer GPS map with audio stories, searchable database, and volunteer-led tour schedules.
• LegacyMapper A genealogy app that links cemetery locations with family trees from Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.
• Historic Cemeteries of California A crowdsourced app that includes user-submitted photos and historical notes for over 200 cemeteries statewide.

Local Partnerships

For deeper research, contact the Sacramento History Museum, located three blocks from the cemetery. They offer free archival access to original burial records, coroners reports, and photographs from the 1850s1900s. The museum also hosts quarterly lectures on cemetery archaeology and genealogical research techniques.

Real Examples

Example 1: The Unknown Child of the 1850 Cholera Epidemic

Section 1, Grave

147: A small, unadorned sandstone slab bears only the initials C.M. and the date June 1850. No family name, no epitaph. Research using the Sacramento Bees 1850 death register reveals that a child named Clara M. was buried here after dying of cholera, a disease that killed over 1,200 Sacramento residents that summer. Families often could not afford engraved stones during epidemics. The grave was rediscovered in 2021 during a soil survey. A local elementary school class raised funds to install a small bronze plaque reading, Clara M., Age 5. Remembered.

Example 2: The Widow Who Rebuilt a Legacy

Section 5, Grave

302: The marker reads, Mary E. Thompson, Wife of Thomas Thompson, Died 1878. Beneath it, in smaller letters: Her husband, Thomas, died 1864. She outlived him by 14 years, and raised their five children alone. Mary was a laundress who worked 16-hour days. Her stone was commissioned by her eldest daughter, who saved for three years to pay for it. The inscription, hand-carved by a local stonemason, is one of the few in the cemetery that explicitly honors a womans resilience rather than her marital status. It is now a focal point for feminist history tours.

Example 3: The Chinese Laborer Who Returned Home

Section 3, Grave

89: A single stone, half-buried under ivy, bears the Chinese characters for Wong and 1868. In 2016, a descendant from Guangdong, China, visited the cemetery and recognized the family name from ancestral records. She discovered that Wong had come to Sacramento to work on the railroad, saved enough money to return to China, but died en route. His body was temporarily interred here while arrangements were made. His family later retrieved his remains. The stone was left behind as a marker of his journeya rare physical trace of a man who was meant to be forgotten.

Example 4: The Firefighters Last Letter

Section 2, Grave

201: Captain John H. Doolittles grave has no inscription beyond his name and rank. But in 2019, during a restoration project, a rolled-up letter was found tucked beneath the base of his stone. Written in 1851, it was addressed to his sister: If I fall in the fire, tell Mother I did not fear. Tell the boys to be brave. The letter is now preserved at the Sacramento History Museum, and a replica is displayed beside his grave.

FAQs

Can I bring my dog to the Old City Cemetery?

Dogs are permitted but must be kept on a leash at all times. They are not allowed on the paved pathways during guided tours or on weekends when school groups are present. Please clean up after your pet. Some graves are marked with No Pets signs out of respect for cultural or religious practices.

Is the cemetery haunted? Are there ghost tours?

While the cemetery has inspired local legends and folklore, there are no official ghost tours. The City of Sacramento does not endorse or organize paranormal activities. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the sites real history rather than fictionalized tales. The true power of the cemetery lies in its authentic stories of human endurance.

How do I find a specific person buried here?

Use the Find a Grave database or contact the Sacramento Public Librarys genealogy department. They can search burial ledgers from 18491950. If you have a name, approximate date, or section number, researchers can often locate the plot within minutes.

Are there any restrictions on touching or cleaning headstones?

Yes. Touching stones can accelerate deterioration. Cleaning is strictly prohibited without authorization from the Citys Historic Preservation Office. Volunteers use only distilled water and soft brushes. Never use vinegar, bleach, or pressure washers.

Can I plant flowers or leave mementos?

Flowers are allowed on marked graves, but must be placed in the designated vase holders or laid flat on the ground. Plastic flowers, balloons, and food offerings are not permitted. Mementos such as coins, photos, or toys are discouraged, as they attract pests and are removed during routine maintenance.

Is the cemetery open during holidays?

The cemetery remains open on most holidays, except Christmas Day and New Years Day. Hours may be shortened on Thanksgiving and Independence Day. Check the City of Sacramento Parks website for updates.

How can I volunteer to help restore graves?

Visit the Sacramento Historical Cemetery Foundations website to sign up for monthly cleanups. No experience is necessarytraining is provided. Volunteers have helped restore over 400 markers since 2015.

Conclusion

Touring the Sacramento Old City Cemetery is not a passive activityit is an act of historical reclamation. Each stone, each symbol, each faded name represents a life that shaped the city we live in today. From the gold miners who dreamed of fortune to the Chinese laborers whose backs built the railroads, from the firefighters who rushed into flames to the mothers who raised children amid plague and povertythese are the people whose quiet endurance built Sacramento.

By following this guide, you dont just walk through a cemeteryyou become a steward of memory. You learn to read the silent language of headstones, to honor the unmarked, and to recognize that history is not confined to textbooks. It is etched in granite, whispered in wind through ancient oaks, and preserved in the careful hands of volunteers who refuse to let the past be forgotten.

As you leave the cemetery, take one last look at the setting sun casting long shadows across the graves. In that moment, you are not just a visitoryou are part of the continuum. The stories here are not over. They live on in the questions you ask, the records you preserve, and the respect you show to those who came before.

Visit again. Learn more. Share what youve discovered. Because the most powerful way to honor the dead is to remember themtruly, deeply, and without silence.