Since our founding in 1892, Cypress Lawn has always been a place where families can go to celebrate life — a cultural landmark that has become vital to the living legacy of San Francisco. As our country and state begin reopening as the pandemic releases its clutches on our normalcy, you may be looking for …
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Cypress Lawn symbolizes many different things to many different people. For some, our Memorial Park signifies a peaceful final resting place for a loved one or perhaps an ancestor from several generations past. For others, it’s a sacred space where the life of a beloved friend or family member was celebrated. However, for all, it …
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At Cypress Lawn, it is our deepest honor to serve families of all different races, ethnicities, religions, and cultural traditions. In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing the stories of just a few of the many influential and prominent Black Americans who are laid to eternal rest within our peaceful Memorial Park. As …
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The founding of Cypress Lawn can be traced back to a serendipitous carriage ride. Our founder, Hamden Holmes Noble, happened to be riding past San Francisco’s Laurel Hill Cemetery. This cemetery had recently transitioned from a source of pride to an eyesore, as San Francisco’s land-hungry residents began turning against cemeteries. It was during this …
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Dearest friends, neighbors, and tree-lovers near and far — It is my honor to extend to you a cordial virtual invitation to the first annual Arboretum Day here at Cypress Lawn Arboretum & Botanical Gardens on Nov. 18, 2020.  As a celebration of life befitting the lasting legacy of our Memorial Park, where trees have …
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Virtual Tour Take Tour   Virtual Tour Video: Murder, Mayhem & Museums View Video The storied origin of Cypress Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park dates back to 1892 when our founder, Hamden Holmes Noble, drew inspiration during a carriage ride. At that time, the future of San Francisco’s cemeteries was in question, as cemeteries …
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By Terry Hamburg, Director of the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation A columbarium is structure that holds only cremated remains. This original columbarium on the East Campus of Cypress Lawn — the first in the United States to be built inside cemetery grounds — dates from 1893, a year after Cypress Lawn opened. There was space …
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The Noble Chapel you behold today is a 2016 restoration of the original 1893 structure. This restoration was painstakingly pursued in order to return this chapel as closely as possible to the appearance and specifications of the original structure.

By Terry Hamburg, Director of the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation Cypress Lawn has acquired Olivet Memorial Park in Colma. Situated at the base of the San Bruno Mountains, with huge cypress and palm trees throughout, Mount Olivet — as it was originally named — opened in 1896, four years after Cypress Lawn. Known as the …
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By Terry Hamburg, Director of the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation April 18 was the 116th anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. In this blog, we are paying tribute to the late Gladys Hansen and her contribution to scholarship. Hansen was appointed as the first (and only) chief archivist of the City of SanFrancisco. Through …
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