Entry No. 3 — the San Diego file — filed under: former-cemetery
Pioneer Park (Mission Hills Park)
This was Calvary Cemetery, San Diego's second Catholic burial ground, from 1876 until the city legally "abandoned" it in 1961, trucked most of the headstones off to Mount Hope Cemetery, and turned it into a playground and picnic lawn by 1968 — but over 800 bodies, including aviator Charles Francis Walsh and hotelier Juan Bandini, are still in the ground under the tennis courts and swing sets.
The story
On paper, this is just a sun-dappled neighborhood green in Mission Hills on Washington Place, complete with two outdoor tennis courts, swing sets, and manicured grass. But look closely at the lawn beneath your picnic blanket. From 1876 until 1961, this plot was Calvary Cemetery, San Diego’s second Catholic burial ground. When the city legally declared the cemetery abandoned in 1961, they didn't dig up the dead—they simply cleared away almost all the gravestones, dumped them at Mount Hope Cemetery, and re-opened the site as a public park by 1968.
More than 800 bodies remain in the earth directly under the grass and concrete. Beneath the foot traffic sit pioneer aviator Charles Francis Walsh, hotelier Juan Bandini, and hundreds of 19th-century locals whose graves were left intact. The city's only concession to memory was leaving a small memorial row tucked near the entrance, where a handful of surviving headstones and a metal plaque list the names of the people you're casually walking over.
What it's like
You'll arrive to find what looks like an impossibly wholesome community park where kids ride swings and locals hit balls on the two tennis courts. The shift in vibe happens as soon as you step up to the memorial row near the entrance and read the plaque listing the hundreds of bodies lying right underneath the turf. It is a quiet, free, and deeply odd local stop in a residential neighborhood—just make sure to check current park hours before you go.
The move: Bring a picnic to the lawn, then find the small memorial row near the entrance that preserves a handful of the surviving 19th-century headstones and the plaque listing who's still buried beneath the grass.
- 📍 Mission Hills
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1521 Washington Pl, San Diego, CA 92103
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- El Campo Santo Cemetery — Continue your tour of San Diego's paved-over history at Old Town's 1849 Catholic cemetery, where graves sit buried right under San Diego Avenue's asphalt.
- Spruce Street Suspension Bridge — Walk a mile east into Bankers Hill to tread across a 1912 wood-and-cable footbridge swaying 70 feet over Kate Sessions Canyon.
- Oculto 477 — Head down into Old Town for a post-walk drink inside a hidden speakeasy directly adjoining El Campo Santo Cemetery.
Good to know
Are there really still bodies under the park?
Yes. Over 800 bodies remain buried underneath the lawn, tennis courts, and playground. The city removed the headstones in the 1960s but left the graves untouched.
Where did the original headstones go?
Most of the headstones were trucked off to Mount Hope Cemetery after Calvary Cemetery was legally abandoned in 1961, though a small row of surviving 19th-century gravestones was preserved on-site.
Who are some of the notable people buried here?
Pioneer aviator Charles Francis Walsh and hotelier Juan Bandini are among the more than 800 people buried beneath the lawn.
What features does the park have today?
It functions as a standard public park with open picnic lawns, playground equipment, and two public outdoor tennis courts.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: sandiego.gov · Wikipedia · teachme.to
last checked: 2026-07-19