Entry No. 6 — the Santa Cruz file — filed under: cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery
One of California's oldest public cemeteries (burials from the 1850s), Evergreen fell into ruin after the catastrophic Christmas flood of 1955 before volunteers began restoring it in 1973 — it's now run by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and has a long-standing reputation as haunted, with a dedicated Chinese burial section (traditional funerals once featured firecrackers and an on-site cooking oven) marked by a memorial gate built in 2014.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but the cleanest portal into 1850s California isn't a museum—it's eight acres of leaning headstones tucked right near Harvey West Park, just a stone's throw from the local Costco parking lot. Established in 1858 during the height of the Gold Rush, Evergreen Cemetery served as Santa Cruz's early public resting ground. Stacked into these steep terraced hillsides are eight generations of local history: Civil War veterans, Freemasons, industrialists, and the Chinese laborers who laid down the town's foundational infrastructure.
The place almost vanished entirely after the catastrophic Christmas Flood of 1955 ripped through Santa Cruz. Mud and floodwaters overwhelmed the terraces, sending the cemetery into a decades-long decline of heavy brush, fallen trees, and total neglect. It wasn't until 1973 that neighborhood volunteers stepped in with shovels to cut back the rot. Today, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) manages the grounds, keeping the untamed pioneer vibe intact while preserving its deep, erratic historical footprint.
The strangest corner belongs to the dedicated Chinese burial section. During the 19th century, traditional funerals held here were loud, sensory affairs complete with firecrackers to ward off spirits and an on-site cooking oven used to prepare roasted ritual offerings for the departed. Though many remains were repatriated to China decades ago, a red memorial gate was raised in 2014 to mark the ground. Combined with a long-standing local reputation for ghost lore, the hillside remains one of the quietest, weirdest corners of the central coast.
What it's like
You’re pulling up to 261 Evergreen Street to find a shady, tiered hillside cut through with narrow dirt trails and overgrown ivy. It feels raw and hidden, far removed from the beach-town drag down the hill. If you show up on a fourth Sunday afternoon, you'll likely spot people sitting right on the grass among the gravestones scribbling notebooks during the museum's monthly writing workshop. Wear sturdy, non-slip shoes—the historic terracing is steep and dirt footpaths get slick fast after rain.
The move: Go on a Sunday afternoon for MAH's monthly 'Rite Life' writing workshop held literally among the headstones (facilitated by local poet Gabriel Kittle-Cervine, 1-3pm), or just wander the Civil War, Freemason, and Chinese sections and read the eight generations of Santa Cruz history stacked into eight acres.
- 📍 Santa Cruz (Evergreen/Beach Hill area)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 261 Evergreen St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park (Neary-Rodriguez Adobe) — Pair eight acres of pioneer grave history with the last surviving building of Alta California's Mission Santa Cruz just four-tenths of a mile away.
- Indexical — Head half a mile down to the Tannery Arts Center for experimental sound installations after wandering the silent headstones.
- World of Stones and Mystics — Continue your offbeat historical stroll into Downtown Santa Cruz to browse raw minerals and metaphysical stones six-tenths of a mile away.
- Go Ask Alice — Grab an organic herbal tincture or tea blend on Pacific Avenue after spending your afternoon reading 19th-century tombstones.
Good to know
What makes the Chinese section historically significant?
Established for 19th-century Chinese immigrants, traditional funerals here once featured firecrackers and an on-site cooking oven to prepare ritual meals for spirits. A red memorial gate was dedicated at the site in 2014.
What is the Sunday writing workshop held here?
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History hosts 'Rite Life,' a monthly writing workshop held right among the headstones from 1 to 3 PM, facilitated by local poet Gabriel Kittle-Cervine.
Is Evergreen Cemetery considered haunted?
It holds a long-standing local reputation for ghost lore, largely fueled by its decades of total abandonment and rot following the flood of 1955.
How did the cemetery recover from ruin?
After the 1955 Christmas flood caused massive ruin and land movement, the grounds fell into decay until volunteers began clearing vegetation in 1973; the site is now restored and cared for by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · santacruzmah.org
last checked: 2026-07-20