Presidio Pet Cemetery
This beloved local favorite is the final resting for the animals of U.S. Army families.
Tucked in a valley not far from Crissy Field, it’s one of the Presidio’s most peculiar yet endearing attractions. Surrounded by a white picket fence, you’ll find 424 lovingly handmade headstones, each honoring a cherished pet. Look for Mr. Iguana, Cupcake, and Princess Tuptim.
The cemetery was established in the early 1950s. While it’s closed to new burials today, you can come here to pay your respects.
Getting to Presidio Pet Cemetery
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By Public Transit
- Muni Route: 30
- Stop: Sports Basement Parking Lot
- Directions: From Sports Basement’s parking lot, follow Mason Street west for 0.6 miles, then turn left on Crissy Field Avenue to reach the Presidio Pet Cemetery.
By Presidio GO Shuttle
- Route: Any
- Stop: Presidio Transit Center
- Directions: From Presidio Transit Center, walk one mile west along the Presidio Promenade Trail to reach Presidio Pet Cemetery.
Parking
There is paid parking near the cemetery on McDowell Avenue. Additional free parking can be found next to the Park Archives and Records Center on McDowell Avenue.
Why We Love Presidio Pet Cemetery
Bring a hanky. This place pulls at your heartstrings by sharing the intimate personal side of military family life. One hand-lettered sign reads, “The love these animals gave will never be forgotten.”
Accessibility at Presidio Pet Cemetery
You can experience the petite half-acre cemetery from McDowell Avenue. If you enter, note the path is lined with wood chips and is relatively flat.
Insider Tip
See if you can spot the bronze plaque featuring the visage of “Our Best Friend Sammi,” a cat who lived nearly 20 years. And keep an eye out for the headstone of Skipper, “The best damn dog we ever had.”
A BELOVED PRESIDIO PLACE
The cemetery is easy to visit during a walk along the nearby Presidio Promenade Trail or the Bay Trail SF/Golden Gate Promenade.
History of Presidio Pet Cemetery
While its exact beginnings weren’t documented by the Army, newspaper reports suggest that the cemetery can be traced back to about 1952, when Lieutenant Colonel Joseph M. Swing and a team of engineers laid it out across from the post veterinarian. At the time, the Presidio was home to 2,000 Army families, some of whom looked to their pets as a source of stability. Boy Scout troops maintained the cemetery for many years.
Tender Loving Care
Over the years, the cemetery has occasionally fallen into disrepair only to be taken up again as someone’s pet cause — a testament to the human-animal bond. Most recently, after the new Presidio Parkway viaduct was built over it, in 2019 volunteers refreshed the cemetery with a new fence, trees, signs, and ornamental plants, funded by a private donor. Read more in this article from KQED news.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the Pet Cemetery is open to the public seven days a week. There is no ticket or entry fee.
The cemetery features 424 lovingly handmade headstones that each pay tribute to a beloved dog, cat, bird, fish, reptile, or rodent.
No. The pet cemetery is a historic graveyard and is closed to new burials.
The nearest public restrooms (and snacks) can be found at the Warming Hut Park Store, about a half mile away at Crissy Field on the Golden Gate Promenade/ Bay Trail SF.
That’s the Presidio Parkway viaduct, which was built in 2015 when the aging Doyle Drive highway was replaced with an improved design.
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Experience the Presidio
The Presidio is San Francisco’s national park site, with endless trails, fun events, and unforgettable vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge.
