Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Founded in 1854 with continued use until the 1930's, the Rural Cemetery is owned and operated by the City of Santa Rosa.

The Rural Cemetery Preservation Committee provides maintenance, tours, and special events to share Santa Rosa's past with visitors. TERMS OF SERVICE AGREEMENT

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FREE Veteran History Tours — Memorial Day, May 25Join us at Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery on Monday, May 25 at 12 Noon for a...
05/19/2026

FREE Veteran History Tours — Memorial Day, May 25

Join us at Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery on Monday, May 25 at 12 Noon for a special Memorial Day commemoration!

The Cemetery will be beautifully decorated with flags at each Veteran's burial site. The event begins with a Flag Raising Ceremony at the GAR Monument, followed by free guided Veteran History Tours — learn about the brave men and women who rest here, including Civil War heroes like Lt. Col. Armstrong.

📍 Meet at the Franklin Gate 🕛 12:00 Noon ✅ Free & open to all

Come honor those who served. See you there! 🎖

05/17/2026
Come join us at the Saturday Work Party on May 16th!  Meet us at Franklin Gate at 9:00 AM (across from the preschool).  ...
05/11/2026

Come join us at the Saturday Work Party on May 16th! Meet us at Franklin Gate at 9:00 AM (across from the preschool). Wear boots and bring gloves.

**NEW: As this is a Volunteer-led program, anyone under the age of 18 is required to have an adult present if they would like to participate.

This is a great opportunity for your student to start accumulating Community Service Hours!

🌿 HISTORY TOUR — DROP-INS WELCOME TOMORROW! 🌿We still have spots available for tomorrow's History Tour at the 10:20 AM a...
05/09/2026

🌿 HISTORY TOUR — DROP-INS WELCOME TOMORROW! 🌿

We still have spots available for tomorrow's History Tour at the 10:20 AM and 10:40 AM time slots — and we'd love to have you join us!

Wear comfortable shoes and bring your curiosity!

Photo by KL Bennett

Step into history this Saturday at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery…This striking image is of “Bloody Bill” Anderson, a not...
05/07/2026

Step into history this Saturday at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery…

This striking image is of “Bloody Bill” Anderson, a notorious Confederate guerrilla involved in the Centralia Massacre during the Civil War. While his story is one of violence and conflict, it connects directly to a remarkable piece of history right here in Santa Rosa—the only surviving Union soldier from that massacre is buried in our cemetery.

Join us for a General History Tour and uncover stories like this and many more.

📅 Saturday, May 9
⏰ Tours begin from 10:00–11:00 a.m.
🚶‍♂️ Four tours depart every 20 minutes

Come explore the lives, legends, and little-known connections that make our cemetery such a fascinating place.

Admission is FREE; donations appreciated. Note: uneven surfaces and slopes.
Pre-registration is available and will ensure you a spot at the time you request.

Call the City at 707-543-3737
or go to the City website (below) and select the link to the Event you are interested in. At the ticketing site, you may need to select 'Tours' under 'Tours and Special Events'
https://www.srcity.org/1080/Tours-Events

Join us on Memorial Day for a Tour of the Veterans' buried in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery.
05/02/2026

Join us on Memorial Day for a Tour of the Veterans' buried in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery.

In honor of the victims of the 1906 Earthquake in Santa Rosa, we'd like to share the story of one of our own — Miss Exce...
04/18/2026

In honor of the victims of the 1906 Earthquake in Santa Rosa, we'd like to share the story of one of our own — Miss Excelsa.

Her tragic tale was researched and told by Jeff Elliott, a well-known local historian now deceased. Miss Excelsa was laid to rest in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Earthquake Plot, situated beside the Franklin Gate.

May her memory, and the memories of all those lost, live on.

She is the symbol of the mysteries and misinformation surrounding the 1906 Santa Rosa earthquake. Her name is at the top of the memorial stone at the Rural Cemetery, but it is not her real name. She is buried with a child who was supposedly hers, but more likely was a girl she never saw.…

Don't miss out on our next FREE Saturday Tour in May!
04/18/2026

Don't miss out on our next FREE Saturday Tour in May!

Revisit the Darkside Tour in the 'warmth' of your own home!  It will take a few weeks to post the photos, but one of our...
04/16/2026

Revisit the Darkside Tour in the 'warmth' of your own home! It will take a few weeks to post the photos, but one of our photographers has created a slideshow on YouTube! Enjoy! Thanks Jim!

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Preservation Committee Dark Side. Short vignettes depicting pioneers buried in this historic landmark. This is a slide show of stil...

A dozen members of the SR parks’ maintenance team did a phenomenal job Wednesday working in the Rural Cemetery—to the de...
04/16/2026

A dozen members of the SR parks’ maintenance team did a phenomenal job Wednesday working in the Rural Cemetery—to the delight of cemetery visitors and volunteers alike! Thanks, Parks’ Crew!!!!

Address

1600 Franklin Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA
95404

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