Since 1869 Mount Hope Cemetery has been providing all San Diego citizens interment options at reasonable cost. The beautiful grounds of Mount Hope Cemetery contain historically significant monuments to some of San Diego's most notable citizens. The combined cemetery now has a total of 89 usable acres, only 69 acres are in use at this time. The City of San Diego manages and maintains the entire cemetery, providing perpetual care to all burial sites.
Burial lots are available in both newly available sections as well as the older sections.
The older sections allow either flat or upright grave markers while in the newer sections only flat grave markers may be used. In 1869 a citizen committee was formed and given the task of establishing a new, municipal cemetery for San Diego. Earlier municipal cemeteries located near the area of Presidio Park, and El Campo Santo in Old Town no longer met the needs of the growing community. Mount Hope Cemetery was selected by the committee and opened in 1871. The committee was led by Alonzo Horton, who is widely regarded as the father of modern San Diego.