INSIDE The EPIC San Francisco Columbarium. YOU WON’T Believe This Place! 

I was on the crew that painted the ceiling in the early 80s. Interestingly we discovered in the space between the ceiling and the roof an attic. It was full of hundreds of remains in simple metal containers, each with a typewritten label of who and when. And they were sized appropriately for children or adults.

That building is absolutely beautiful. I am so glad that it was saved and restored. Breathtaking!

53 years ago...as a teenager, my brother, best friend, since Kindergarten, and I visited that place. We were 16, had our driver's license's, and we were on the go....all over the Bay Area. It was only open a few hours, on selected days, each week....and practically a derelict at that time. Cold....semi dark in places, though painted white inside....and Creepy...plaster falling out in various places....almost, but not quite a complete mess. The Neptune Society bought it...and have made it, probably, the most expensive place for the interment of cremains, in the Bay Area. At the time I didn't even know famous people were there. Now, with the additional buildings and gardens....the total restoration, and the colorful paint....that beauty of that place amazes me. I've even attended one funeral and one memorial there...in the past (the 1980's)....earlier in it's resurrection.

It’s like a museum of lives, really love seeing how each unit is arranged and decorated. Great location, nice work!

So glad to see you visit the Argo Room! My husband and I are to be inurned in the “porthole” wreath niche in the upper left which is visible for only two seconds, but I could see briefly a ghostly image of our photos on the left of the window, the corner of the label on one of our bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon we bottled back in 1991 on the right, and in the middle, a faint view of the one-gallon oak cask in which our ashes will be commingled. In front at the bottom, the shiny object is a cassette tape of the “Three Degrees” song “When Will I See You Again,” which was playing on the night we met. 49 years so far, and counting. Cheers!

That was spectacular, I could be in there for hours. Thank you.

So glad they restored it. It is truly a beautiful place.

That is such a beautiful place! Thank you for taking us. So glad it was restored. So much like a museum as well. It would have been a tragedy to have been lost.

I imagine these 'holding places' will increase in numbers in the coming years. With the huge increase in creamations. This is a rare jewel in resting places, not to have anying comperable any time soon, Thank you for the tour,..😊

I visited there back in the mid-90's. It didn't look anything like that. There were even regular pull open glass doors at the entrance! I went there on a weekday late morning. I was the only one in there (living!). There was a boombox in the middle of the floor playing creepy church organ music. The whole time I was in there, I felt like I was being "watched" and didn't feel alone in there! Very creepy. They've really fixed it up since I was there. And by the way, Chet Helms was a concert promoter and a good friend of Janis Joplin. He brought her from TX to San Francisco and introduced her around and she got in with Big Brother and the Holding Company thanks to him.

I lived in San Francisco since 1986. I didn't know it has a columbarium. Thank you for making this video!

The building has a soul. Its so beautiful.

I lived in San Francisco for about 4 years. How did I miss this? Such a beautiful place

Thank you for showing us this marvelous location💜🏛🪦🥰

Absolutely magnificent. A gem of Neo-clasic architecture. So pleased it has been restored. Thank you for this video tour.

That is really beautiful. Glad it was able to be restored back to life. Thank you for the tour. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

This was one place I considered for my eternity. I then considered Cypress Lawn in Colma. I finally settled on Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi, CA. I have family buried there. I will be buried just steps away from my uncle. I spent my summer in Lodi when I was growing up. My grandparents lived there. I spent my summers with them. That town is still, and will always be, very special to me. I also opted against cremation. I am instead opting for a traditional ground burial.

If you don’t know who Chet is then you definitely don’t know San Francisco or its counterculture. He was very loved . Thank you for sharing and showing his niche ❤

Cannot wait to see inside!

Wow! Just...wow. This is architectural beauty at it's best. Absolutely stunning and mesmerizing. Every inch has been meticulously restored with every turn being equally as visually breathtaking as the last. A real grand beauty. Thank you for allowing us to accompany you and sharing this magnificent craftsmanship with all of us, good Sir. 😊

Thank you so much for taking us on this tour. I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciate your efforts. The place is incredible! Thanks again, Tony and God bless you……🌝

One of your most beautiful video!!

thank you so much and thanks to those who saved and renovated this beautiful resting place.

Gorgeous, Tony! And what a story! Thanks,Tony!❤❤❤

I never heard of a Calumbarium. What an interesting place. It looks like a building straight out of ancient Rome.

Let us thumbs up for him

So beautiful and peaceful. I am sorry they have used so many of the lead light windows for spaces for people as those windows not blocked off seemed to reflect - a beautiful effect.

OMG. This is so beautiful. Glad it got resored.

Absolutely amazing. One of the best you have filmed ❤

I missed it on the live chat thanks to my internet., But what I saw was fantastic thank you Tony.

This place is just beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Wonder how much it is to be laid to rest here?

That is absolutely the coolest. Thanks Tony

Great video. I could spend a week in a place like this.

Hey Tyler❤️ I Don t know why this stuff happens but too plow this place under would have been a horrible mistake. The stained glass was amazing. The Urns were awesome. My fav was the one that looked like the building❤️ Must have cost a fortune🙂 Thanks for the tour❤️

Stunning! Thank goodness it was saved! Really breathtaking architecture! A true treasure!!!

Didn't know this even existed!

It is such a beautiful place

This is truly amazing! Never seen anything like it!

what a beautiful place we have these in the UK 🇬🇧

Thanks for the tour. I've visited this place before with a good friend who's fathers remains are entombed there. A very fascinating place to visit, if a bit creepy. The place reeks of history.

Beau Travail comme d'habitude🔬🍀🌌Toujours un Moment de Détente🎬Alex France🙏🌌

Absolutely a breathtaking trip!!!!

A beautiful building. Thank you for showing it. To Ontario Canada

Such a beautiful and peaceful place.

Cypress Lawn is in Colma... The remains were transported back to San Francisco for final resting. Beautiful location... I know it well.

I'm so glad you did this video. Ever since I was a little kid in the 1960s, I wondered what was inside. The stories we kids told each other about it only added to its mysterious creepiness.

Cool place! Interesting urns, etc.

Can we have a part two of this amazing place? ❤

I know someone in there. He was the in the convention center business. Brought a lotta people together in San Francisco from all over the world. He has a pyramid urn and a teddy bear. It’s a beautiful place. Been there a few times.

Used to live on 2nd Ave, walked past it for years and never went in It truly is a beautiful building

I sang at a couple of memorial services there during the 90s.

Another awesome vid! Thanks for mentioning the prices, its an interesting part of the equation of a niche.... To niche, or not to niche, that's the question! Thanks!

You have access to all these great places in Cali.They could make for some great videos.

It seems bigger on the inside i was surprised it is beautiful. Cool i like it

what a beautiful resting community

I would love to just stand in there and sing! I bet the acoustics are amazing!!!

What a beautiful place, wow!

Thanks again Tony!

What an amazing place I would love to be entered there

How awful that they moved such a large graveyard..lovely building thanks for letting us see inside

Breathtaking

Such a gorgeous building.

Fascinating and historic. Thanks.

Thank you for this video. The Columbarium is certainly much nicer than when I visited. I believe the Neptune Society had just purchased the Columbarium. The inside was rather dark and foreboding. Don't recall the state of repairs, if any at that time. Walls seemed very gray. It was open only on certain days and limited hours. I had driven into the parking area on a whim to just look at the building. I had seen it several times in passing by and had no idea what the building was. It happened to be open that day. When I went inside and saw what the building was, my first thought was what a great place and idea. And the only "cemetery" still in the City. The Neptune Society has done a beautiful job of restoring this beautiful place, inside and out. Have really done the place proud. Question: Where can one get information about internment in the Columbarium?

Absolutely Beautiful!!

I grew up in SF at the other end of Stanyan. I took swimming lessons as a kid in the 70's at Rossi pool. Never knew it was the spot of the cremation building.

Amazing!! Thank you! 💓

My mom, who chose to be out of my life, used to commonly swim at Rossi pool

Absolutely beautiful

As always, wonderful job

So beautiful.. 👍

Im glad i got to enjoy SF while it was still a nice place to visit. Now, even tourists are staying away. 😮

exquisite

WOW !

Really cool place. You could probably make a week of it or more.

I guess it is important enough to some people to be stored in a place like this. My family and i will be happy to feed the worms. I prefer to spend that money on me while i am alive were i can enjoy it.

Lovely building. Please please move the camera slower and more steady. Would love to be able to read, the reflections are a challenge already. This is a beautiful building, thankyou

Very nice Tony 👍👍👍

$100,000 ?...WOW !... You'd have to have money to burn... (no pun intended)

Nice

Beautiful place

Absolu!ely beautiful!

Awesome, just totally Awesome! These older buildings definitely had class. Those older urns ⚱️ and bronze niche covers are really fascinating. $120,000.00 for a niche!!!??? Really? One question; I noticed a few of the older bronze niche covers, that had no names inscribed. Do you know if, there were no urns in those spots, or did the family requested anonymity? Awesome walking tour, thank you very much Tony, this was one of your best videos. Have a great day. 😊

Hey Tony

Where to watch Tyler's version? I want more of this place!)

A friend of mine is inurned in there somewhere. Karl R. Mason. DOD June 9th 2020. I have contacted the columbarium several times to get the location of his niche. However, they never respond to my inquiries.

“Kings built tombs more splendid than the houses of the living and counted the names of their descent dearer than the names of their sons.” -J. R. R. Tolkien

Chet Helms founded and managed Big Brother and the Holding Company, and signed Janis Joplin as the lead singer.

No mention of Emmett? The Columbarium owes so much to him.

❤❤❤❤

I am from the east coast all my life and I never heard the story of the cemetery when they moved bodies seems like an interesting story maybe someone could do some investigation on the project, I am 76 years old, and I never heard of this!

Very nice place

Looks like a gigantic hummer feeder (but not nearly as spiritual).

Probably originally lit by gasolier lights so I doubt there are any plugins for a Glade plugins. I'm surprised the 1906 earthquake didn't damage the building.

Wow! Although I have no wish to be cremated, that is the most beautiful columbarium I have ever seen! So light, and with stunning stained glass here and there. The colour, attention to detail and design makes my head spin. I love how each cabinet has such lovely wood then really stunning gold writing on the glass. Someone has had their work cut out over the years to be sure it all matched the others! I think the bright green y blue vase was made out of brass? And then because it’s not cleaned verdigris has set in. Sad, but it does set it apart from the others. I like the man who had his cat with him. And why not? If that was the love of his life he wanted with him. I was horrified to read at the start how bodies were dug up and ashes removed….what was that in aid of? I’m in the U.K. so don’t know the history back then….was cremation not allowed? I know some Christians don’t/didn’t like it because they believe by burial the complete body will rise again on the day of Resurrection, Christ’s second coming.( I’m Christian spiritualist by the way) which is funny in a way as the burial service refers to us as having come from dust and so we go back to dust 🙄🤔…but then by the same token cremains are already dust, so I don’t see the problem!? But I don’t want to get into a religious debate, our ideas all change with each generation I think. I’m REALLY grateful to you both for sharing this glorious building and it’s residents. May they rest peacefully. Take care, and warmest wishes from across the pond! 🙋‍♀️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥰💐👍🦉🦉🦋🦋🦋💐

I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s just beautiful . We’ve always buried our dead. 6 feet down. Is that customary in California too?

It's very impressive. Hope they get more help so they can catch up with their perpetual care of some of the niches. Anyway, these people that you randomly hovered over have very interesting stories. Aulerich-Sugai was an artist who succumbed to HIV and Botkin's mother was a convicted murderess who poisoned 2 women. Also, she named her son Beverly. Highly interesting. Thanks so much.

Stunkg In bupropio❤

I wonder if there is room for any new urns?

Ps do you know how much they charge? And how that works for people who died pre 1950? Just thinking when your estate winds up and moneys gone, what happens? Am assuming it costs an awful lot to be there! 🤔🙋‍♀️🦉🦋