Chapel of the Chimes, Cemetery, crematorium, and columbarium in Oakland, US
Chapel of the Chimes is a cemetery, crematorium, and columbarium in Oakland, California, on Piedmont Avenue. The building is designed in a Spanish Gothic style with small rooms lit by skylights, indoor gardens, fountains, and rows of niches that hold urns.
The building dates to 1909 and was expanded in 1929 by architect Julia Morgan and Aaron Green. Morgan's design shaped the Spanish Gothic character that the complex still carries today.
A visit works best during daylight hours, when the skylights fill the interior rooms with natural light. Guided tours are available and give access to parts of the building that are otherwise easy to miss.
Al Davis, the former owner of the Oakland Raiders, and blues musician John Lee Hooker are among those whose remains are kept here. The site also hosts summer music concerts inside the building, making it one of the few places of this type that regularly draws the general public for live events.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
