Gravesite Tour

The gravestones of John Muir and Louie Strentzel Muir at the Strentzel/Muir Family Gravesite in Martinez, California.

NPS Photo/Luther Bailey

The Strentzel/Muir Family Gravesite Tour

Tour Information

The gravesite where John Muir and his family members are buried is open to pedestrians and cyclists Monday through Friday from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. Ranger-led tours of the site are available on Saturdays and Sundays when staff is available. Reservations are required for these tours due to limited seating for transportation.

To make a reservation, please call [phone] and follow the prompts to reach the John Muir NHS front desk.

At the Gravesite

The gravesite, encompassing 1.27 acres, was part of a 13-acre property purchased by Dr. Strentzel, John Muir's father-in-law, in Martinez in 1853. John and Louisiana Strentzel chose this spot for their family's final resting place when their son John died in 1857. This cemetery is typical of thousands of small family cemeteries scattered across rural America, which were common due to personal preference, lack of community cemeteries, high infant mortality rates, and abundant, inexpensive land.

Dr. Strentzel planted Manna Gum Eucalyptus trees and an incense cedar on the property, which, along with the pear orchard, remain from that time. This orchard is one of the oldest surviving commercial orchards in California. Muir likened the massive eucalyptus' great white trunk to a guardian angel watching over the graves. The Strentzels’ first home was also nearby but has since burnt down. During their first 10 years in Martinez, John Muir, his wife Louie, and their children lived in that home while the Strentzels inhabited the Italianate mansion at the historic site.

Family Members Buried Here

• Johann (John) Strentzel: 1813-1890 (pneumonia)
• Louisiana Strentzel: 1821-1897 (old age)
• Henry (Dr. Strentzel’s brother): 1817-1865
• John Strentzel: 1848-1857 (diphtheria)
• Carlotta (Lottie) Strentzel: 1851-1851 (4 months old, body moved?)
• John Muir: 1838-1914 (pneumonia)
• Louisa (Louie) Muir: 1847-1905 (pneumonia)
• Wanda (Annie) Hanna: 1881-1942 (appendicitis)
• Thomas Hanna: 1881-1947 (heart attack)
• Helen Muir: Died in Spokane, WA and is buried in Ontario, CA with her husband Buell Funk

About the Headstones

• John and Louie Muir's Headstones: Made of Black Academy Granite with Raymond Granite bases, featuring a thistle, the national emblem of Scotland.
• Cemetery Curb/Cope: Made of Raymond Granite ("Sierra White") from the Raymond quarry near Knowles, California. The Strentzel monument headstones are also made of this granite.
• Tom and Wanda’s Headstones: Made from a rock they used to sit on together near their cabin in the Sierras. Tom had the rock cut in two, and when put together, the black spot forms a circle.

Please respect the fence boundary and avoid walking around the back side of the fence unless you are immune to poison oak!