Angelo J. Rossi Playground

The ground beneath your feet at Angelo J. Rossi Playground occupies land that once served as a cemetery. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, San Francisco underwent a massive relocation effort to move thousands of graves from within city limits to the neighboring town of Colma. Once the land was cleared of its former residents, city planners identified the empty space as a prime opportunity for recreational development. Angelo J. Rossi, who served as a playground commissioner before becoming the city's mayor, was instrumental in transforming this repurposed site into the public park you see today.