A living memorial to support community grieving, healing, and remembrance
The National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco is a living memorial to the AIDS epidemic offering a safe space for community grieving and communal healing. For nearly two decades, the city was devastated by the AIDS epidemic. The Memorial Grove transformed an abandoned seven-acre site in Golden Gate Park into gardens and open spaces designed to honor those who have died of AIDS, support those who are living with AIDS/HIV, and comfort those who have lost friends and family to the disease.
The National AIDS Memorial Grove’s volunteer workdays provide an example of how placemaking continues long after a place has been 'finished.'
1999 Selection Committee
The Memorial Grove offers an alternative to individual or isolated mourning by providing a safe public space to grieve, reflect, and share the stories of victims and survivors. Volunteer days bring the community together to upgrade and maintain the park, and a permanent endowment has been established to ensure the park’s continued service to the community as a source of hope, healing, and inspiration.