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AIDS Memorial Grove Album

The National AIDS Memorial Grove was conceptualized in 1989 by a small group of San Francisco residents whose community of friends was highly impacted by the AIDS epidemic. They envisioned a serene space surrounded by nature where people could come in groups or individually to hold memorial services, remember loved ones, and experience community. They selected Laveaga Dell in Golden Gate Park, a little-used space filled with flowers and redwoods. Renovation and landscaping of the site began in 1991 and continues today.

In October 1996 the Federal Government approved the National AIDS Memorial Grove Act. This official designation gives the site a status comparable to that of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Mount Rushmore, and the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. The establishment of the Grove as the national gathering place for healing, hope, and remembrance also serves as an important marker in the history of AIDS. Adminstrators expect that by the year 2001 more than 300,000 people will have enjoyed the beauty and serenity of the Grove.

This World AIDS Day, take a virtual walk through a few parts of the Grove here on PlanetOut, and experience your own moment of remembrance. For more information about the Grove, visit the Web site at www.aidsmemorial.org.

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