Jazz at Twilight
Celebrate summer at Green-Wood! Arrive just before the sun begins to dip below the horizon to enjoy sweeping views of the cemetery, New York Harbor, and downtown Manhattan awash in dazzling golden light. Then sit back and enjoy tunes from some of the best jazz bands in New York City as they play you into the night. Bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and take in the ambience of Green-Wood’s magnificent landscape at sunset.
Pollinators in Chief
Stroll through Green-Wood and you will certainly see (and hear) wild bees going about their daily routine. Female bees are collecting nectar and pollen, and males are busily looking for mates. Bee biologist Sarah Kornbluth of the American Museum of Natural History leads this walking tour to highlight how bees live, the resources they need, and where they make their homes across the cemetery. Learn about the diversity of wild bee species (including bumble, carpenter, miner, leaf cutter, sweat, and more) and beecome a bee expert in just two hours.
Dead Distillers Trolley Tour
Green-Wood is teaming up with our friends at Kings County Distillery to delve into the storied past of distilling in Brooklyn. The afternoon kicks off with a trolley tour of the cemetery’s “permanent residents” with whiskey connections, including the one and only casualty of the Brooklyn Whiskey Wars of the late 1860s and early 1870s. Afterward, the trolley will head to Kings County Distillery in the Brooklyn Navy Yard where visitors will see first-hand how whiskey is made and enjoy a tasting of four delectable varieties.
Birding in Peace
Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful Sunday morning walking tours to discover the birds that make Green-Wood their home – at least temporarily. By September, offspring of these nesting birds will be on their own. Returning warblers will be in their less flamboyant fall plumage. Large numbers of blackbirds, flycatchers, sparrows, vireos, and swallows will also be passing through. By October, waterfowl are returning, and we’ll look for raptors heading south. November will bring back our overwintering feathered denizens from the north.
Alive at Green-Wood
There's a lot more to a cemetery than death. There's life - a lot of it. In fact, for Green-Wood, the natural environment is a critical part of our future. Join us for this new walking tour to explore the potential of the Cemetery's 478 acres as a public garden, a distinction that means much more than manicured lawns and azaleas. It means that we work to teach our visitors about Green-Wood's ecology and environmental diversity. As an accredited arboretum, the Cemetery has over 7,000 trees and a master plan that includes new interpretive panels (signs) across the grounds. You'll learn so much about the natural beauty and wildlife at Green-Wood that you'll want to come back and give your own tour to family and friends!
Historic Trolley Tours
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesExperience the most magnificent and historic 478 acres in New York City. Join our expert tour guides to hear fascinating stories of Green-Wood’s permanent residents, see breathtaking views of Manhattan, tread where George Washington and his troops fought the Battle of Brooklyn, and much more.
Death Café
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesThe Death Café is inspired by the centuries-old European salon (or café), an informal gathering to discuss philosophical, political or scientific ideas. In 2011, British entrepreneur Jon Underwood brought this concept to discussions of the most universal topic of all: death. Underwood’s intention was to provide an opportunity to “increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives.” Today, there are over 4,400 Death Cafes in 26 countries around the world.
Historic Trolley Tours
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesExperience the most magnificent and historic 478 acres in New York City. Join our expert tour guides to hear fascinating stories of Green-Wood’s permanent residents, see breathtaking views of Manhattan, tread where George Washington and his troops fought the Battle of Brooklyn, and much more.
2018 Green-Wood Benefit
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesWe hope you will join us at 6 PM on September 12, 2018 at the Eleventh Annual Gala in support of the future of Green-Wood.
As Green-Wood commemorates its 180th year, we are proud to present our bold vision for its future: an Education and Welcome Center, incorporating the newly restored Weir Greenhouse, and a new and inviting front landscape that will visually unite the Center with our historic grounds and make Green-Wood more welcoming to the community. Funds raised through this event will advance these exciting projects.
Brooklyn and the Civil War
During the Civil War, Brooklyn was the third largest city in the Union, and more than 30,000 of its residents enlisted as soldiers and sailors. Join Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman and writer Matthew Dellinger as they share the stories of Brooklynites who took up arms: Clarence D. MacKenzie, the 12 year-old drummer boy who became the first casualty of the Civil War from Kings County; Colonel Edward Fowler who led the 14th Brooklyn Infantry at Gettysburg; Brooklyn native “The Gallant Samuel Sims,” who died at the Battle of the Crater in Petersburg, Virginia; and many others. The tour will also explore the crucial role of women on the home front, namely those who organized The Brooklyn Sanitary Fair of 1864, which raised funds for clothing and medical supplies for the troops.
Secrets in Stone
There is a secret language at Green-Wood that’s etched upon the monuments: cemetery symbology. Learn the meaning of the inverted torch, bales of wheat, and an hourglass with wins, along with those that are a bit more difficult to decipher. This eye-opening walking tour will showcase the meaning of these eternal, but sometimes cryptic, images.
Green-Wood’s public programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, as well as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
