Wednesdays for eight weeks, May 27 - July 15 Are you working on a memoir, a poem, or a story and looking for some friendly feedback? Or maybe you just want to put pen to paper and see what happens. This summer let the exquisite monuments, stunning grounds, and timeless history of Green-Wood inspire you ... Read more

This popular event is back for 2015 and better than ever! Imagine an outdoor pleasure dome, strung with lights, adorned with fountains and featuring the top musicians, dancers and entertainers of the time. That was the scene at Niblo’s Garden – the premier entertainment house of the 19th century. Niblo himself had a habit of turning his Green-Wood mausoleum – built years before his death – into a pleasure garden of its own, with friends, picnics and entertainment. Rumor has it he even stocked the nearby Crescent Water with goldfish!

This year we’ve teamed up with Bindlestiff Family Circus, a vaudeville and performing arts powerhouse since 1995. Bindlestiff will transform Niblo’s final resting place into a Victorian extravaganza of performing arts. Your night will begin with a picnic (bring your own) around the beautiful pond Crescent Water, and will unfold into an evening of showmanship in front of Niblo’s grand mausoleum. As always, author and Niblo expert Ben Feldman will hold court as Niblo himself. Bring a blanket, snacks, and drinks, and prepare to be dazzled by 19th-century games, fire eaters, contortionists, and much more – all lit by candles and a starry sky.

The Tiffany family was artistic, innovative, and had an immense influence on 19th-century jewelry and design. The Inventors Club will examine the patents the family held, and explore how they forever influenced jewelry in America. Then, you’ll explore how the jewelry world is changing today through the use of 3D printing technology. See how the technology works, and then mimic the Tiffany’s by printing your own jewelry designs!

Join NY Writers Coalition in Green-Wood's Historic Chapel, for City Spirit, City Stories, a community reading and open mic in celebration of the talented storytellers hiding in plain sight of this big city!

In workshops facilitated by Rachel Plutzer and Julia Hillman Craig, playwrights, poets, essayists, and artists of other forms gather together within the cemetery's beautiful grounds and historic interiors. For the past eight weeks, they've found inspiration and enlightenment from stories of the past to fuel their own art, and we're excited to have them share these new discoveries -- and new writing! - with us this summer.

There are few places more atmospheric than a cemetery at dusk – and Green-Wood is top notch when it comes to beauty and atmosphere. So take a walk on the wild side during this special event that will lead you on a twilight tour of the expansive grounds. As the sun sets on 478 spectacular acres, you’ll weave through stunning landscapes and visit the graves of fascinating figures in New York and American culture.

After the walking tour, enjoy a drink amidst the art and greenery. The catacombs will be open for the reception, so you can wander by torchlight, sip your drink, and visit the opulent indoor resting places of Green-Wood.

In the early 20th century, Isadora Duncan's innovative dances changed the art world forever. But it was the sudden death of her children that most influenced her life and work. After losing her two young children to drowning, Duncan poured her grief into dance. She created her Grande Marche and other dances expressing grief, mortality, and mourning, as well as remembrance and rebirth. Catherine Gallant is a student of Duncan, and regularly performs these dances. She'll perform these emotional dances to live music, before discussing Duncan's process, her relationship to her children's death, and how Gallant connects to Duncan and her artistic outpouring of grief.

Beginning in the Middle Ages, the dead lay among the living in Paris city centers. Over time, Parisian graveyards, like all inner city burial places, ran out of room. The creation of Père Lachaise Cemetery was the culmination of a struggle to reform burial practices, and this radical idea of a “cemetery” became the basis for all the burial traditions in the west, including Brooklyn’s own Green-Wood. Dr. Gopin’s lecture will trace the tradition of mass burial in Parisian church graveyards to the modern idea of the world’s first cemetery, Père Lachaise, in 1804. Dr. Gopin will discuss how this shift influenced our attitudes toward death, and how his background affects his own feelings and relationship with the topic.

Learn about Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine! You’ll learn about Howe and his rival, Isaac Singer, by exploring historic newspaper clippings and ads. Then a hands-on workshop will teach you how to bring sewing into the 21st century, with soft circuitry technology that creates light-up clothing. You’ll even get a chance to reprogram the circuitry to light up in different ways!

Learn about how FAO Schwarz went from being a new immigrant in America to owning one of the most famous toy stores in the country! Not only did FAO Schwartz own the most beloved toy store in New York, but his great-grandson is a pioneering civil rights advocate for city dwellers. Learn about the many ways this ambitious family shaped the city, through historic ads and newspapers. Once you’ve become acquainted with FAO Schwartz and his history, design your own electronic toys using motors, sensors, and your imagination!

The 8th Annual Presentation of the De Witt Clinton Award for Excellence, honoring:

John Turturro
Actor, Writer and Director

Malcolm MacKay
Citizen, Businessman, Lawyer and Author