Open Doors
It’s back! One of Green-Wood’s most popular events returns with an afternoon of exploring some of the cemetery’s most impressive and elaborate 19th-century mausoleums. Venture inside the elaborate bronze gates of these ancient stone structures to explore stunning examples of Green-Wood’s distinct architecture. At each location, docents will offer a glimpse into the lives of the personalities who now rest in these opulent edifices.
Twilight Tour
Our most popular tour just got better! Inspired by Matthew Jensen’s artist-map for Among Trees and Stone, visitors will enjoy the rare opportunity to explore the quiet beauty of the cemetery bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Your tour guide will go deeper into the cemetery to reveal 19th-century monuments that often go unnoticed even in broad daylight! The tours ends with a visit to the catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.
Gay Green-Wood
Green-Wood celebrates LGBT History month with a special trolley tour illuminating permanent residents who have made a lasting impact on American culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. You will visit the graves of important LGBT figures including “It’s Raining Men” co-writer, Paul Jabara; sculptor of Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain, Emma Stebbins; activists, Drs. Emery Hetrick and Damien Martin; and Broadway lyricist, Fred Ebb, among others. Tour goers will mark each grave with a rainbow flag.
(Sold Out) 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.
(Sold Out) Twilight Tour
Our most popular tour just got better! Inspired by Matthew Jensen’s artist-map for Among Trees and Stone, visitors will enjoy the rare opportunity to explore the quiet beauty of the cemetery bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Your tour guide will go deeper into the cemetery to reveal 19th-century monuments that often go unnoticed even in broad daylight! The tours ends with a visit to the catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.
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 many birds that call Green-Wood home. By September, all our nesting birds’ offspring 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 denizen from the north.
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.
(Sold Out) From Here to Eternity: A Book Talk with Caitlin Doughty
Join us on a special October evening to welcome New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Doughty to celebrate the release of her new book From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death. In an illustrated talk, she will recount some of the traditions detailed in the book, which include the Indonesian practice of dressing and living with the dead, the Bolivian practice of natitas (cigarette-smoking, wish-granting human skulls); and the Japanese kotsuage, in which relatives use chopsticks to pluck their loved-ones’ bones from cremation ashes.
Into the Veil
Back by popular demand! Join GreenWood and Atlas Obscura for a night of exploration and discovery. Navigating below the silhouettes of thousands of starlit trees, let your curiosity lead you through winding pathways, revealing hidden spaces of music, history, and storytelling. Performances, readings, and other activities will unfold throughout the cemetery. Where will your night lead?
Into the Veil
Back by popular demand! Join GreenWood and Atlas Obscura for a night of exploration and discovery. Navigating below the silhouettes of thousands of starlit trees, let your curiosity lead you through winding pathways, revealing hidden spaces of music, history, and storytelling. Performances, readings, and other activities will unfold throughout the cemetery. Where will your night lead?
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.
Twilight Tour
Our most popular tour just got better! Inspired by Matthew Jensen’s artist-map for Among Trees and Stone, visitors will enjoy the rare opportunity to explore the quiet beauty of the cemetery bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Your tour guide will go deeper into the cemetery to reveal 19th-century monuments that often go unnoticed even in broad daylight! The tours ends with a visit to the catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.
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.
(Sold Out) Twilight Tour
Our most popular tour just got better! Inspired by Matthew Jensen’s artist-map for Among Trees and Stone, visitors will enjoy the rare opportunity to explore the quiet beauty of the cemetery bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Your tour guide will go deeper into the cemetery to reveal 19th-century monuments that often go unnoticed even in broad daylight! The tours ends with a visit to the catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.
Vigil
What does it sound like when a chorus of female voices sing softly at the bedside of someone who is ill or dying? It sounds like an ancient art, which is exactly what it is. Bedside singing choirs now exist throughout the United States, offering solace to those who are on the threshold of life. Artist Leigh Davis has created a new site specific sound installation for Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel that brings this beautiful music into its sacred space. Visitors are encouraged to sit or move through the chapel at their own leisure. The work offers a way to explore the power of loss and memory through song, emphasizing the beauty and peace one might find in the universal experience of death. Vigil is presented as part of Reimagining Tradition, an exhibition developed by Open Source Gallery.
Artist Walk: Discovering Trees and Stones
There is no better way to enjoy the impressive array of fall foliage than by exploring New York City’s best kept greenspace. Beginning at the Fort Hamilton Gate House, artist Matthew Jensen will guide visitors on three-hour walks to discover Green-Wood’s rich collection of majestic trees and historic monuments. Jensen will be accompanied on each walk by a member of Green-Wood’s staff who will share their own behind-the-scenes experience and knowledge of the cemetery. No walk will be the same; come once, twice or three times for unexpected encounters!
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.
