Green-Wood Then and Now

Green-Wood’s expansive rolling hills, glacial ponds, and thousands of trees were the perfect setting for pioneering photographers in the nineteenth century. Over the last twenty years, Green-Wood has collected hundreds of these photographs which provide an invaluable tool in piecing together the cemetery’s Victorian heritage. Join Green-Wood’s Historian Jeff Richman to compare and contrast the locations where the historic photographs were taken over a hundred years ago.

Event Series Dead Distillers Trolley Tour

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.

Event Series Twilight Tour

Twilight Tour

There are few places more atmospheric than a cemetery at dusk - and Green-Wood is top notch when it comes to beauty and atmosphere. 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 history. This not-to-be-missed walking tour ends with a visit to the Catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.

Event Series Twilight Tour Part Two

Twilight Tour Part Two

Have you been on Green-Wood's popular Twilight Tour and want to explore more? Or have you just always been curious to experience the Cemetery after the gates close to the public? Here's your big chance! As the sun fades over the horizon, go beyond Battle Hill and the Catacombs to discover the other side of Green-Wood. Stroll alongside our two biggest glacial ponds. See the monuments to Indian Princess Do Hum Me and Charles Calverley's bas-relief portrait of four year-old George Cuyler ("Precious Georgie"). Learn about Emma Cunningham's sensational trial for the murder of Harvey Burdell in 1857 and the 1854 sinking of the S.S. Arctic, among other fascinating tales.

Film Screening: Exit Music

Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States

Born with cystic fibrosis, 28-year-old Ethan Rice has been preparing to die his entire life. His father Ed, a Vietnam veteran with PTSD, immersed him in a world of imagination and documented it on camera, a hobby that provided relief from the fear of his son's prognosis and his own painful past. Equal parts comedy and darkness, Exit Music is the last year, last breath, and final creative act of Ethan as he awaits the inevitable. Interweaving home movies with Ethan's original music and animation, his story is an unflinching meditation on mortality and invites the viewer to experience Ethan's transition from reality to memory. In a culture that often looks away from death, this film demystifies the dying process, a universal cornerstone of the human experience.

Event Series Birding in Peace

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. Copies of our new Bird Checklist will be available to all tour participants. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

Event Series Historic Trolley Tours

Historic Trolley Tours

Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States

Experience 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.

Event Series Death Café

Death Café

Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States

The 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.

The Moth Mainstage

Back by popular demand, The Moth returns to Green-Wood! The Moth Mainstage is a specially curated evening featuring storytellers who develop and shape their stories with the show’s directors. Beyond traditional theater or standup comedy, Mainstages are a community event where entertainment and enlightenment merge. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, each show is a unique and intimate experience for the audience. Launched in 1997, The Moth showcases inspiring and professional storytellers at hundreds of shows, workshops, and special events throughout the United States.

Event Series Twilight Tour

Twilight Tour

There are few places more atmospheric than a cemetery at dusk - and Green-Wood is top notch when it comes to beauty and atmosphere. 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 history. This not-to-be-missed walking tour ends with a visit to the Catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.

Event Series Dead Distillers Trolley Tour

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.

Event Series Twilight Tour

Twilight Tour

There are few places more atmospheric than a cemetery at dusk - and Green-Wood is top notch when it comes to beauty and atmosphere. 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 history. This not-to-be-missed walking tour ends with a visit to the Catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.

Event Series Twilight Tour Part Two

Twilight Tour Part Two

Have you been on Green-Wood's popular Twilight Tour and want to explore more? Or have you just always been curious to experience the Cemetery after the gates close to the public? Here's your big chance! As the sun fades over the horizon, go beyond Battle Hill and the Catacombs to discover the other side of Green-Wood. Stroll alongside our two biggest glacial ponds. See the monuments to Indian Princess Do Hum Me and Charles Calverley's bas-relief portrait of four year-old George Cuyler ("Precious Georgie"). Learn about Emma Cunningham's sensational trial for the murder of Harvey Burdell in 1857 and the 1854 sinking of the S.S. Arctic, among other fascinating tales.

Event Series Birding in Peace

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. Copies of our new Bird Checklist will be available to all tour participants. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

(Sold Out) Historic Trolley Tours

Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States

Experience 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 and Dying in the LGBTQ Community

Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States

Join death educator Amy Cunningham, trust and estate attorney Michael Bond, Esq., funeral celebrant Donna Henes, and Teresa Theophano, Assistant Director of Care Management Services at SAGE, the advocacy group for LGBTQ elders, in a conversation about death, dying, and funeral rituals in the LGBTQ community. Panelists will explore a range of topics, including historic precedents (among them the discovery of a same sex couple's tomb in ancient Egypt), the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the rise of alternative bereavement, and the creation of non-traditional families when many churches and families of LGBTQ people turned their backs on - or failed to recognize - their LGBTQ members. Attendees will also learn about vital end-of-life related planning materials.

Event Series Jazz at Twilight

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.

Morbid Anatomy Summer Garden Party

As summer comes into full swing, it is time to bid adieu to Morbid Anatomy's exhibition The Power of Images: Life, Death, and Rebirth. Join us to celebrate the successful run of this exhibition with a festive garden party that includes an opportunity to meet Morbid Anatomy's creators Joanna Ebenstein and Laetitia Barbier, as well as artists and collectors who contributed to the show. Enjoy great conversation, music, complimentary refreshments, and, if you would like to join, a short walking tour of Green-Wood.

Event Series Twilight Tour

Twilight Tour

There are few places more atmospheric than a cemetery at dusk - and Green-Wood is top notch when it comes to beauty and atmosphere. 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 history. This not-to-be-missed walking tour ends with a visit to the Catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.

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.