8 a.m. Stretch in Peace: Yoga in Green-Wood
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesJoin Barrie Raffel, registered yoga teacher, for an hour of active-but-gentle outdoor yoga that integrates the serene landscape of Green-Wood in a subtle, thoughtful way. Green-Wood’s rich history and quiet, picturesque grounds allow a uniquely calming atmosphere to practice connecting our bodies to all our senses.
After the session, stay for a short walk to one of Green-Wood’s stunning views for a relaxing breakfast picnic. Tea, coffee and light breakfast snacks will be provided.
7 p.m. A Night at Niblo’s Garden
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesThis popular event is back for 2014 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 goldfish-stocked ponds.
Join author, historian, and Niblo expert Ben Feldman to bring the glory of Niblo’s Garden to Green-Wood! Enjoy an evening picnic around the beautiful glacial pond Crescent Water, and take in an evening of showmanship in front of the grand Niblo mausoleum. Bring a blanket, some snacks and drinks, and you’ll be dazzled by fire jugglers, singers, even famed knife thrower Throwdini! – all under paper lanterns and a starry sky.
1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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. Green-Wood offers complimentary hot chocolate on tours all winter!
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
(Sold Out) 8:30 p.m. The Moth Mainstage, “True Stories Told Live”
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesSavvy New Yorkers and listeners of WNYC and NPR have known about "The Moth" for more than a decade now. Their storytelling events (and the corresponding radio show) celebrate the age-old tradition of storytelling and the power of the experience, for both the teller and the listener. Far beyond a mere theatrical experience, the performances merge entertainment, enlightenment and festivity.
Radio host and novelist Kurt Andersen hosts this Mainstage event where, under the cloak of darkness in Green-Wood's historic atmosphere, five virtuoso raconteurs will tell captivating true tales, all connected to each other by a central theme. Touching, comedic, profound, and deeply personal, the tales take on a life of their own. After the show, audience members and storytellers alike will continue swapping stories over drinks admist the Green-Wood landscape.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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. Green-Wood offers complimentary hot chocolate on tours all winter!
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
(Sold Out) 8:30 p.m. Twilight Tour and Catacomb Cocktails
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesThere 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 drinks and light refreshments 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.
1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
8 a.m. Stretch in Peace: Yoga in Green-Wood
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesJoin Barrie Raffel, registered yoga teacher, for an hour of active-but-gentle outdoor yoga that integrates the serene landscape of Green-Wood in a subtle, thoughtful way. Green-Wood’s rich history and quiet, picturesque grounds allow a uniquely calming atmosphere to practice connecting our bodies to all our senses.
After the session, stay for a short walk to one of Green-Wood’s stunning views for a relaxing breakfast picnic. Tea, coffee and light breakfast snacks will be provided.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
(Sold Out) 3 p.m. Cheers to Brooklyn Whiskey
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesDelve in to the past and present of distilling, Brooklyn style. At the stunning Pierrepont memorial in Green-Wood, you’ll learn about Hezekiah Beers Pierrepont and his early-19th century downtown Brooklyn distillery. Plus you’ll visit other permanent residents with whiskey connections, including the only casualty in the contentious Whiskey Wars of the mid-1800s.
After the tour, Green-Wood’s trolley will whisk you away to Kings County Distillery in the Brooklyn Navy Yard! They’ve been making gin and whiskey in their historic building since 2010. You’ll see how they create their modern whiskey before tasting some of the delectable product.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
10 a.m. Battle of Brooklyn Commemoration
The Battle of Brooklyn, fought in 1776 on land that is now a part of Green-Wood, was the first battle of the American Revolution to be waged after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On the 238th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, Green-Wood hosts a day of free commemoration ceremonies, trolley tours, and 18th-century living. See parades, cannon fire, horse rides, re-enactments and historic cooking. Living history events and activities will offer kids a real feel for life during the American Revolution. This is a great event for kids and families!
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
(Sold Out) 7 p.m. Moonlight Walking Tour
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesArmed with a flashlight and the full moon’s brilliance, fearless trekkers will explore intriguing tombstones and the haunting catacombs with Green-Wood historian Jeff Richman. Look out for the spirits of illustrious cemetery residents like Boss Tweed, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The skeptical can simply enjoy the frisson of nighttime skulking, accompanied by live accordion music.
7:30 p.m. Crossing Over: A Performance Adventure
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesCurated by The BEAT Festival, Crossing Over is a series of four site-specific dance performances in celebration of the now, using Green-Wood’s history and sense of place as their stunning backdrop. You will see these dramatic nighttime performances, all created by Brooklyn-based dance and movement artists, while weaving through Green-Wood on a tour, led by Atlas Obscura, highlighting monuments from New York's remarkable performing arts and entertainment history, concluding within the cemetery's hallowed catacombs.
8:30 a.m. Stretch in Peace: Yoga in Green-Wood
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesJoin Barrie Raffel, registered yoga teacher, for an hour of active-but-gentle outdoor yoga that integrates the serene landscape of Green-Wood in a subtle, thoughtful way. Green-Wood’s rich history and quiet, picturesque grounds allow a uniquely calming atmosphere to practice connecting our bodies to all our senses.
After the session, stay for a short walk to one of Green-Wood’s stunning views for a relaxing breakfast picnic. Tea, coffee and light breakfast snacks will be provided.
1 p.m. Monumental Design: Lettering in Green-Wood
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesOne of the best places for a lettering tour is in a cemetery – each stone, mausoleum and monument presents its own language and design. Join Paul Shaw, lettering expert, for a look at the varied lettering and designs to be found among Green-Wood’s myriad tombs, mausoleums, monuments and more. Shaw will show how lettering styles and layouts have evolved, from the beginnings of the cemetery into the 20th century; and discuss the influences of printing, posters, pneumatic tools and materials. At the end of your visit, you’ll take home a unique stone rubbing made during the tour.
Paul Shaw is a calligrapher, author, designer and design historian. He teaches calligraphy and typography courses at Parsons School of Design and the School of Visual Arts, and has led lettering tours across the country and globe.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
6 p.m. The 7th Annual Presentation of the De Witt Clinton Award for Excellence
Please join us for cocktails and dinner among one of New York City’s most historic landscapes, as we honor Earl and Gina Ingoglia Weiner.
As Brooklynites for over 45 years, Earl and Gina have been lifelong champions of arts and culture. With zest and true style, they have dedicated themselves to theater, history and historic preservation, education, and beautiful landscapes in our city. Together, they create the perfect tribute to DeWitt Clinton, who was a devoted supporter of the cultural growth of the city and the state of New York.
Tickets start at $250. For more information, contact Lisa Alpert at 718-210-3011 or lisa_alpert@green-wood.com.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
12 p.m. Green-Wood House Tour
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesDon’t miss one of Green-Wood’s most popular events! Once again we’re opening many of our most famous and elaborate mausoleums for public perusal. This special look into Green-Wood’s distinct architecture includes the grand mausoleum of piano maker Henry Engelhard Steinway, the rather unusual tomb of the ultra-wealthy Stephen Whitney, as well as the thirty-room Catacombs.
A new route will be offered each day, and guides and actors in period costume will offer a glimpse into the lives of the people who now rest in these opulent structures. Trolley will provide “Hop on, hop off” service between 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on both days.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Fire and Firefighting in Downtown Brooklyn
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesFire and firefighting are among the great shapers of cities, and firehouses are some of New York City's most intriguing works of architecture. Architectural historian Francis Morrone will lead you through a tour of fire history - from the greatest firehouse in New York (plus other firehouses), to the scene of the infamous Brooklyn theater fire (commemorated at Green-Wood Cemetery), to the modern headquarters of the FDNY. Morrone was named one of the 13 best tour guides in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine.
Please note this is a walking tour of firehouse exteriors and no firehouse interior will be toured.
1 p.m. Lost Amusement Parks of New York City
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesConey Island is an iconic symbol of turn-of-the-century amusement in New York City, but many other parks vied for the chance to thrill the residents of the five boroughs. The wooden coasters of Fort George in Manhattan, the beer gardens and circus atmosphere at North Beach in Queens, and the blasting fireworks displays at Starlight Amusement Park in the Bronx were just a few of the venues that entertained millions each year. The second half of the century saw the disappearance of every one of these parks, culminating with the demise of Rockaways’ Playland in Queens and Freedomland in the Bronx, the largest amusement park in the world. Wes and Barbara Gottlock, authors of a book on the subject, will celebrate these entrepreneurial wonders and discuss the reasons for their declines, complete with wonderful and haunting images of heydays and destruction.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. Historic Trolley Tour
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.
Each tour boasts great views, beautiful monuments throughout, rolling hills, century-old trees and stories of the fascinating persons interred at Green-Wood. Please note: all tours include a visit to Green-Wood's Historic Chapel and to Battle Hill.
6 p.m. Curator’s Tour: Amusing The Masses on Coney Island and Beyond
Our spectacular new exhibition, "William F. Mangels: Amusing the Masses on Coney Island and Beyond," is now showing in Green-Wood's Historic Chapel. It celebrates William F. Mangels, who from 1900 to 1925 was the largest manufacturer of amusement park rides, carousels, and shooting galleries in America.
Join Jeff Richman, Green-Wood historian and exhibition curator, for a behind-the-scenes look at how this exhibition evolved - the collectors, museums, artists, and archives that joined forces make this unique exhibition -- featuring an antique carousel horse, a one-ton shooting gallery, Whip cars, a Kiddie fire engine, Speed Boat, and Pony Cart, as well as video and slide shows- a reality.
Preceding the curator's tour, Jeff will lead a Coney Island- themed trolley tour of Green-Wood, including a visit to the Mangels's family lot, Steeplechase's George Tilyou, Coney Island restauranteur and inventor of the hot dog Charles Feltman, and the "Czar of Coney Island," Boss John McKane.
(Sold Out) 2 p.m. Victorian Fads Trolley Tour
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesHistory is littered with random enthusiasms that sweep the culture, flare for a few months or years, and then recede into the ocean of our past. The idle rich of the Victorian Era were among the first to truly embrace the notion of pop culture faddishness, and Green-Wood is home to many of the key characters in these strange and fascinating trends. From arsenic complexion cream and electric corsets, to séances and spirit photography, the Victorians missed no opportunity to jump on the latest bandwagon of wacky and sometimes outrageously dangerous medical, fashionable and spiritual fads. On this tour, you will learn about such complex and compelling figures as Washington Irving Bishop, one of the great showmen and mentalists; Anne Leah Fox, the stage mother behind the most successful psychic hoax of the era; William Wilson, the proprietor of a company that purported to cure ailments with electric and magnetic corsets, and many more. You will also explore the curious lengths to which Victorian women went to achieve ultra-white skin, and the strange and dangerous obsession with green dye in the fashions of the day.
(Sold Out) 1 p.m. A Spirited Stroll Through Green-Wood
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesGet into the autumnal mood and enjoy a cool, crisp day exploring our 478 acres of beautiful fall foliage. Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman will lead this favorite fall tour featuring tales of murder, mayhem, spirits and the utterly bizarre.
Visit the graves of The Wizard of Oz, George Washington’s favorite dentist, the founders of Spiritualism, and many more. You’ll even get to tour Green-Wood’s Catacombs, usually 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.