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.
Become a Citizen Pruner
Learn how you can play an active role in supporting the health of our urban forest, including the basics of watering, tree bed gardening, and soil cultivation.
Moonlight Tour
Join other fearless trekkers to explore Green-Wood’s intriguing tombstones and unforgettable catacombs under the glow of the full moon. Historian Jeff Richman leads these immensely popular walking tours, which begin at sunset and are accompanied by the ethereal and atmospheric sounds of live accordion music. Buy your tickets soon; these tours always sell out.
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.
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. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
Walt Whitman’s New York
Celebrate the 200th birthday of Brooklyn’s native son and poet, Walt Whitman, through the lens of the people he worked with, wrote about, and knew best. You’ll visit two brothers, one a Union soldier and the other a Confederate, whom Walt Whitman attended to as a Civil War volunteer nurse; McDonald Clarke, the “Mad Poet” who inspired Whitman; Gabriel Harrison, the photographer of an iconic image of Whitman known as “the Christ likeness,” and many more.
Eternal Menagerie
Discover Green-Wood’s furry and feathered permanent residents! As religious motifs or cryptic symbols, animals are prominently featured on many of the Cemetery’s grand Victorian-era monuments and mausoleums. Learn their meaning while also visiting the graves of the few animals that are buried alongside their owners at Green-Wood, including such pets as Little Dace, Trilby, and Rex, as well as a horse that served in the Union army cavalry.
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.
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. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
Alive at Green-Wood: Exploring an Urban Oasis
There’s much more to a cemetery than death. There’s life—a lot of it. In fact, since its founding in the nineteenth century as part of the Rural Cemetery Movement, before there was a Central Park, Green-Wood has been a place to engage with the natural world in an urban environment. Whether walking through the cherry tree allée, encountering the green monk parakeets that live in the Arch, or standing beneath a towering dawn redwood, you’ll learn about the environmental diversity that makes this Cemetery one of the city’s great natural resources.
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.
