Green-Wood

Death Café
2018-03-17 18:30 - 20:00, 2018-04-10 18:30 - 20:00, 2018-04-17 18:30 - 20:00, 2018-05-08 18:30 - 20:00, 2018-05-17 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11232, 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.
Green-Wood is proud to host monthly gatherings of the Death Café here in our beautiful, modern chapel. Amy Cunningham, death educator and creator of the Brooklyn-based blog TheInspiredFuneral.com, invites participants to share their thoughts and feelings on death. It’s an opportunity for safe and open exchanges, without an agenda. Tea and light snacks are provided.
“A place for people to discuss our inevitable fate.” – Gothamist
“It’s a reversal for American culture, which for a long time has shied away from these conversations.” – Village Voice
“[E]ncouraging people to talk about death more freely and naturally.” – Haaretz
Free to attend, RSVP recommended. Please register using the Eventbrite box below.
This program takes place in our Modern Chapel just to the right after passing through the Gothic Arches at the main entrance. All events will take place rain or shine. Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here for free registration.

Birding Basics
2018-03-18 10:00 - 12:00 | NY
Just in time for spring migration!

Birding is one of this country’s fastest growing hobbies, and there is no place better to enjoy it in Brooklyn than at Green-Wood! This two-part course will teach the beginner birder the why, where, how, and what of birding. With over 250 species of birds residing in, or passing through, the Big Apple every year, learn where to look for, and how to identify, many of the species in this diverse group of animals. Our second session will end with a walk through the Cemetery, applying some of the lessons learned in the classroom.

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.

$35 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $40 for non-members. One ticket secures a spot for both sessions, Saturday March 17th and Sunday March 18th from 10am to 12pm.

For this program you will check in at the Gothic Arches, right at the main entrance. Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

Blossoming: A Spring Equinox Celebration
2018-03-20 18:30 - 20:00 | NY
The spring equinox signals a time of rebirth and renewal, the end of winter dormancy, and the promise of warmer and longer days ahead. Green-Wood invites you to celebrate with us as our 478 verdant acres come to life with blossoming flowers and birds returning to make their nests. The evening begins indoors with inspirational readings and a guided meditation. Later, a peaceful walk through Green-Wood concludes with a gathering around a small bonfire to toast the new season.

$10 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $15 for non-members.

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

Birding in Peace
2018-03-25 07:00 - 08:30 | NY
Dec. 3 & 10: 7:00 AM
Jan. 28: 7:00 AM
Feb. 11: 7:00 AM
Feb. 25: 6:30 AM
March 11: 6:30 AM
March 25: 7:00 AM

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean that there aren’t interesting birds to discover in Green-Wood. For some bird species that migrate south after the breeding season, Brooklyn is their Miami during the cold months. Spend the early morning exploring the cemetery, looking for overwintering waterfowl, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches and any half-hardy birds that decided to stick around. By February we’ll see some of the early north-bound birds beginning to trickle back into the area.

$10 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $15 for non-members

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.

For this program you will check in at the Gothic Arches, right at the main entrance. Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

Birding in Peace
2018-04-08 06:30 - 08:00, 2018-04-15 06:30 - 08:00, 2018-04-22 06:30 - 08:00, 2018-04-29 06:30 - 08:00, 2018-05-05 06:00 - 07:30, 2018-05-06 06:00 - 07:30, 2018-05-13 06:00 - 07:30, 2018-05-19 06:00 - 07:30 and 1 more date | NY
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.

Birds of Early-Spring Migration
Sunday, April 8, 15, 22, & 29 from 6:30 AM to 8:00 AM
Our April tours will be a feast for the ears and eyes with the trilling song of Pine Warblers and drumming pronouncements of Woodpeckers on newly blossoming trees (including magnolias, maples, quinces, and dogwoods). We’ll discover thousands of songbirds resting before their trip north as well as arriving herons & egrets at Green-Wood’s glacial ponds.

Peak Spring Migration Birding
May 5 and 6 (Sat/Sun), 13 (Sun), 19 and 20 (Sat/Sun), & 27 (Sun) from 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM
From Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to over 20 species of colorful wood-warblers, our peak migration tours will feature many of the 163 bird species that have been recorded at Green-Wood during the month of May. Beginning just after sunrise, we will experience spring’s dawn chorus at the active time of day for birds.

Summer Birding Sundays
June & July from 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM (except July 1st)
Sunday August 5th from 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM & August 19th from 6:30 AM to 8:00 AM
In July we should see the offspring of our resident red-tailed hawk bravely preparing to leave the nest. Warbler songs will be replaced by chirring Cicadas and the tweets of fledgling birds. Butterflies and dragonflies are abundant. By late-July, expect the arrival of the first southbound migrants.

Grab a copy of our Bird Checklist before you begin. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
$10 for members of Green‑Wood and BHS/$15 for non-members.
For these programs you will check in at the Gothic Arches, right at the main entrance. Click here for our inclement weather policy.
Image courtesy of Jennifer Kepler.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

London's Lost Amulets and Forgotten Folklore
2018-04-11 18:30 - 20:00 | NY
Credit: Amulets from the Lovett Collection (c) Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

At the height of the Victorian era, Edward Lovett (1852-1933) spent his days working as a bank teller in London’s financial district and his nights exploring the city’s poorer areas. He was on the hunt to amass what would become one of the world’s largest collection of amulets, charms, and talismans. Among his curious findings were horseshoes hung above the bed to ward off nightmares, flints to cure bouts of gout, and acorn-shaped pulls for window blinds to protect houses from lightning. Lovett charted the history of these objects and other English folklore in numerous articles and lectures. In 1916, he curated the exhibit “The Folklore of London” at the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum.

Ross MacFarlane takes us back in time to uncover the range of objects Lovett collected, the collecting practices he performed, and the range of folk beliefs associated with his collection. MacFarlane is Research Development Lead at London’s Wellcome Collection.He has researched, written, and lectured on the collection and myriad other topics at the intersection of death, folklore, and medicine.

This program is presented in partnership with Morbid Anatomy and takes place in Green-Wood’s Modern Chapel, which is located in the Crematory Building, just a short distance inside the main entrance at 5th Avenue and 25th Street.

$5 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $10 for non-members.

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

Tree Planting
2018-04-14 11:00 - 13:00 | NY
Help plant new trees on 37th Street and 9th Avenue.

***
Give Trees a Chance: Environmental Justice in South Brooklyn
Green-Wood’s own neighborhood, Sunset Park, is one of the fastest growing and most diverse neighborhoods in all of New York City. Yet, it also faces serious environmental challenges. Car and truck exhaust from the Gowanus Expressway and industrial emissions from its small manufacturers create higher than average levels of harmful air pollution. Street trees to the rescue! They’re nature’s miracle workers: they intercept and absorb storm water runoff, provide oxygen, fight climate change, and lower air temperatures.
The 6,500 street trees of Sunset Park have a job to do. And they need all the help they can get! Together with TreesNY, Green-Wood’s horticulture staff is training a team of tree advocates! If you care about the environment, join us. Visit TreesNY’s website, www.treesny.org, for more information and to RSVP for these free programs.
Funding for this project is provided by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant Program of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Dead Distillers Trolley Tour
2018-04-21 14:00 - 17:00 | NY
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.

This tour is based upon the newly published book “Dead Distillers: A History of the Upstarts and Outlaws who Made American Spirits” by Colin Spoelman, co-founder and Master Distiller at Kings County Distillery. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the distillery.

You must be 21 or older to participate in this tour; I.D. required.

$35 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $40 for non-members

Green-Wood trolley tours are fully accessible and ADA compliant. In order to accommodate a wheelchair or other mobility device on the trolley, advance arrangements must be made. Please call (718) 210-3080, ext. 1. Please note that portions of the tour take place outside the trolley and may require exiting the vehicle on multiple occasions. Please contact the Historic Fund for more information.

For this program you will check in at the Gothic Arches, right at the main entrance. Trolley tours are run rain or shine, with the exception of dangerous conditions as determined by Green-Wood. Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

Become a Citizen Pruner
2018-04-26 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-05-03 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-05-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-05-12 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-05-17 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-05-19 10:00 - 14:00 | NY
Stewardship and pruning hugely reduce a tree’s vulnerability to common urban threats such as pedestrian and vehicular traffic, drought and storms. In New York City, where there is limited funding for tree maintenance but significant need, Citizen Pruners provide a great asset to our urban environment.
The 12 hour Citizen Pruner Course consists of 5 sessions – 4 in the classroom and 1 field outing.
Price: $100, or $15 for residents of Sunset Park (zip Codes 11232 & 11220)
CITIZEN PRUNER COURSE DETAILS
8 hours in the classroom – Students meet for four 2-hour classroom sessions. The comprehensive curriculum includes tree biology, street tree identification, common tree problems and solutions, tree stewardship and pruning.
4 hours in the field – The Saturday field outing is designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice pruning with their peers under the tutelage of their teacher.
Upon successful completion of the final exam, students receive a license from Trees New York and NYCParks to legally prune NYC street trees. Trees New York is the only institution designated to train and license Citizen Pruners in New York City.
Course policies: Students may miss one classroom session if necessary. The weekend field outing is mandatory. All sessions must be taken at the same location. The non-refundable course fee is $100 and includes a comprehensive manual and supplementary materials. Scholarships available to people who live or work in Greenpoint, Brooklyn 11222 or Sunset Park 11232 & 11220
TreesNY is the only institution designated by NYCParks to license New Yorkers to legally prune street trees.
***
Give Trees a Chance: Environmental Justice in South Brooklyn
Green-Wood’s own neighborhood, Sunset Park, is one of the fastest growing and most diverse neighborhoods in all of New York City. Yet, it also faces serious environmental challenges. Car and truck exhaust from the Gowanus Expressway and industrial emissions from its small manufacturers create higher than average levels of harmful air pollution. Street trees to the rescue! They’re nature’s miracle workers: they intercept and absorb storm water runoff, provide oxygen, fight climate change, and lower air temperatures.
The 6,500 street trees of Sunset Park have a job to do. And they need all the help they can get! Together with TreesNY, Green-Wood’s horticulture staff is training a team of tree advocates! If you care about the environment, join us. Visit TreesNY’s website, www.treesny.org, for more information and to reserve your space.
Funding for this project is provided by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant Program of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Morbid Anatomy Open House and Garden Party
2018-04-27 18:30 - 21:00 | Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11232, United States
Morbid Anatomy, beloved purveyor of the arcane, whose most recent incarnation was the quirky Brooklyn-based museum that abruptly shuttered in December 2016, has taken up temporary residence at Green-Wood’s Fort Hamilton Gatehouse. Throughout the spring and summer, Morbid Anatomy and Green-Wood will present a series of engaging and thought-provoking programs, including a lecture on the historic origins of the Golem and a conversation with acclaimed artist Joe Coleman.
Join us on a beautiful spring evening for a special reception to celebrate Morbid Anatomy’s residency at Green-Wood. The event will include a tour of the newly installed Morbid Anatomy Library with creators Joanna Ebenstein and Laetitia Barbier, as well as an opportunity to meet artists and collectors who contributed to the exhibition, The Power of Images: Life, Death, and Rebirth. Enjoy great conversation, music, and complimentary refreshments.
The Gatehouse is located at Fort Hamilton Parkway and Micieli Place, easily accessible on the F and G trains at Fort Hamilton Station. The exhibition and library space are not handicap accessible.
$10 for nonmembers /$5 for members of Green-Wood and BHS
Click here for our inclement weather policy.
Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
New or renewing members are entitled to one free tour ticket a year! This could be a free ride: Click here for all of our membership levels and information. Free tickets must be arranged by phone. Please call (718)210-3080 to redeem.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.

Motherless Mothers
2018-05-06 16:00 - 17:00 | NY
“When a mother dies,” author Hope Edelman writes, “a daughter’s mourning never completely ends.” In what ways can we honor our mothers who have passed away while raising our own children? How can we uncover the hidden wisdom that can be found in mourning and the celebration of life? Death educator and funeral director Amy Cunningham and psychotherapist Ellen Krug (MSW, LCSW-R) will lead this enlightening conversation for motherless mothers with children of any age, about child rearing, grieving, and rituals for memorializing.

This program is presented in partnership with Park Slope Parents.

Free to attend, RSVP recommended. Please register using the Eventbrite box below.

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Photo credit: Leangro Justen for Creative Time
Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

The Golem: Its Origins and Its Futures
2018-05-10 18:30 - 20:00 | NY
Credit: Hugo Steiner-Prag, “The Golem,” 1915-1916

Legend has it that in the sixteenth century, in a secret mystical ritual, Rabbi Loew of Prague brought to life a creature with superhuman strength to defend the local Jewish community against anti-Semitic attacks. What he created was a golem, from the Hebrew meaning “shapeless man,” whose origins can be traced back to the ancient world. Brian Contoir and Rabbi Dan Ain lead an eye-opening exploration into the many legends surrounding the golem, and how they have evolved through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. What can humanist or religious perspectives teach us about this creature? Why has its story resonated across generations? Are there parallels with recent advancements in robotics, drones, and artificial intelligence?

Brian Cotnoir is an alchemist, artist, and award-winning filmmaker. Author of The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy, The Emerald Tablet, and Alchemical Meditations. He was alchemist in residence at the recently shuttered Morbid Anatomy Museum.

Rabbi Dan Ain is the founder and spiritual leader of the Brooklyn based organization Because Jewish. He gathers people in unique settings for honest dialogue and to grapple openly with the ideological (and human) clashes between our burgeoning technological beliefs and traditional faith. A Conservative rabbi, Rabbi Dan was ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary in Morningside Heights.

This program is presented in partnership with Morbid Anatomy and takes place in Green-Wood’s Modern Chapel, which is located in the Crematory Building, just a short distance inside the main entrance at 5th Avenue and 25th Street.

$5 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $10 for non-members.

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Mobile users: Please tap here to buy tickets.

Not a Member?
Click here for all of our membership levels and information.
Already a Member?
Click the “Enter promotional code here (members, use your ID#)” link in the bottom right corner of the ticket box and enter your ID number to apply your ticket discount. Please note that the Senior, Individual and Student membership levels are limited to only one Member Ticket per event (for additional tickets, please purchase at the regular price).
Questions?
Don’t know your Member ID number? Not sure which ticket or membership type to order? Call 718-210-3080 or email contactus@green-wood.com with any questions.
