Special Event
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Me and My Sparrows
It’s a little known fact that the common house sparrow was introduced to North America right here at Green-Wood. In 1854, about 100 were brought from England and released in the Cemetery (as well as along the Narrows) as natural predators of the inchworms that were destroying trees throughout the city. Today there are approximately seventy-four million sparrows in the United States, and even veteran birders say they are among the most difficult to distinguish. Are you ready to take the sparrow challenge? From the American Tree Sparrow to the White-crowned Sparrow, this course will focus on the seventeen regularly-occurring New World sparrow species around the Big Apple, breaking down the basics of size, shape, and behavior.
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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 nineteenth and twentieth 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 and founders of the Hetrick Martin Institute, Drs. Emery Hetrick and Damien Martin, among others. This trolley tour is led by Andrew Dolkart and Ken Lustbader, Co-Directors of the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project.
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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.
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Nightfall
As night falls across Green-Wood, step through the iconic Gothic Arch and into an unforgettable experience of ethereal sights and sounds. Guided by the thousands of flickering candles, you’ll wander along the Cemetery’s winding paths and have chance encounters with musicians, moving images, performance artists, and storytellers. It all takes place against the stunning backdrop of one New York City’s most historic and storied landscapes, lit by the light of the silvery moon.
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Femme Fatales
Many distinguished and noteworthy New Yorkers found their permanent residences at Green-Wood in the nineteenth century; it was the place to be buried. Among them, however, are also those whose reputations are not as admirable, including Fanny White, famed New York City courtesan and brothel manager; Emma Cunningham, who was tried for the murder of society dentist, Harvey Burdell (he was strangled and stabbed fifteen times) amidst rumors of greed, lust, and depravity; and the Dublin-born Kitty Terry, who ran away to Liverpool at fifteen where two high-end con men and thieves courted her and together formed a romantic triplet. Expert tour guide Ruth Edebohls will share tales of their alleged misdeeds and unscrupulous behavior.
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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.
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Nightfall (SOLD OUT)
As night falls across Green-Wood, step through the iconic Gothic Arch and into an unforgettable experience of ethereal sights and sounds. Guided by the thousands of flickering candles, you’ll wander along the Cemetery’s winding paths and have chance encounters with musicians, moving images, performance artists, and storytellers. It all takes place against the stunning backdrop of one New York City’s most historic and storied landscapes, lit by the light of the silvery moon.
-
Me and My Sparrows
It’s a little known fact that the common house sparrow was introduced to North America right here at Green-Wood. In 1854, about 100 were brought from England and released in the Cemetery (as well as along the Narrows) as natural predators of the inchworms that were destroying trees throughout the city. Today there are approximately seventy-four million sparrows in the United States, and even veteran birders say they are among the most difficult to distinguish. Are you ready to take the sparrow challenge? From the American Tree Sparrow to the White-crowned Sparrow, this course will focus on the seventeen regularly-occurring New World sparrow species around the Big Apple, breaking down the basics of size, shape, and behavior.
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Tree Stewardship
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.
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Spirited Stroll (Sold Out)
A perennial favorite! Get into the autumnal mood and enjoy a cool, crisp day exploring Green-Wood’s beautiful fall foliage. Historian Jeff Richman will lead this popular tour filled with tales of murder, mayhem, spirits, and the utterly bizarre. Visit the graves of The Wizard of Oz (actor, Frank Morgan), George Washington’s favorite dentist, the somewhat shady originator of Spiritualism, and many more. You’ll even get to tour Green-Wood’s Catacombs, which are 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.