Special Event
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Cremation: History and Modern Process
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesWhat is cremation? How long have we been doing it, and how does it work? Amy Cunningham, death educator, leads this presentation of cremation's history and its impact on present-day and future funerals. This engaging and sometimes even light-hearted exploration will also touch on how to choose an end-of-life mode of disposition that expresses your own beliefs and values. Afterward, you will have the opportunity to visit the crematory with Gema LaBoccetta, Green-Wood's Crematory Manager, then chat with Amy and other attendees at a short reception.
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Green-Wood in an Hour
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesDon’t have a lot of time? These new tours are perfect for you. Because Green-Wood is an immense place, and a visit to our grounds can sometimes be overwhelming. What to see? Where to walk? That’s why we’ve created these short but power packed tours that give you a fascinating look at a single aspect of Green-Wood. On the third Friday of every month, one of our expert staff members will take you behind the scenes for rare insights into this historic cemetery. And after sixty minutes, you’re on your way!
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(Sold Out) Nocturnal Critters
Biologist and ecologist Mike McGraw will lead visitors in an afterhours exploration of Green-Wood’s nocturnal animals. As part of a multi-year survey, Mike will set up bait stations and light lures to attract moths, butterflies, and various winged invertebrates for documentation. Territorial owls and breeding frogs will also be potentially active during this event, so be ready to listen for and learn more about Green-Wood’s unique ecology. Mike will answer any and all you have while discussing his findings.
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Pouring Green-Wood
When Joy Doumis and Jeremy Hammond approached Green-Wood in fall 2015 to ask if they could harvest the apples here, of course we had to know why. To make hard cider of course! Spread across 478 acres, our urban orchard has over 150 Malus (aka apple) trees! Using giant tarps to gather apples varieties that include Baldwin, Granny Smith, various crab apples, and a yet-to-be-identified apple variety, they set about turning their harvest into a delicious fermentation of homemade hard cider. In keeping with the sustainable farming movement and a love for all things Green-Wood, join Joy and Jeremy for the story of how they produced over 100 bottles of hard cider (which they call Proper Cider) in their own back yard literally. Naturally, a tasting of the final product is included.
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Memorial Day Concert
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesIt’s a NYC favorite, now in its nineteenth year! Bring a blanket and enjoy this free early summer performance. The concert features the ISO Symphonic Band, founded in 1995 to sponsor talented students throughout New York City and led by the band’s inimitable founder and conductor Brian P. Worsdale. Each year we feature the works of Green-Wood’s permanent residents Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Leonard Bernstein, and many others. Enjoy the beautiful landscape with your fellow New Yorkers, as well local vendors selling food and drink throughout the day.
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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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(Sold Out) The Victorian Cult of Mourning
Join us for an afternoon symposium devoted to exploring the arts and culture of Victorian mourning with illustrated talks and show-and-tell presentations of period artifacts. Speakers will include Dr. Stanley Burns, professor of Medicine and Psychiatry and Founder of the Burns Photographic Archive, Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman, Evan Michelson, co-owner of Obscura Antiques & Oddities and host of the Science Channel’s Oddities, funeral director Amy Cunningham, Jennifer Glassock, Research Associate at the Costume Institute, and more!
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Photographing Green-Wood: Advice from an Expert
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesAlthough Green-Wood’s vast expanse of rolling hills, glacial ponds, and over 150 species of trees is one of New York City’s most loved green-spaces, it can be difficult to capture on film. In this class, Sean Sime, who has over 20 years of professional experience in journalism, fashion, and documentary photography, will share tips, techniques, and tools for capturing the splendor of nature.
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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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Green-Wood in an Hour
Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesDon’t have a lot of time? These new tours are perfect for you. Green-Wood is an immense place, and a visit to our grounds can sometimes be overwhelming. What to see? Where to walk? That’s why we’ve created these short but power packed tours that give you a fascinating look at a single aspect of Green-Wood. On the third Friday of every month, one of our expert staff members will take you behind the scenes for rare insights into this historic cemetery. And after sixty minutes, you’re on your way!
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.