Preserving Identity

This trolley tour will focus on the monuments of immigrants and underrepresented groups, for whom written records, newspaper clippings, and obituaries are often nonexistent. And for whom, the gravestone and cemetery records – an oft overlooked resource – are the only way to preserve their legacy. While all New Yorkers play in important role in the lives of their families and their communities, some – especially in the nineteenth century – leave very few traces for posterity.

The “Freedom Lots,” the graves of 1,300 African Americans, will be included in this tour, as will many of the other single graves in Green-Wood’s public lots. The cemetery’s lot books and burial files will also be featured.

$15 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $20 for non-members

This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

Check-in will take place by the Gothic Arch at our Main Entrance at 5th Avenue and 25th Street. 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.