Green-Wood Cemetery Welcomes Spring with a Full Slate of Programs

Spring has officially arrived, and New Yorkers are ready to shed their winter coats and embrace the season. As the city comes to life, so does The Green-Wood Cemetery, offering visitors a vibrant landscape of flowering trees, lush greenery and a new lineup of engaging programs.

Green-Wood offers experiences for all ages and interests, including free and low-cost options.

Program Highlights:

• Sunday in the Cemetery (May 4): This free, open-house event explores end-of-life care, funeral traditions, and memorial arts with expert-led talks, workshops and guided tours
• Memorial Day Concert: (Monday, May 26) Green-Wood’s free Memorial Day Concert returns for its 25th year. Bring a picnic, sit back, and enjoy performances of music by composers interred at Green-Wood, including James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein. The concert will be performed by high-school musicians from the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street.
• The Moth Mainstage: (Thursday, June 12) The Moth Mainstage returns to Green-Wood! Experience an unforgettable evening of true, unscripted stories told live by five storytellers, plus a musical act. Recorded for The Moth Podcast and Moth Radio Hour, this often-sold-out event celebrates the power of storytelling.
• Free Juneteenth Family Tours (Thursday, June 19): Celebrate this important holiday by exploring Black history at Green-Wood. 
• Gay Green-Wood Trolley Tour (Saturday, June 28): A special trolley tour celebrating LGBTQ+ trailblazers who have left a lasting impact on American history and culture.
• A Night at Niblo’s Garden (Thursday and Friday, July 10 and 11): Set around beautiful Crescent Water, this Victorian extravaganza features a dazzling array of showmanship under the starry summer skies. Bring a blanket and a picnic.
• The Battle of Brooklyn and the Meaning of Freedom, Family Afternoon (Sunday, August 24): Enjoy a free, family-friendly afternoon of activities to honor those who fought in the Revolutionary War Battle of Brooklyn (fought on part of Green-Wood’s Battle Hill) and learn more about the diverse world of revolutionary New York!‬ 
• Revolutionary Spirits (Select Saturdays all season long) Explore Brooklyn's distillation history with Green-Wood and Fort Hamilton Distillery. Enjoy a trolley tour of the Cemetery, highlighting Revolutionary War figures and distillers. Then, visit Fort Hamilton Distillery for a tasting for a taste of "white" rye, sample whiskey from the barrel, and learn to bottle your own spirits.

Green-Wood will also offer a variety of guided tours throughout the season including:

Walking Tours:

• Birding in Peace (Sundays): Early-morning bird-watching walks.

• Green-Wood After Hours (Fridays and Saturdays): Evening cemetery explorations.

• Green-Wood's Greatest Hits (Sundays): Visits to the cemetery’s most notable sites.

• Bugging Out (May 17): An insect-watching walk through Green-Wood.

• PollinaTours (June 14): A tour focused on the birds, butterflies, and bees that pollinate the cemetery.

• The Language of Flowers (June 28): A look at floral symbolism in cemetery art.

• Nocturnal Navigators (June 20): A bat-watching night tour.

Trolley Tours:

• Discover Green-Wood (Saturdays): A comprehensive overview of the cemetery’s highlights.

• Patriots of the Past (May 3): A Revolutionary War-themed tour.

• Soldiers and Sacrifice (June 7): A tour highlighting Civil War veterans interred at Green-Wood.

Death education programs:

• Grieving & Weaving (June 9, July 14, Aug. 12): A series exploring the therapeutic benefits of knitting and crocheting.

• Zen & The Art of Filming Family Interviews (June 17): A workshop on capturing meaningful video interviews with loved ones.

• Death Cafe (June 18): A safe space in Green-Wood’s Modern Chapel to discuss death and end-of-life topics over tea and pastries.