Green-Wood Cemetery: Visit Brooklyn’s Unique Attraction
For many of us, cemeteries are associated with loss and grief or frightening scenes from a horror movie but Green-Wood Cemetery will prove there is so much more than that. It was even ranked the second-greatest tourist attraction in the country in the 19th century.
As one of the Top Ten most beautiful cemeteries in the USA, Green-Wood Cemetery offers stunning architecture and memorials surrounded by gorgeous nature scenery including unique wildlife encounters and celebrated trees.
As New York State locals, we love to visit New York City frequently and make sure to stop over at Green-Wood cemetery for a peaceful stroll whenever we are in the borough. The massive grounds offer various nature walk paths to take by yourself and diverse tours to get to know more about the fascinating past of the cemetery.
Get a glimpse of the rich history, the most famous points of interest, graveyards, memorials, and all the tips and tricks to make the most of your Greenwood Cemetery visit right here.
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How to Get to Green-Wood Cemetery
With Green-Wood Cemetery’s massive size of 478 acres and multiple entrances, it is actually a fairly easy NYC attraction to get to. The Cemetery is surrounded by popular Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, South Slope, and Kensington. It is also within walking distance of other Brooklyn attractions, like Prospect Park and Barclays Center.
The Green-Wood cemetery has 4 entrances, but most Visitors will want to start from the Main Entrance since it is where most tours and guides start. It is also the most impressive entrance to the grounds.
Here are some different ways to get to Green Wood Cemetery New York:
- By Subway: To get to the Main Entrance, take the R train to 25th Street. Then walk east uphill 1 block to the entrance.
- By Car: To get to the Main Entrance with the noticeable large gothic gate, enter the address, 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY into the GPS. If you prefer to come in through another entrance, use the addresses below. Parking is available throughout the Cemetery for free.
Entrances & Hours
Green-Wood Cemetery has 4 park entrances which visitors can enter from different sides of the cemetery:
- Main Entrance – located on Fifth Avenue and 25th Street
- Sunset Park Entrance – located on Fourth Avenue and 35th Street
- Fort Hamilton Parkway Entrance – located on Fort Hamilton Parkway and Micieli Place
- Prospect Park West Entrance – located on Prospect Park West and 20th Street
There are very slight differences in opening hours and closing times for each of the 4 entrances. So make sure you are aware of which entrance you are entering and exiting from.
The Main Entrance Greenwood Cemetery Brooklyn is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for both pedestrian and vehicle access.
The Sunset Park Entrance Green Wood Cemetery Brooklyn is also open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but only admits vehicles until 4:00 PM.
Green-Wood’s Fort Hamilton Parkway Entrance and Prospect Park West Entrance are open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Monday through Friday for pedestrians only. On Saturdays and Sundays, these 2 gates allow access from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for pedestrians and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM for vehicles.
Note: As a reminder, Green-Wood Cemetery NY asks to exit the grounds at least 10 minutes before the stated closing time at each entrance. The gates are closed and locked promptly.
Background on Green-Wood Cemetery New York
Green-Wood Cemetery is much more than just the average Brooklyn cemetery. It is a park, outdoor museum, architectural masterpiece, and historical landmark connecting the life of the past to the life of the present through the art, history, and charm of New York City.
Built-in 1838, Greenwood Cemetery was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. By the 1860s, Greenwood Cemetery NY became widely recognized and hundreds of thousands of visitors started visiting the grounds. It even grew into the second-greatest tourist attraction in the country after Niagara Falls.
With its increasing popularity, the cemetery became a huge inspiration for the creation of big-time NYC public parks, such as Central Park and Prospect Park.
In 2006, Green-Wood Cemetery was recognized as a National Historical Landmark for its history, arts, architecture, and landscape.
Today, the Brooklyn Cemetery continues to bring thousands of visitors to admire the beauty of the past and present at Green-Wood. Here, over half a million people lay to rest as permanent residents including several prominent people of the time, war generals and soldiers, politicians, artists, entertainers, inventors, and more.
Tours of Green-Wood Cemetery New York
Green-Wood Cemetery offers dozens of different tours throughout the seasons. You can learn more about the cemetery’s fascinating history, do environmental research, or view various art projects on the grounds. The following 3 tours are the most popular ones. To snag tickets make sure to book them in advance before they sell out.
Top Tip: Check out a full list of all the daily events and programs on the Greenwood Cemetery Brooklyn website.
- GREEN-WOOD AFTER HOURS
Especially popular during the scary fall months, the Green-Wood After Hours tour lets you explore the grounds after the gates are closed. You will stroll through the cemetery and visit specific graves plus the Catacombs which are only open to the public during this tour.
- DISCOVER GREEN-WOOD TROLLEY TOURS
This is a great way to explore the whole grounds and learn more about the cemetery’s captivating history without using your own vehicle. Hop on a Green-Wood Cemetery trolley equipped with your personalized tour guide to explore the beautiful landscape, graves, and historic stories of the area.
- TAKE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR
If you are a budget-friendly traveler like us, this tour is yours since it is absolutely free. Download the pdf version of the Green-Wood Cemetery map and walk around to the marked locations. You can also pick up the same map in a hard copy at any of the cemetery entrances to plan your ultimate route.
Note that this is an amazing tour when you have your own vehicle. You can still do it on foot but since the grounds are massive, you will want to restrict your explorations to just a certain part of the cemetery.
Points of Interest at Green-Wood Cemetery New York
- Gothic Revival Entry Gate – The most famous landmark of the Brooklyn cemetery is located at the Main Entrance.
- Minerva Statue and the Altar to Liberty – This statue commemorates the Battle of Brooklyn, which was the first American battle of the Revolutionary War after the Declaration of Independence. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, is located on Green-Wood Cemetery’s Battle Hill, a key spot for the war. The Minerva Statue stands towards the Harbor facing the Statue Of Liberty.
- Historic Cemetery Chapel – Located just around the corner from Green-Wood Cemetery’s main entrance, you will find the Cemetery chapel. It is an iconic piece for the cemetery which was designed by Warren & Wetmore in 1911. The Neo-Gothic design features 41 carved windows with figurative stained glass. Make sure to peak inside during your visit.
- Catacombs – The Cemetery Catacombs consist of 30 vaults that offered people to be buried above ground without the expensive cost of a mausoleum. The catacombs are only open to the public during the Green-Wood After Hours tour.
- Tomb of Secrets – There are no bodies buried under the Tomb of Secrets at Green-Wood Cemetery. The tombstones are a place where visitors can share their deepest, darkest secrets. It is located on Bay Grove Hill where Bayside Avenue meets Bay Grove Path.
- DeWitt Clinton Monument – Find out more about DeWitt Clinton below in the Notable People Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery section.
- Civil War Solider’s Monument on Battle Hill – This monument is dedicated by NYC to the thousands of soldiers who fought, died, and enlisted in the Civil War. The monument sits on Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery.
- Our Drummer Boy – The monument was erected to remember Clarence MacKenzie, who was Brooklyn’s first casualty of the American Civil War.
- Steinway Mausoleum – The memorial for the Steinway family, the piano-making family and founders of Steinway & Sons, is the largest mausoleum in Green-Wood Cemetery.
- Freedom Lots – These are unmarked graves in Green-Wood Cemetery of unidentified black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
- Celebrated Trees at Green-Wood Cemetery – The trees at Green-Wood are an iconic feature of the cemetery. More than 7,000 trees make up the Living Collection. Twenty trees are labeled on the Green-Wood Cemetery map to check out with a description to learn more about them.
- Stroll the Nature Walk – Walk Green-Wood Cemetery Nature Walk to learn about the natural heritage through the interpretive markers which are located at specific features in the cemetery.
Notable People Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery
DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828) – DeWitt Clinton was a big-time politician as a Senator, Mayor, and 7th governor of New York. He also had a huge influence on the construction of the Erie Canal.
William “Boss” Tweed (1823-1878) – Tweed was an American politician best known for being a prominent leader of New York City’s Tammany Hall which was a powerful Democratic party political organization.
Charles Ebbets (1859-1925) – Ebbets was an American sports executive who was the co-owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1897 to 1902 before becoming the majority owner until his death.
Henry Chadwick (1824–1908) – Chadwick was a big-time writer for baseball which helped ignite the interest in the new sport. He was even inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933) – Tiffany was an American artist and designer who was best known for his work with stained glass. He was the first design director for his family business, Tiffany & Co., which was founded by his father.
William Livingston (1723-1790) – As an American politician he served as the first governor of New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. He was a signer of the Continental Association and the United States Constitution, making him one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the state of New Jersey.
Roosevelt Family – Family of President Theodore Roosevelt
- Alice Roosevelt (1884-1980) – Eldest child of Theodore Roosevelt and Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt. She was also their only child together.
- Martha Bulloch Roosevelt (1835-1884) – Mother of President Theodore Roosevelt and the paternal grandmother of Eleanor Roosevelt.
- Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. (1831-1878) – Father of President Theodore Roosevelt and the paternal grandfather of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
- Robert Roosevelt (1829-1906) – Uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Steinway Family – Family of the creators of the piano company, Steinway & Sons.
- Henry Steinway (1797-1871) – German-American piano maker who made pianos in Germany and the United States. He is the founder of Steinway & Sons.
- William Steinway (1835-1896) – Son of Henry Steinway
Samuel F. B. Morse (1791–1872) – Morse was an American inventor getting famous for the creation of the telegraph and Morse Code, along with his friend Alfred Vail.
Laura Keene (1826-1873) – She is best known as an actress who starred in ‘Our American Cousin’ at Ford’s Theater and was on stage the night President Lincoln was assassinated.
Sarah Kairns (1737-1854) – Kairns is the oldest person to be buried at Green-Wood Cemetery at 117 years old and the mother of 22 children.
War Generals and Soldiers – Throughout Green-Wood Cemetery you will find graves of tons of war generals and soldiers from the Civil War and even the Revolutionary War.
Greenwood Cemetery Brooklyn NY Map
Best Time to Visit Green-Wood Cemetery
Our two favorite times to visit Green-Wood Cemetery are in the fall and spring. It is one of the best places in NYC to admire the cherry blossom trees and see the fall foliage.
The cherry blossoms are typically in bloom in mid-April, whereas you can usually catch the New York fall foliage in the city from October through early November.
Tips for Visiting the Brooklyn Cemetery
- HAVE A MAP OF GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY
Green-Wood Cemetery is massive, which can make it difficult to navigate around. We highly suggest having a paper map, a picture of a map, or a downloaded map on your phone while visiting Green-Wood Cemetery.
The official Green-Wood Cemetery map is labeled with points of interest, notable graves, memorials, and trees, as well as walking paths and nature walks on the grounds. This makes it incredibly easy to not miss anything you’re interested in on your visit.
- CHECK OUT THE MULTIPLE ENTRANCES TO GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY
Don’t forget to take note of which entrances you are entering and exiting from when visiting Green-Wood Cemetery. The entrances are located on different ends and sides of the cemetery.
You can choose from these entrances:
- Main Entrance
- Sunset Park Entrance
- Fort Hamilton Parkway Entrance
- Prospect Park West Entrance
- BIKES ARE NOT PERMITTED ON THE GROUNDS
If you plan on riding your bike, scooter, or anything else besides your 2 feet, you will need to lock it up outside the cemetery gates before entering. There are racks outside all entrances that are available to visitors.
- LEAVE YOUR PETS AT HOME
For this visit, you will have to leave your pets at home. Sorry dogs, you will have to sit this one out. Pets are not permitted inside Green-Wood Cemetery.
- FIND RESTROOMS AT ENTRANCES
Worrying about where to find a restroom can be quite nerve-racking for some. But you won’t have to worry on your trip to Green-Wood Cemetery. There are bathroom facilities at all 4 entrances.
- PARK VEHICLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD
One of the best perks of Green-Wood Cemetery is that parking is available on the grounds at no cost. However, please respect the grounds by parking on the right side of the road and off the grass. This makes it easier and safer for the flow of cars and pedestrians to get around the cemetery with ease.
- RESPECT THE CEMETERY
This should go without saying, respect the resting place of thousands of people. Please refrain from touching, sitting, or walking on gravestones, mausoleums, and monuments. You don’t want to damage the surfaces of the precious architectural gems. Do your best to leave no trace.
- BE CONSIDERATE OF THE CEMETERY PLANTS AND TREES
The plants and trees throughout the cemetery are celebrated pieces and notable parts of Green-Wood. Please refrain from hanging, climbing, pulling, hitting, and removing leaves, bark, or blossoms from any trees and plants on the grounds. While strolling around, stay on the roads and pathways as best you can.
Cool History & Facts about Green-Wood Cemetery
- Used to be NYC’s biggest tourist attraction
Before today’s NYC famous tourist attractions were even thought of, Green-Wood Cemetery held the spot for NYC’s biggest tourist attraction. When Green wood Cemetery opened in 1838, it was one of the first landscaped public spaces in all of New York City. The cemetery quickly became popular with more than half a million visitors a year.
By 1860, it was not only the city’s biggest tourist attraction, but it was also New York State’s second-largest attraction after Niagara Falls. At that time it was very common to see tourists and locals having picnics and strolling around, while other people visited the graves of their loved ones. This popularity and interest had a significant impact on the creation of Manhattan’s Central Park.
- Green-Wood Cemetery is home to the highest natural point in Brooklyn
Battle Hill, located in Green-Wood Cemetery is home to the highest natural point in Brooklyn at 216 feet. It is called Battle Hill because it is referring to the Battle of Brooklyn. It was the first major battle fought after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This area holds significant importance in defending New York in the Revolutionary War.
- The Goddess of Wisdom & Statue of Liberty
In 1920, a bronze statue of Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom and strategic warfare, was erected on Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery. The statue sits at the top of Battle Hill to commemorate a significant battle in the Revolutionary War. Minerva has been purposefully positioned to face the Statue of Liberty in the New York Harbor and salutes Lady Liberty.
- Green-Wood Cemetery and Wars
Green-Wood Cemetery holds significant importance in the history of the Civil War, Revolutionary War, and World Wars. There are thousands of war participants buried within the gates at Green-Wood which include soldiers, generals, privates, nurses, other members of services, and a young drummer boy.
The Cemetery even initiated a Civil War Project to help identify unknown veterans of war.
- Green-Wood Cemetery Living Residents
After taking the initial awe of the grand gothic entry gate, take a lookup. Here, you will find some of Green-Wood Cemetery’s living residents, the Argentina Monk Parrots. Their large nests rest on the gate’s peaks and ledges. These birds have been living at the cemetery since the 1970s and it is unknown how it came to be their home.
Besides the Argentina Monk Parrots, you can also find mice, voles, rabbits, squirrels, and woodchucks on the Green-Wood Cemetery grounds.
- The Architecture of the Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery is well known for its beautiful architecture throughout the grounds. Besides the famous entry gate, there are also various mausoleums and monuments which display unique architectural features from gothic style to classical and more. Another grand show of architecture in Green-Wood is the historic gothic-style Chapel which was designed by Warren & Wetmore.
More Interesting Facts about Green-Wood Cemetery
- It was built during the Victorian era.
- The cemetery used to be known as a Christian burial place for white Anglo-Saxon Protestants of higher social standing, however, this has changed over the years.
- In 2013, a construction worker was working on an expansion project when he discovered a metal box buried in a wall. It ended up being a time capsule from 1954 with 19th-century published books of the Green-Wood Cemetery.
Other Brooklyn Things to Do Nearby
Baked in Brooklyn – Baked in Brooklyn is a bakery and store which specializes in fresh pitas, baguettes, boules, and more. The store is conveniently located across the street from the Main Entrance of Green-Wood Cemetery. Make sure to stop by and try our favorite snack from Baked in Brooklyn, the sticks.
Prospect Park – Prospect Park is like the Central Park of Brooklyn. The park contains 526 acres of land comprising a zoo, loads of athletic fields, recreational facilities, Audubon Center, an ice rink, a carousel, and more.
It is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike to hang out.
Brooklyn Botanical Garden – Brooklyn Botanical Garden is an urban garden that helps visitors connect with the fascinating world of plants. A walk through the gardens gives people the opportunity to understand the unique environment of a variety of plants.
One of the major events in the gardens is the blooming of the Cherry Blossom trees which happens every year in the spring. Brooklyn Botanic Garden is also home to a Japanese garden with a Shinto Shrine.
Tickets are required for entry which can be purchased in advance.
Barclays Center – The Barclays Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Brooklyn which is home to the Brooklyn Nets men’s basketball team and the New York Liberty women’s basketball team.
The Barclays Center can hold more than 17,000 people for basketball events, 15,000+ for hockey games, and 19,000+ for concerts. Be sure to check out what events are being held while you are in town. It is an experience you won’t forget.
Industry City – Brooklyn’s Industry City is a unique area that runs along the scenic waterfront of Sunset Park. It has 35 acres of repurposed industrial space which includes 16 buildings encompassing eateries, events, green spaces, retail spaces, and art.
What is your highlight of Green-Wood Cemetery? Which other cemeteries can you recommend visiting?
Let us know in the comments below!
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