Green-Wood Cemetery

The Basics

A US National Historic Landmark since 2006, Green-Wood Cemetery extends over rolling lawns speckled with trees and ponds and is the final resting place of many famous New Yorkers. Admission is free, and visitors can wander the pathways as they wish to view the richly sculpted Victorian-era mausoleums, tombs, and vaults, as well as the later memorials and gravestones. Green-Wood also runs daytime and evening trolley tours and themed walking tours.

Among the must-see graves are those of 20th-century composer Leonard Bernstein, stained-glass artist Louis Tiffany, telegraph inventor Samuel Morse, and members of the piano-making Steinway family—the latter interred in Green-Wood’s biggest mausoleum.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Green-Wood is a must for American history buffs and those wanting to escape Manhattan’s bustle.

• Wear comfortable shoes: The cemetery is vast.

• Allow about two hours to see the key graves and absorb the nature and views.

• Free cemetery maps and restrooms are available at the main entrance.

• The cemetery’s pathways are largely wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, although some are narrow and steep.

How to Get There

Green-Wood is easily accessible via New York’s subway: Catch a train first to Brooklyn’s Atlantic/Barclay Center, and then take the R train to 25th Street station, from where you can walk straight along 25th Street to the main entrance. Drivers will find free parking at the cemetery.

When to Get There

Green-Wood has four gates—with slightly varying opening times—but most visitors use its main entrance at 5th Avenue and 25th Street. The cemetery is busiest on weekends, so visit during the week if you prefer to explore with fewer people around.

Look Beyond the Graves

Green-Wood’s graves aren’t its only attraction. Admire the main entrance’s Gothic Revival–style gate and the cemetery’s Civil War Soldiers’ Monument and statue of Minerva—her arm raised as if waving to the Statue of Liberty, visible across New York Bay. Green-Wood is also a bird-watcher’s haven: Look for the blue-green parakeets in the main entrance’s spires and for heron, egret, and sandpipers around its ponds.

Ways to explore

Green-Wood Cemetery is a popular place to wander, and it’s worth setting aside roughly half a day to explore the grounds in earnest. It’s free to visit, and you can pick up a complimentary map at any one of the four entrances. However, those who wish to learn more about the cemetery’s landscape and history might benefit from a tour. Green-Wood offers daily walking and trolley tours, which you can book in advance on the cemetery website. Alternatively, private bike tours sometimes pedal to an entrance and explore the grounds.

Accessibility

All entrances to Green-Wood Cemetery are wheelchair-accessible, but some buildings and unpaved paths may prove challenging for wheelchair users. Trolley tours are ideal for visitors with mobility challenges. Find accessible restrooms at the Modern Chapel and the Gatehouse at the Fort Hamilton Parkway entrance.

Age limits

Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by adults.

What to pack

Notebook for reflection, downloadable map, binoculars for birdwatching

What to wear

Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate layers, brimmed hat

Not allowed

Bikes, picnicking, picking flowers, touching graves

Amenities

Restrooms, water bottle filling stations

Address

Green-Wood Cemetery is located in Brooklyn and spans hundreds of acres between Park Slope and Sunset Park. It’s accessible by car, and the traffic generally isn’t too bad from central Brooklyn. It’s also easy to reach on the subway.

Driving

If you’re driving to Green-Wood from downtown Brooklyn, drive around 20 minutes, mostly down Flatbush Avenue and 4th Avenue. Find the main entrance on Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. Free parking is available in the cemetery; just be sure to park on the right side of the road.

Public transportation

From Manhattan, take the R, N, or D train to 25th Street Station and walk one block to Green-Wood’s main entrance.

Best times to visit

Green-Wood is open daily from 7am to 7pm. Arrive mid-morning for walking tours and early afternoon for trolley tours.

Best days to visit

Visit during the week from Monday through Friday for fewer crowds and cheaper prices on Green-Wood-led tours.

Best months to visit

Stop by the cemetery from April through September for ideal strolling weather and special event series. These include after-hours visits with access to catacombs and evening concerts.

Special events

Every August, the cemetery hosts the Battle of Brooklyn, which commemorates the largest battle of the Revolutionary War with activities, a ceremony, and a parade.