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“Let Me Tell You” is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan explored why NYC is still the city that never sleeps.
As New Yorkers, we’re spoiled with cultural attractions, from art shows to live music and theatrical performances to historical exhibits—and you probably know all the big-name spots to go. But there’s one surprising cultural amenity I bet you’re leaving untapped: cemeteries.
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Yes, cemeteries. Places for burying the dead may not seem like cool spots to hang out, but our city’s cemeteries actually offer some of the most interesting programming around town. Of course, these events are respectful to the, shall we say, permanent residents who stay there—and you must be, too.
These events aren’t just your standard mass or remembrance ceremonies. Instead they’re hosting circus performances, catacombs concerts, after-dark tours, stargazing and more. Our cemeteries are worth a visit year-round, but Halloween feels like a particularly apt time to make a visit.
Rather than being creepy, our city’s cemeteries are beautiful, art-packed, lushly landscaped places where we can go to simultaneously remember New Yorkers who have gone before us while also experiencing something new. (I like to think that when I end up in a cemetery someday, perhaps my spirit will enjoy the live music echoing through the tombstones.)
Though the city is home to dozens of cemeteries, two are taking the lead as cultural attractions: Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn and Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Both of these date back to the 1860s and have the ornate architecture to prove it.
Green-Wood even has a long history as a cultural attraction. By the early 1860s, it had earned an international reputation for its staggering beauty and prestigious “residents.” It was so revered that it attracted 500,000 visitors a year, second only to Niagara Falls as the nation’s greatest tourist attraction at the time. Though the days of driving your carriage through the cemetery are gone, Green-Wood has found new ways to welcome visitors though its Gothic arch. Though Green-Wood hosts events all year long, fall is a particularly special time to visit as the leaves start to turn crisp—and the programming turns a little spooky.
This first series of events actually takes places in the catacombs where you’ll be treated to a live musical performance while the living are seated among the dead. Cellist Jeffery Zeigler, along with dancers Georgina Pazcoguin and Dai Matsuoka, will present Paola Prestini’s Houses of Zodiac from October 1 to 3. It’s presented in partnership with the renowned Death of Classical, so you can be assured of an incredible show. Tickets cost $80.
Later in October is Green-Wood’s headlining after-dark event called Nightfall, which brings musicians, performance artists, circus artists and storytellers together on October 16 and 17 for an illuminated nighttime experience. Tickets for Nightfall cost $85 and tend to go quick.
A Día de Muertos Ofrenda will be on view for all to see from October 11 through November 16, as well as a free Day of the Dead Family Celebration of November 1. Green-Wood also hosts a variety of trolley and walking tours, with topics including baseball greats, gay gothic, revolutionary spirits, secrets in stone, and feminism and fortune-telling.
As for Woodlawn in the Bronx, it dates back to 1863, a time when burials were outlawed in overcrowded Manhattan, pushing cemeteries to spring up in the outer boroughs. Given Woodlawn’s location along train lines, it became a popular cemetery where Manhattanites could easily go to visit their lost loved ones.
These days, Woodlawn hosts walking tours and trolley tours, often related to themes like landscape design, architecture, stained glass and natural beauty. Plus, there are a few unique events worth bookmarking this fall.
It can be tough to see the stars amid the light pollution around New York, but Woodlawn’s slightly more far-flung location offers darker skies, so you’ve got a chance to catch the moon, stars and planets at this free stargazing event with the Amateur Astronomer’s Association on Friday, September 12. Local astronomers will bring their telescopes to help you get a closer view, and they’ll lend their expertise so you actually know what you’re seeing.
If live music is more your speed, bookmark Sunday, September 28 for an afternoon concert with the Bardekova Ensemble, a classical woodwind quintet music. It’s free to attend with advance registration.
Finally, don’t miss Woodlawn’s annual walking tour of mausoleums and sculptures hosted after sunset by flashlight. These guided tours on October 17 and 19 dig into the history and beauty of funerary art. Tours cost $25 per person; register here.
All that is to say, while you may not think of cemeteries among the best NYC attractions, they’re absolutely worth adding to the list. After all, we might as well visit these places while we’re still walking on two feet, right? I’ll see you out there.