Welcome to the Green-House! Join us for an unforgettable opening weekend as we celebrate Green-Wood’s newest space with activities designed to delight visitors of all ages. From hands-on workshops to guided explorations, these programs offer something for everyone to discover, learn, and connect with this exciting addition to our historic grounds. 

The Green-House at Green-Wood is the Cemetery’s new front door. Built around the restored Victorian 1895 Weir Greenhouse, it’s a space for exhibitions, workshops, research, and events just across from our Main Entrance at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. Free and open year-round, it’s the perfect place to discover the stories behind Green-Wood before heading onto the grounds.

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‍This event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, just show up! Please consider a donation to the Green-Wood Historic Fund so that we can continue to offer free and low-cost programs throughout the year.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Celadon Landscape by Jean Shin

10:00am–3:00pm
Location: The Green-House Focus Gallery

Celadon Landscape by Jean Shin inaugurates the new Focus Gallery! Two large vessels, formed from thousands of discarded celadon shards, reflect themes of fragmentation, diaspora, and renewal. Visitors are invited to write the names of loved ones on paper “shards,” contributing to a growing collective artwork. To learn more, click here.

Tokens of Remembrance: A Card-Making Workshop

10:00am–3:00pm
Location: The Green-House Classroom

Create a handmade card for someone you carry in your heart. This family-friendly workshop invites participants of all ages to reflect on someone they love, someone they’ve lost, or someone they simply want to hold close, creating a card that expresses those memories through art.

Drawing inspiration from artist Jean Shin’s works currently on view at Green-Wood, this workshop invites you to explore themes of memory, loss, and what we choose to keep. Using floral stamps reminiscent of the wildflowers blooming atop Offering, Shin’s outdoor earthwork near the Main Entrance, and mulberry paper featured in her Focus Gallery installation, Celadon Landscape, you’ll leave with something beautiful, handmade, and deeply personal.

An Inside Look: The Center for Research

10:00am–3:00pm
Location: The Green-House Reading Room

Discover some of the stories preserved within Green-Wood’s Archives and Collections during this special opening weekend program in the new Center for Research.  

This free, limited-capacity experience invites visitors inside the Reading Room for a guided introduction to the Cemetery’s historical records and objects. Through a curated display of materials, visitors can explore original documents and artifacts that illuminate the lives, operations, and evolution of Green-Wood. View 188-year-old records from Green-Wood’s founding, correspondences with prominent Green-Wood families, architectural blueprints, and more!

Visitors may arrive at any time; entry to the Center for Research’s Reading Room will be staggered in small groups due to limited space.

Community Planting at Jean Shin’s Offering

10:00am–3:00pm
Location: Main Entrance Meadow

Join volunteer gardeners to plant native wildflower seedlings in Green-Wood’s Main Entrance meadow as part of artist Jean Shin’s Offering. This large-scale earthwork, inspired by traditional Korean burial mounds, is composed entirely from materials sourced within the Cemetery itself: wood chips, tree trunks, and glacial rocks.  

As you plant, you’ll learn how the mound was built and how native wildflowers support pollinators and other wildlife. The seedlings you put in the earth will take root in the burial mound, bringing color and life to the surface while creating a sustained habitat for wildlife. Contribute to something that will keep growing long after the day is done.

Plants, gloves, and tools will be provided by Green-Wood staff and volunteers. 

Learn More: The Green-House at a Glance 

10:00am–3:00pm
Location: Throughout the Green-House

Meet the faces of Green-Wood! Our volunteer docents are stationed throughout the Green-House, bringing the Collections to life with captivating stories, insider knowledge, and a glimpse of everything Green-Wood has to offer year-round. Stop by and say hello; look for anyone with a docent badge, you won’t want to miss what they have to share!

WALKING & TROLLEY TOURS

Grave Beginnings: Green-Wood by Trolley

10:00–11:00am, 11:15am–12:15pm, 12:30–1:30pm, and 1:45–2:45pm
Capacity: 40 people
Location: The Gothic Arch near the Main Entrance

Dive into Green-Wood’s stunning 478-acre landscape and remarkable history on this free hour-long introductory trolley tour. On a leisurely ride, hear about notable residents including Auguste Renouard, the “Father of modern-day embalming”; industrialist William Colgate, whose legacy extends far beyond soap; and scientist John Draper, a pioneer in photography and chemistry. The tour also highlights other influential individuals who contributed to the city’s cultural, scientific, and civic life. 

This tour series is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division. 

Grave Beginnings: Walking Green-Wood 

10:00–11:30am, 11:45am–1:15pm, and 1:30–3:00pm
Capacity: 55 people
Location: The Main Entrance on 25th Street and Fifth Avenue
Note: This tour will end at the Green-House

Dive into Green-Wood’s stunning 478-acre landscape and remarkable history on this free 90-minute introductory walking tour. On this leisurely walk, hear about the lives of pioneering figures such as physicians Abraham and Mary Putnam Jacobi; scientist Eunice Newton Foote, considered the first to demonstrate the greenhouse effect; and inventor and artist Samuel Morse, who revolutionized long-distance communication. The tour also highlights other influential individuals who contributed to the city’s cultural, scientific, and civic life. 

This tour series is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division. 

Before Purchasing A Ticket, Please Note:

• Registration: Registration is strongly recommended. While no one will be turned away, entry may involve a brief wait if we reach capacity. Registration helps us anticipate attendance, but does not guarantee immediate entry.
• Location: Programs will take place at various locations in the Green-House and in the Cemetery throughout the day. The Green-House at Green-Wood is located at 750 Fifth Avenue, across the street from the Cemetery’s Main Entrance at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. Please check the schedule for details on your selected events.
• Donation: Although programs are free, we invite each registrant to support Green-Wood through a voluntary contribution, enabling us to continue offering meaningful community programs throughout the year.
• Accessibility: While most programs take place in the ADA-compliant Green-House, the schedule also includes walking and trolley tours through the Cemetery. Walking tours cover hilly, grassy, and uneven terrain, are not wheelchair accessible, and do not include seating. Trolley tours may include stops where passengers are encouraged to disembark in areas that are not wheelchair accessible. The Green-Wood trolley can accommodate up to two wheelchairs; please contact us at least one week in advance to reserve space for a wheelchair or other mobility aid. For disability-related accommodations, please contact us before reserving tickets at 718-210-3080, ext. 1, or events@green-wood.com.

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