This June, the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery will welcome in the spring with a series of walking tours that showcase the beauty and history of the 400-acre New York landmark.
Kicking off the series is Full Moon Fun on June 7, beginning promptly at 8 p.m., which escorts participants on a 90-minute stroll through the cemetery as the full moon rises. The tour includes some of the most impressive private mausoleums found at Woodlawn, as well as the most extraordinary views of the 146-year old cemetery.
Next of the schedule is In Lincoln’s Shoes, a visit to the final resting places of those associated with the sixteenth president and his tragic death. On Saturday, June 13, Michael Kauffman, author of American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies, will lead the event, which stops at the gravesites of Lincoln’s granddaughter, shoemaker and the man who carried Mr. Lincoln from Ford’s Theatre the night of his assassination.
As a special event this year only, on Sunday, June 14, Woodlawn joins the borough-wide centennial celebration of Bronx’ own Grand Concourse by touring the memorials of Louis Haffen, Louis Aloys Risse and Louis Heintz – three architects who built the major thorough fare. Additionally, the tour will visit the resting places of many well-known individuals who collaborated to design Bronx’ famous art deco historic district.
The final tour of the month features Woodlawn’s collection of specimen trees and the 300 new trees recently planted as part of the MillionTrees NYC program. Sarah Bray from the New York Restoration Project will lead the Trees of Woodlawn tour on Saturday, June 28, which visits family lots designed by notable landscape architect and six trees identified by the New York City Parks Department as The Great Trees of New York.
All tours except Full Moon Fun begin at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tours are approximately 1.5 miles in length. To make reservations or for additional information call (718) 920-1470.
The cemetery is located at Webster Avenue and E. 233rd Street.
