Exploring the past and rich history of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn 

Traveling across America on a budget in his 20s, James Henry discovered a tourist attraction that was affordable and rarely crowded: the cemetery. He took in Seattle’s stately Lake View Cemetery, Los Angeles’ star-studded Forest Lawn Cemetery and Savannah’s famously atmospheric Bonaventure Cemetery. But it wasn’t until he moved to New York City in 2013 that Henry found his favorite: Green-Wood Cemetery, near the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.

“I walked through that entrance for the very first time and just lost it. I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was,” he says. “I felt like I was walking into an Edward Gorey picture.”

Henry, 56, is one of the tour guides you’ll find at Green-Wood, a cemetery that is very much alive. Roughly a half-million visitors each year come to see its 478 acres of rolling land with nearly 7,000 trees and roughly 570,000 “permanent residents.” Green-Wood also functions as something like a local arts center, with a busy schedule of tours, exhibits, film screenings, theatrical performances and festivals.

“Green-Wood is one of the pioneers of creating the cemetery as a public space that people interact with,” Henry says. “There’s so much going on here that even I can’t keep it straight.”

A PRESTIGE RESTING PLACE

Green-Wood has been a favorite gathering spot for New Yorkers almost since its founding in 1838. By the early 1860s, it was the state’s second-most popular tourist attraction after Niagara Falls, according to its website. A prestigious resting place, it accumulated such famous names as Horace Greeley, Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose stained-glass works grace several Green-Wood memorials, and William “Boss” Tweed.

In 1999, the not-for-profit Green-Wood Historic Fund was founded to help expand the cemetery's efforts in historic preservation, education, arts programs and other areas.

It also has a collection of more than 400 artworks, a library exceeding 1,000 volumes and a genealogical research service.

With all the activity in this park-like space, it’s easy to forget that Green-Wood is a working cemetery that averages five to six burials a day. Picnicking, biking and jogging are prohibited. “We want you to relax and enjoy yourself,” says Stacy Locke, senior director of external relations, “but be aware of our primary purpose.”

GREEN-WOOD ON WHEELS

Here’s good news for Long Islanders: Parking is free and plentiful on the cemetery’s interior streets, though it’s a probably good idea to ask a staffer about any off-limits areas when you arrive.

You could spend hours exploring on foot, but even then you might miss some of the more eye-popping monuments and tombstones. Our recommendation for first-timers: Take the Discover Green-Wood Trolley Tour, which covers a lot of ground quickly. It runs Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and tickets are $30. Tickets must be purchased online, though you can order on your phone when you arrive.

To check-in, go to the arch at  the main entrance. Or, just find the other tour-takers waiting at the benches inside the main entrance. When the trolley arrives – it’s a streetcar-style vehicle – hop on and settle in.

The tour will make a winding loop through the grounds, with occasional stops for a short walk to a particular highlight. You’ll see Battle Hill, the site of the largest battle of the Revolutionary War; the memorial statue of Dewitt Clinton, the governor who spearheaded the Erie Canal (and the cemetery’s first “celebrity” burial); and the tombstones of two modern-day notables, composer Leonard Bernstein and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

There are also plenty of “who knew?” moments. The massive mausoleum featuring a giant bas-relief horse, for instance, is the resting place of Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). There’s also a grandiose building with Roman columns and elegant statuary that marks the remains of Charles Feltman, known for popularizing the humble hot dog. For some bonus trivia, ask if your tour guide knows who was cremated at the cemetery; there are several very famous (and unlikely) names.

There are also themed tours devoted to the cemetery’s birds, trees and architectural sub-genres (including Egyptian Revival, a kitschy but popular style from the Victorian era). It’s all part of Green-Wood’s mission to stay vibrant and relevant, says Harry Weil, Green-Wood’s vice president of education and public programs. “Historic sites like this are prone to being neglected and ignored and falling into disrepair,” he says. “Getting the next generation to love this place is important.”

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com@raferguzman