The Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy

About Us

Woodlawn was established by a group of prominent New Yorkers who envisioned a burial ground easily accessible from Manhattan. It is designed in the landscape-lawn style that was made popular after the Civil War, which emphasizes the relationship between landscape and classical architecture. Its curvilinear road system provides views of large, singular monuments on family plots and circular lots. Propelled by location, clientele, and unprecedented wealth, Woodlawn rapidly grew to become the outdoor showplace of distinctive masterworks you see today.

The cemetery’s natural environment is as impressive as its legacy. Its park-like setting is home to an extensive array of flora, fauna, birds, and insects virtually lost from much of the area’s environs, and it is also a refuge for local wildlife. Its horticultural beauty is evident in the extraordinary collection of specimen plants, including five of New York City’s “Great Trees.”