If you visit one cemetery in your life, this is it
Woodlawn—where many of NYC’s rich and famous are buried—is a cemetery lover’s dream. It's chock full of celebrities from all walks of life: author Herman Melville, composer Irving Berlin, Jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton, journalist Nellie Bly, and the list goes on and on. Add to that staggering mausoleums, splendid sculptures, and sweeping trees (there's a tour you can take that just focuses on the trees, I'm not making this up), and you've got what is quite possibly the single greatest cemetery in NYC.
It's also GINORMOUS. You can literally wander for hours and not see it all. I spent about 3.5 hours there and just scratched the surface. I thought I might sit and read at some point, but there was so much to see I basically never stopped moving except to read tombstones and take pictures.
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If you want to see as much as possible, my advice is to get there early, grab a map, and make a plan before you start walking. On the other hand, if you don’t feel compelled to see the whole thing, you can spend a lovely hour or two simply wandering around near the Jerome Gate and see some pretty cool stuff.
Visiting ideas
For a short visit: Enter at Jerome and don’t veer too far from the Woolworth Chapel and Jerome office (you can pick up a map in the office). Bathrooms are nearby too. This way you see some of the cemetery’s most impressive mausoleums, including the Woolworth, without straying too far from the entrance.
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For a longer visit that includes some of the most famous residents: If you feel ready to do quite a bit of walking and navigating, enter at Webster and grab a map from the office. This way you see Melville, Doctorow, Kennedy, and Cady Stanton. You’ll also see some cool mausoleums and creepy statues, plus a magnificent tree. You can of course also enter at Jerome, grab a map there, and start your journey from the opposite direction, that is, if you’re prepared to traverse the length of the whole cemetery.
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For a good overview of the cemetery: A third option that splits the difference is to enter from either side and just walk up or down Central Ave. This takes you through the heart of the cemetery and while you won’t see everything, you’ll get a good feel for it and can veer off as desired to look at cool stuff along the way. Just be sure to come back to Central Ave after each detour so you don’t get hopelessly lost.
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To see the Jazz and Harlem residents: The lower third of the cemetery around Heather Ave is where you’ll find the jazz and Harlem greats: Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Countee Cullen, and others. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a walk there from most of the other points of interest, but the good news is that once you get there you won’t have to walk too far from grave to grave.
In brief
Rating & Visiting info
5: Must see
Open to the public 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See current tours.
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Mid to late October is a great time to visit, though it's sure to be beautiful any time of year. It might be a bit hot in the summer, as there are parts without much shade.
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There are two entrances, and each one has an office you can visit to grab a map. There are bathrooms near the Jerome entrance.
Founding & Famous people
1863
Herman Melville, Louis Armstrong, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Miles Davis, Countee Cullen, Irving Berlin, Joseph Pulitzer, Nellie Bly, and too many more to list here
Location & Nearby sites
The Bronx
Take the 4 from Yankee Stadium, ride to the last stop. The cemetery’s Jerome Entrance is right across the street once you exit the station. Alternately, you can take the 2 or 5 to 233rd Street Station and walk down 233rd to the Webster Entrance.
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Aside from Van Cortlandt Park, there's not much of interest nearby.
