The Woodlawn Cemetery and Conservancy runs a variety of public and private events throughout the year. Public Tours, both walking and trolley, are scheduled during the Spring, Summer and Fall. Public Events are held either in-person or online. Private Tours can be booked upon request. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to learn what’s coming up.
Tours & Events
Woodlawn Memorial Day Flagging
Join Us In Honoring Our Veterans, May 16-23, 10:00 AM
Each year the Woodlawn Cemetery honors the more than 9,000 veterans interred at the Cemetery. Woodlawn is the final resting place of veterans from every conflict dating back to the Revolutionary War. We invite members of the community to join is in this wonderful event.
To volunteer, please click here.
To support with a financial gift, please click here.
Vaudeville and Jazz Victrola Trolley Tour
Sunday, May 31, 2026, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Hop aboard the Woodlawn Trolley for a ride down Memory Lane. Led by Michael Cumella, aka DJ MAC, this tour will take you to the final resting place of many of Woodlawn’s Jazz and Vaudeville greats where you will hear their recordings played on a Victrola.
For tickets to the 11:00 am tour, please click here.
For tickets to the 2:00 pm tour, please click here.
Woodlawn’s Annual Legacy Lecture Series
Rudolph Fisher and the Harlem Renaissance – A Conversation with Kevin McGruder and Eric K. Washington
June 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – Woolworth Chapel
Join us for a moderated discussion with Kevin McGruder and Eric K. Washington on Rudolph Fisher and his impact on the Harlem Renaissance. Fisher was both a medical doctor and author whose work examined the issues of the day including lynchings, interracial relationships, color prejudice and tensions between Black migrants from the American South and the Caribbean.
Kevin McGruder is Associate Professor of History at Antioch College. His interest in community formation led to a career in community development focusing on affordable housing in Cleveland, Newark, N.J. and Harlem as program officer with Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and Director of Real Estate Development at the Abyssinian Development Corporation. From 1997 to 2001 he was Executive Director of Gay Men of African Descent. Additionally, from 1990 to 1991 he owned and operated Home to Harlem, and from 2000 to 2008 was co-owner of Harlemade Styleshop, both Harlem-themed gift shops. He is currently researching and writing a biography of Harlem Renaissance writer Rudolph Fisher.
Eric K. Washington is the author of Boss of the Grips – The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grant Central Terminal and the Project Historian for Where Harlem Rests at the Woodlawn Cemetery.
Tickets are $20 and this event is free for Conservancy Members. For Tickets, please click here.
Welcome to Woodlawn Trolley Tour
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 12:00 PM
Step aboard our guided trolley tour and experience a place where history, art, and nature come together. Or take a self-guided tours through rolling landscapes, stunning architecture, and the stories of legendary figures who helped shape the world—right here in our borough.
Come explore a National Historic Landmark in the Bronx. Relax, reflect, and be inspired as we welcome visitors from across the globe with the warmth, culture, and pride that define our community.
Join us at Woodlawn Cemetery—where every path tells a story, and every visit is unforgettable.
This tour is complimentary but requires tickets. To register, please click here.
Where Harlem Rests – Trolley Tour
Saturday, June 20, 2026, 12:00 PM
Join us for a trolley tour led by Project Historian Eric K. Washington of Where Harlem Rests. This tour, made possible by a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, examines the lives of 25 notable individuals of the Harlem Renaissance. While we are all familiar with the entertainers and writers of the era, this tour features notable business, civic, and religious leaders as well.
For Tickets, please click here.
Nellie Bly Magic Lantern Show
Friday, June 26, 2026, 7:30 PM
Nellie Bly, one of Woodlawn’s notable women, was an investigative journalist and intrepid traveler. She is well known for traveling around the world in 72 days beating the fictional record of Phileas Fogg, the hero of Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
Join us for a Magic Lantern Program based on Nellie Bly’s career and adventures. The magic lantern was the first projector, was first created in the 17th century by the Dutch inventor and scientist Christiaan Huygens (who did not regard it as one of his serious accomplishments!) It was used as a form of popular entertainment from the 17th to the early 20th century.
The program will be presented by Dawn Elliott and Joel Schlemowitz, magic lantern performers, working with original magic lantern glass slides and projectors. Elliott & Schlemowitz perform magic lantern shows and give lecture/demonstrations at museums and other historic, cultural, and educational institutions.
Gates open at 7:30 and the program will begin at 8:30 PM when the sun sets. Early arrivals will be able to visit the grave of Nellie Bly. Interactive toys of the era and light snacks will be provided. Please bring a chair of blanket. Adults $10, Children are free. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
For tickets, please click here.
The Woodlawn Suite – CD Now Available.
The sounds of Madam C. J. Walker strutting down the street, Dorothy Parker raising a glass, and Cicely Tyson whispering to Miles Davis are all part of The Woodlawn Suite, Victor Goines’ 13 movement work celebrating the lives of New Yorkers now at rest within the historic Woodlawn Cemetery. Commissioned by the Woodlawn Conservancy to create a modern memorial, the saxophonist and composer created these biographical sketches that link listeners to the lives of those who impacted our culture. Join Victor and his ensemble of creative musicians to be part of the premier of The Woodlawn Suite. A long-time member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and former director of the Jazz Studies Program at Northwestern University, Goines serves as President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis.
To purchase the CD – please click here.