Green-Wood is 478 acres of hills, glacial ponds and 19th-century funerary architecture behind one of the great Gothic Revival gates in New York, and this hour-long trolley run is the free way in. Billed as an introduction, it covers the layout and the headline monuments rather than a specialist theme. If you have walked past that gate for years, this is the fix.
What to expect
You board a trolley near the main Fifth Avenue entrance and ride a circuit through the cemetery's hills and avenues while a guide covers the site's history and its most notable monuments. It runs about an hour, is seated throughout, and is free, so it fills up faster than the paid tours on the same calendar.
Good to know
- Take the R to 25th Street; the Gothic Revival main gate is a block from the station.
- It is free, which means it books out well before the ticketed trolley tours do.
- Seated on a trolley throughout, which makes it workable for limited mobility.
- December on a Brooklyn hilltop is exposed — the trolley is not fully enclosed against cold.
- Two dates only in the month, so there is little margin if you miss the first.
- Good for a first visit; the paid Discover Green-Wood tour goes deeper if you already know the grounds.
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Common questions
Is it really free?
Yes, the Grave Beginnings trolley tour is listed as free on Green-Wood's calendar, unlike the longer Discover Green-Wood trolley tour that runs on other dates.
Do I have to walk?
No. The tour is seated on the trolley for the full circuit, which is why it works for people who could not manage 478 acres on foot.
How do I get there?
Take the R train to 25th Street in Brooklyn; the cemetery's Gothic Revival main entrance on Fifth Avenue is about a block from the subway exit.
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