Historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn Gets New Visitor Center

The 188-year-old cemetery is one of the oldest and largest in the world, now offering an immersive experience for its over 500,000 annual visitors.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 10:26pm

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An abstract, out-of-focus scene of people walking through the ornate archways of Green-Wood Cemetery, with the details blurred into soft pools of warm color and light.The new visitor center at historic Green-Wood Cemetery will provide an immersive experience for the over 500,000 people who visit the iconic Sunset Park site each year.NYC Today

One of the oldest and biggest cemeteries in the world, Green-Wood Cemetery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is getting a brand new visitor center. The 21-mile cemetery, founded in 1838, is a popular destination that attracts over 500,000 visitors each year to explore its rich history and notable gravesites, including that of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The new visitor center will feature an exhibition gallery with artifacts connected to those buried at Green-Wood, as well as a greenhouse that was once owned by the Weir family's flower shop.

Why it matters

Green-Wood Cemetery is a historic landmark in New York City, serving as the area's first park-like green space when it was founded in 1838. The new visitor center will allow the cemetery to better accommodate and educate its large number of annual visitors, providing them with a more immersive experience to learn about the site's deep history and famous interments.

The details

The new visitor center at Green-Wood Cemetery will include an exhibition gallery featuring artifacts connected to those buried on the grounds, including the man who helped develop chewing gum, the man behind the curtain in "The Wizard of Oz," three firefighters from Ladder Company 118 who died on 9/11, and John Matthews, the inventor of seltzer. The anchor of the center is a greenhouse that was once owned by the Weir family's flower shop, which now features a detailed tile map of the entire cemetery on the floor.

  • Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838.
  • The new visitor center will open to the public this weekend as Green-Wood celebrates its 188th anniversary.

The players

Meera Joshi

The president of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

An artist whose gravesite is the most visited at Green-Wood Cemetery.

John Matthews

The inventor of seltzer, who is buried at Green-Wood Cemetery.

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What they’re saying

“It's so rich, the history, it's almost too much to absorb by walking through.”

— Meera Joshi, President of Green-Wood Cemetery

“People visit Basquiat to remember how much we need to appreciate beauty and art as we have it because it can go away in a minute as well.”

— Meera Joshi, President of Green-Wood Cemetery

“Now, we can actually provide people the full depth of programming and information and guided tours they really need and want.”

— Meera Joshi, President of Green-Wood Cemetery

What’s next

The new visitor center at Green-Wood Cemetery will open to the public this weekend as the cemetery celebrates its 188th anniversary.

The takeaway

The opening of the new visitor center at the historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn will allow the site to better accommodate and educate its large number of annual visitors, providing them with a more immersive experience to learn about the cemetery's deep history and famous interments.