A new visitor center is changing the way people experience Green-Wood Cemetery.
The Green-House at Green-Wood, a new $43 million welcome center just across the street from the cemetery’s main entrance on 5th Avenue, will open to the public on Saturday, coinciding with the 188th birthday of the iconic Brooklyn cemetery.
The focal point of the new visitor center is the restored 1895 Weir Greenhouse, purchased by the cemetery in 2012. Once a neighborhood flower shop, it is one of the only surviving Victorian greenhouses in New York City and a designated New York City Landmark.
Nestled around the greenhouse is a LEED-Gold-certified new building designed by Architecture Research Office. Featuring an L-shaped design, a glazed terra cotta facade, low-energy lighting, and a sculpted green roof, the structure reflects Green-Wood’s dedication to both preservation and sustainability.
Features of the new welcome center include an exhibition gallery that brings Green-Wood’s story to life through art, writing, sculpture, and historic artifacts; an art gallery (currently showcasing artist Jean Shin’s installation, Celadon Landscape); a classroom for K–12 and adult programs; the Center for Research with access to rarely seen archival materials dating back to 1838; and digital stations to help visitors locate any grave at the cemetery.
The opening of the visitor center took about 15 years to complete, according to C. Payson Coleman, chair emeritus. Richard Moylan, former Green-Wood President said his thank-you list ran three pages, but said many elected officials, including former Mayors Eric Adams and Bill de Blasio championed the project and provided funds.
"It's the kind of bold vision that said this should be not just for the dead, but for the living, and encouraging people to come out to Greenwood and enjoy the landscape and have some peace and quiet to escape from a dense city," said Meera Joshi, president of The Green-Wood Cemetery at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
The public opening of the new center coincides with the 188th anniversary of the cemetery, founded on April 18th, 1838. Free and open to all, weekend events include free trolley tours and walking tours and family-friendly activities, including a “plant and pollinator petting zoo,” opportunities to decorate then plant seeds in mini flower pots, hands-on sachet-making with mountain mint, magnolia buds, elderberry, and other herbs, and a scavenger hunt.
In addition, visitors are invited to participate in artist Jean Shin’s large-scale outdoor earthwork installation, Offering, in the Front Meadow by planting wildflowers atop the 100-foot-long mound inspired by traditional Korean burial sites. A photo booth will offer free, on-site photos with the Gothic Arch as a backdrop. In the classroom, kids and families can create handmade remembrance cards inspired by Victorian traditions. Fresh-cut flowers will be available for purchase in the atrium, a nod to the space’s original use as a florist.
The ribbon cutting event also featured remarks from Diya Vij, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner; Peter Davidson, the chair of Green-Wood's Board of Trustees; Erika Mallin, executive director of the New York State Council on the Arts; Joseph Tazewell, New York Regional Director of Empire State Development; and Winnie Marion, deputy chief of staff of City Council Member Alexa Avilés.
"It is truly rare for a cemetery to have a visitor center, and I think that's so very Brooklyn," said Deputy Borough President Kim Council.
