Self-Guided Group Visits
Throughout the year, self-guided groups come to explore and connect with Mount Auburn’s landscape. There are no fees for self-guided groups, but we do ask that you register your visit at least two weeks in advance.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Self-guided groups are welcome to visit Mount Auburn seven days a week during daylight hours. Our grounds are open to the public 8 AM – 5 PM year-round with extended hours during daylight savings.
Mount Auburn is a place of consolation and inspiration. Help us to protect Mount Auburn’s beauty and tranquility by sharing our Visitor Guidelines with all members of your group.
Large vans and buses are not permitted inside the Cemetery. If your group is arriving in anything larger than a passenger van, we will send you directions to an alternate entrance.
If you have accessibility concerns, ask us about our options for accommodating people with limited mobility.
REGISTER A GROUP TOUR
Please complete the Group Visit Request Form to let us know more about your plans. A member of our Visitor Services staff will confirm your request and can assist you with any further questions.
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Getting Here
We are located on the Watertown/Cambridge line, just 6 miles from downtown Boston and 1.5 miles west of Harvard Square. Our Entrance Gate is located at:
580 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
HOW TO GET HERE
By Car / Ride Share
Mount Auburn is accessible from several major highways. Consult Google Maps or any other GPS navigation system for the best route to get here. If you are traveling by car, please also see below for additional information about Visitor Parking.
Ride share services will drop off and pick up from just inside our Mount Auburn Street Entrance Gate.
By Bike
The Cemetery is close to several popular bike routes, including the Charles River Reservation, the Fresh Pond Reservoir, and the Minuteman Bikeway trails.
Bikes are not permitted inside the Cemetery. When you arrive, please lock your bike at the racks just inside our Mount Auburn Street Entrance.
By Public Transportation
Mount Auburn Cemetery is easily accessible by MBTA.
Subway:
The closest subway stop to Mount Auburn is the Harvard Square Station on the Red Line. From the Harvard Square Station you can either transfer to a bus or enjoy a pleasant 1.4-mile walk (see below) to reach us.
Bus:
From the Harvard Square Station, take either the Watertown Square (#71) or Waverley Square (#73) trolley. Both depart from inside the Harvard Square terminal. The Brattle Street and Homer Avenue/Star Market bus stops are directly across the street from the Cemetery.
For more information about bus and subway routes and schedules, visit the MBTA website.
By Foot
Mount Auburn is a pleasant walk from Harvard Square and several local walking/biking trails.
From Harvard Square:
Head west on Brattle Street. As Brattle Street merges onto Mount Auburn Street, you will see the Cemetery Entrance directly across the street. (1.4 miles)
From Fresh Pond Reservation:
From the southern end of the reservation head south on Aberdeen Avenue. The Cemetery Entrance is straight ahead at the intersection of Aberdeen Avenue and Mount Auburn Street. (0.3 mile)
From the Charles River Reservation:
Near the the Eliot Bridge, proceed from the DCR trails up to Gerry’s Landing Road, heading towards Fresh Pond Parkway. Follow Gerry’s Landing Road to Mount Auburn Street. The Cemetery is on the left. (0.9 mile)
By Private/Charter Bus
Large motor coaches and charter buses are not permitted inside the Cemetery. If your are visiting Mount Auburn as part of a private group, please complete our Group Tour Visit form and a member of our staff will provide you with further instructions regarding your arrival.
WHERE TO PARK
There is no Visitor Parking Lot. Instead, Mount Auburn’s extensive system of roads offer parking for most visitors. See below for additional parking details.
Office Visitors:
The parking lot just inside our Entrance Gate is reserved for those with appointments at our Administrative Offices.
For Funerals and Memorial Services:
A member of our staff will greet you at the Entrance Gate to provide further parking instructions based on the location of your event.
General Visitors:
Visitors may park on any road without a green line. Please leave the parking stalls at our Administration Building available for those with appointments at our Office. Lawn Avenue, located just inside our Entrance across from Story Chapel, provides visitor parking close to our Entrance Gate, Visitors Center, and public restrooms. Wherever you park, we ask that you keep all four wheels on the pavement to help protect our grounds.
TRAVELING THROUGH THE CEMETERY
Mount Auburn is 175 acres. It is best to explore Mount Auburn on foot, though cars are also permitted to drive through the grounds.
On Foot:
Walkers have access to our roads and an extensive network of walking-only paths. Though some are paved, many paths are made of grass or mulch. The Cemetery’s roads and paths follow Mount Auburn’s natural topography. Those within the historic core have steeper inclines than those along our perimeter. When walking on our roads, pedestrians should be mindful of passing vehicles.
By Car:
Cars are permitted to drive through the Cemetery. Please observe our 15 mph speed limit and be aware that there are many walkers also using our roads to explore the grounds.
Bikes, scooters, rollerblades, etc., are not allowed in the Cemetery. A bike rack is available just inside our Entrance Gate for those traveling to the Cemetery by bicycle.
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Know Before You Go
Make the most of your visit to Mount Auburn by knowing what to expect when you arrive.
Visitor Guidelines
We are a place of consolation and inspiration. As you explore, remember that this is not your typical park. Please help us to preserve Mount Auburn’s character and beauty by being mindful of our visitor guidelines.
Biking, running, dog-walking, and picnicking are prohibited. Please review all of our visitor guidelines in advance of your visit.
Parking
There is no visitor parking lot at Mount Auburn. Instead, visitors can park on any road throughout our 175 acres without a green line. Please help us to maintain our grass by keeping all four wheels on the road’s surface.
Look for available parking around Asa Gray Garden if you plan to meet a friend near our Entrance or if you will start your visit at our Visitors Center. On busy days, parking around the Garden fills up quickly. We encourage you to drive a bit deeper in the Cemetery, where parking will be easier to find.
Please Note: There is a small parking lot at our Administration Building for those with appointments at our office. Please do not park in these spaces unless you have official office business.
Restrooms & Drinking Water
Visitors can find public restrooms at the Administration Building/Story Chapel complex located just inside our Entrance. Due to current construction on the building, portable toilets have been placed next to Story Chapel for visitor use.
Make sure you’ve filled your reusable water bottle before heading to the Cemetery. At present, there is no drinking water for visitors on our grounds. Please do not drink the water from the fixtures found in the landscape as this water is not potable.
Visitors Center
Do you need assistance locating a grave? Would you like some assistance planning an itinerary for your visit? Stop in our Visitors Center, where a volunteer or staff member is waiting to help you! The Visitors Center, located in Story Chapel, is staffed daily between 9 AM and 4:30 PM. Self-serve visitor materials are also available from the Visitors Center whenever the grounds are open to the public.
Please Note: The Visitors Center is closed when Story Chapel is in use for private funeral services.
Self-Guided Visitor Materials
Printed maps and other self-guided visitor materials are available whenever the Cemetery is open at the racks in our Entrance Gate. These materials are also available at the Visitors Center when it is open.
Use your smartphone to explore Mount Auburn:
Use the Mount Auburn Mobile App to navigate the grounds, search our burial records, or follow one of our curated tours to visit points of interest.
With Flora Mount Auburn, you can search our entire collection of trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers….more than 15,000 plants!
Find our available Visitor Amenities just inside our Entrance Gate:
Food
Mount Auburn does not offer any concessions and picnicking is prohibited. Please plan to eat before or after your visit to the Cemetery. Are you looking for a place to grab a quick bite or a meal? There are several options close by, some even within walking distance:
⋆ Sofra | Middle Eastern sweets & savory bites (0.3 mile)
⋆ Intelligentsia Coffee Coffeebar | Coffee drinks and local baked goods (0.3 mile)
⋆ Greg’s Restaurant | Italian and American classics (0.3 mile)
⋆ Deluxe Towne Diner | Classic train-car diner (0.7 mile)
⋆ Red Lentil | Seasonal vegan and vegetarian dishes (0.8 mile)
⋆ Donohue’s Bar & Grill | Classic comfort and pub food (0.9 mile)
⋆ Not Your Average Joe’s | Eclectic American (2.3 miles)
Even More Options:
⋆ Harvard Square has hundreds of dining options. (1.4 miles)
⋆ Arsenal Yards in Watertown has several options for fast and sit-down meals. (1.4 miles)
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Virtual ways to enjoy the Cemetery
Follow Us on Social Media
Our staff continue to regularly post historical and horticultural highlights on our social medial channels. Make sure you are following us to learn more about the may facets of Mount Auburn and to get our latest news: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Join a Virtual Public Program
UPCOMING
Check the calendar to register for an upcoming virtual program!
Watch Recordings of previously held Virtual Programs:
These programs have already happened, however you can watch the recorded videos here at a time of your own choosing!
Explore our Archives
Explore our Online Collections Database. This online catalog allows you to explore Mount Auburn’s Historical Collections & Archives. Holdings include a wide range of prints, photographs, books, ephemera, maps, plans, decorative arts, fine art, and more than 3,500 linear feet of archival records.
An Invitation to Help Transcribe Our History – From Home! Mount Auburn is pleased to announce an exciting new transcription project that welcomes your participation in making our history more accessible. The Cemetery’s Historical Collections & Archives staff have preserved our most significant archival documents, but many of these are hand-written 19th-century letters and reports that are not easy to read. By transcribing these materials, researchers will be able to read and search across thousands of pages for the first time. That’s where you come in!
Learn more about Mount Auburn’s Significant Monuments in our online exhibit featuring thirty monuments of historic and artistic significance.
Our digital archive includes all of the past issues of Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn.
Be Inspired
Explore the final projects of Mount Auburn’s former Artists-in-Residence:
earth.sky – In a multimedia project that includes twenty nine videos, photographs, and words, Mount Auburn’s first Artist-in-Residence Roberto Mighty celebrates the seasons and the stories of Mount Auburn.
Spring & Autumn Suites – Twelve classical works composed by Mount Auburn’s second Artist-in-Residence Mary Bichner and recorded at WGBH Studios draw inspiration from the landscape’s seasonal colors and the poetry of its notable residents
Learn more about our many facets
Stay Home Sweet Auburn: an exciting new video series started by The Friends of Mount Auburn during the pandemic. We are continuing to expand our virtual programming so you can learn from home!
Listen to the recent Talk Nerdy Podcast interview with Paul Kwaitkowski, Mount Auburn’s Wildlife Conservation and Sustainability Manager on Citizen Science to learn more about our efforts to create beneficial wildlife habitat.
Browse Mount Auburn’s website and read Notable People Biographies and History, Horticulture, and Wildlife Highlights, or learn about Environmental Stewardship initiatives.
Take a Deep Breath
View a peaceful and calming Autumn at Mount Auburn slideshow with music from Composer-in-Residence Mary Bichner.
Watch a serene scene slideshow from Mount Auburn with inspiring music!
Relax with a Mount Auburn Moment of Zen. Mount Auburn’s grounds may be closed to the public to keep our staff and families burying loved ones safe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a bit of springtime at Mount Auburn.
Watch a contemplative concert with Satigata, performed in Story Chapel on April 9, 2017 and recorded by Cambridge Community Television.
Enjoy memories of previous fall seasons at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
And here are some more recent photos!
