It is true that Mount Auburn is first and foremost a cemetery, but it is also a National Historic Landmark, a botanical garden, an outdoor museum of art and architecture, and an important habitat for urban wildlife. Attend one of our many events and discover for yourself what makes this place so special!
Funding for programs has been provided in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
"I am not an intellectual, I write with my body," wrote Clarice Lispector in 1977. What is it to write with the body? What is it to drop out of the brain and into bowels (or lower) and write from there? How can we channel our senses to enliven our writing? And how do we […]
Mount Auburn, designated a National Historic Landmark, is one of the country’s most significant designed landscapes. Here the arts of horticulture, architecture and sculpture combine with the beauty of nature to create a place of comfort and inspiration. This 1.5-mile walking tour will focus on stories of history, monuments, and the lives of those buried […]
Curious about burial and memorialization at Mount Auburn Cemetery? Come learn about our various burial options, including cremation burial, natural burial, and conventional casket burial, and about the ways a person can be remembered at Mount Auburn whether they are buried here or not. You’ll have the opportunity to ask your own questions whether you attend in person or […]
“…It is the duty of the living thus to provide for the dead. It is not a mere office of pious regard for others; but it comes home to our own bosoms, as those who are soon to enter upon the common inheritance.” ~Joseph Story, Mount Auburn Cemetery Consecration address, 1831 For nearly two hundred years, […]
“…It is the duty of the living thus to provide for the dead. It is not a mere office of pious regard for others; but it comes home to our own bosoms, as those who are soon to enter upon the common inheritance.” ~Joseph Story, Mount Auburn Cemetery Consecration address, 1831 For nearly two hundred years, […]
Morning Writes at Mount Auburn will help you jumpstart a new creative practice or re-energize your existing routine. Recharge your imagination. Shift your perspective. Nurture your creativity in nature. MORNING WRITES is an informal writing time and a chance to meet up with other creative thinkers. Each session will begin with a few writing prompts […]
In this therapeutic art workshop, participants will be guided in creating a personal, portable shrine to honor and remember a lost loved one. We’ll use small boxes or tins to memorialize and honor things we hold dear to us (e.g. a loved one, a pet, our ancestors, a special community member, or a place). The […]
In this workshop, dancer/choreographer and current Artist-in-Residence Lonnie Stanton (2024-2025) will explore movement as a medium for expressing grief and gratitude. By slowing down and centering our breath, this offering can be experienced as a healing practice and a pathway to connect deeper with the nature we are surrounded by at the Cemetery. Rooted in […]
Come and explore Bigelow Chapel! Staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the Chapel and point out some of its most interesting features. Inside the Bigelow Chapel “gathering space” (aka the Glass Wing), you will also find Community Message Boards, a gift and snack shop, and a family-friendly activity. Free, no […]
Join artist Elisabeth Gerald as she guides the Mount Auburn community and all Summer SOLSTICE participants in a healing Nature Mandala made from natural objects found at the Cemetery. Also known as Land Art or Environmental Art, Earth Art is made from organic materials found in nature like stones, branches, leaves, flowers, feathers, pinecones, etc. […]