Friends of Mount Auburn

Adding new plants to the collections at Mount Auburn which flower in late spring or summer is not just about adding color to the landscape. This initiative is also a response to climate change and the general trend of plants flowering earlier and earlier each year. Join Dennis Collins, Horticultural Curator, on this walking tour to learn about this important horticultural initiative. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on…

Please join Mount Auburn’s Curator of Historical Collections Meg L. Winslow and Director of Cemetery Development Jim Holman for a special walking tour of contemporary commemorative art in the resplendent light of a late summer afternoon. This tour is recommended if you would like to learn more about the iconography, art, and design of Mount Auburn’s recent memorials. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by…

Originally built in the 1840s, Bigelow Chapel has been revitalized to meet the changing needs of families and the visiting public. A new entrance providing universal access graciously welcomes everyone arriving to attend a private family service or a public event. New multi-use gathering spaces provide numerous options for intimate memorial services in a non-denomination setting, informal receptions following services or burials, and a host of public events. A new state-of-the-art Crematory, replacing its previous facility, has prepared Mount Auburn to…

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 here.   Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends…

From bestselling author Mathew Pearl comes his newest mystery novel, The Dante Chamber (2018) a masterful tale of literature, obsession, and murder.  Famous scholar Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes helps to assist in deciphering the literary clues.  Holmes is buried on Lime Avenue. Each month, the Mount Auburn Book Club meets to discuss a selected work related to one of Mount Auburn’s many facets. Selections range from books on history, natural history, horticulture, art, architecture, preservation, and wildlife to books written by or about…

Please join Jeremiah Trimble, Curatorial Associate, Ornithology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, for a leisurely walk around Mount Auburn exploring habitats from pond edges to wildflower patches, in search of the various types of butterflies and dragonflies. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends of Mount Auburn. Our robust roster of programs each year is made possible through your generous support. Funding…

Enjoy the summer beauty of the flower gardens outside the Mount Auburn Greenhouses while listening to folk and bluegrass performances by local artists. Limited seating available, please bring your own blanket or chair. Rain or Shine.  In case of rain we will move inside the greenhouse Parking available at the Greenhouse:  94 Grove Street, Watertown. This Month's Artists:  Ona Canoa is a new Western Massachusetts folk trio with a timeless sound. The group is comprised of Chelsie Field (baritone ukulele/ vox),…

The fall migration of the Common Nighthawk is a predictable and visible phenomenon. Over the years Bob Stymeist has observed hundreds of nighthawks from the Tower and now you can, too. We’ll meet at Asa Gray Garden (Lawn Avenue Circle) and then carpool to Washington Tower. Bring Binoculars and a flashlight. Limited Enrollment. Registration required. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends of…

The fall migration of the Common Nighthawk is a predictable and visible phenomenon. Over the years Bob Stymeist has observed hundreds of nighthawks from the Tower and now you can, too. We’ll meet at Asa Gray Garden (Lawn Avenue Circle) and then carpool to Washington Tower. Bring Binoculars and a flashlight. Limited Enrollment. Registration required. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends of…

The fall migration of the Common Nighthawk is a predictable and visible phenomenon. Over the years Bob Stymeist has observed hundreds of nighthawks from the Tower and now you can, too. We’ll meet at Asa Gray Garden (Lawn Avenue Circle) and then carpool to Washington Tower. Bring Binoculars and a flashlight. Limited Enrollment. Registration required. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends of…

The fall migration of the Common Nighthawk is a predictable and visible phenomenon. Over the years Bob Stymeist has observed hundreds of nighthawks from the Tower and now you can, too. We’ll meet at Asa Gray Garden (Lawn Avenue Circle) and then carpool to Washington Tower. Bring Binoculars and a flashlight. Limited Enrollment. Registration required. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends of…

Savor a hand-picked selection of wines provided by The Magnolia Wine Company of Watertown while enjoying the late-summer beauty of Mount Auburn in the early evening hours. The wine tasting will take place in the newly renovated, Asa Gray Garden. Pre-registration required. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends of Mount Auburn. Our robust roster of programs each year is made possible through…

Mount Auburn Cemetery is pleased to announce that we are starting a new program to help us tell the stories of the more than 100,000 remarkable individuals buried and commemorated at the Cemetery. These stories will be shared on our new online Memorial Pages http://mountauburn.org/onlinememorialpages/  In conjunction with the launch of our online Memorial Pages, we are pleased to offer an exciting new program to digitize memorabilia relating to individuals buried and commemorated at Mount Auburn. This free service will be…

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 here.   Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining the Friends…

This event has been moved from August 18th to September 8th at 1:00pm Join us at our Greenhouse to explore the greenhouses and surrounding gardens at peak bloom time. Kelley Sullivan, Mount Auburn’s Greenhouse Horticulturist & Plant Health Care Specialist, will guide you with tips and techniques. Peek into our greenhouses and see how our gardens interact with our greenhouse plantings. Observe how our beautiful and diverse cut-flower gardens enhance habitat, shelter, and alternative food sources for beneficial inhabitants. We’ll provide the lenses,…

Satigata, “mindful song” or “chant,” is an exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and the awakening of wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. Accompanied by guitar and drum, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Chris Berlin, Darren Becker, and Andrew Stauffer represent three generations of Master of Divinity graduates from Harvard Divinity School and are fully devoted to transmitting a contemplative spirit to others through their music. Meet in Story…

Working Stiff: two years, 262 bodies, and the making of a medical examiner by Dr. Judy Melnik (2014) is the memoir of a young forensic pathologist's "rookie season" as a NYC medical examiner. It is a gripping account of death investigation—performing autopsies, investigating death scenes and counseling grieving relatives.  Each month, the Mount Auburn Book Club meets to discuss a selected work related to one of Mount Auburn’s many facets. Selections range from books on history, natural history, horticulture, art, architecture, preservation, and…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founders Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…

Tickets are on sale for The America Plays, the second of two series of site-specific plays created by the Cemetery’s first Playwright Artist-in-Residence, Patrick Gabridge. Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, during the post-Colonial era that would help define America’s identity. This series of 5 short plays, staged at sites across the landscape, will bring to life the drama, philosophies, and struggles shared by Mount Auburn founder Jacob Bigelow, by sculptors Edmonia Lewis and Martin Milmore, and by strong women like Harriot Kezia…