Friends of Mount Auburn

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 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…

The dead never seem to stay that way in the works of author and poet Edgar Allan Poe. Poe himself (portrayed by literary historian Rob Velella) returns from beyond the grave to read several of his works, both well-known and forgotten, with a special emphasis on stories that feature the dead returning to life. A question and answer session with the author will follow. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Photographs welcome (and encouraged). Edgar Allan Poe rises for this…

The Boston area was buried under glacial ice for thousands of years, and Mount Auburn’s unique landscape preserves wonderful remnants of this icy past. Our walk led by docent and historian Robin Hazard Ray will explore dramatic glacial landforms—kames, kettle ponds, and an esker—that have been lost to development and mining elsewhere in our area. 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…

The Boston area was buried under glacial ice for thousands of years, and Mount Auburn’s unique landscape preserves wonderful remnants of this icy past. Our walk led by docent and historian Robin Hazard Ray will explore dramatic glacial landforms—kames, kettle ponds, and an esker—that have been lost to development and mining elsewhere in our area. 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…

A murder is committed in Mount Auburn Cemetery in this mystery novel, Amnesia by G. H. Ephron.  Can forensic psychologist Dr. Peter Zak catch the killer if the only witness has Amnesia? 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 those now buried and commemorated here. The Book Club…

Mount Auburn Cemetery is a treasure, rich in history and beauty. Those buried here have remarkable stories to tell. They have changed and influenced our society through decades and centuries. Please join volunteer docent Nancy Callan to explore those in science, politics, law, advocacy and the arts who have influenced their time and ours. We all have a story. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs and discounts on special events by joining…

Satigata, or "progressing into mindfulness," is a musical exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and  wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. With its roots in the Buddhist community at Harvard Divinity School, Satigata is a unique combination of modern folk-rock, hand drums, flute, Tibetan singing bowls and bells, and both traditional Buddhist mantra and original chanting compositions. Led by two Master of Divinity graduates in Buddhist ministry from Harvard Divinity School, Chris Berlin and Darren Becker, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Meet in Story Chapel.…

Join us in Bigelow Chapel for this panel discussion moderated by attorney Rosemary Wilson, Sullivan & Worcester LLP. The conversation will range from the preparation of basic legal documents and increasing support through personal caregivers, to planning for immediate post-death issues such as funeral and burial. Attendees will leave with an end-of-life planning kit for their own use. Come prepared with any and all questions! Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our public programs…

2019 marks the 400th year of the institution of slavery in English America.  This walk led by docent, Rosemarie Smurzynski, will explore Mount Auburn’s African American Heritage Trail. We will visit those who resisted this institution, both black and white folk, and brought about equality, justice and agency for African Americans.  Among those we will visit are Ruffin family members, Maria White Lowell and Harriet Jacobs family members. Experience a deeper connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery with free access to all our…

Test your knowledge and recall of cemetery iconography in the field! Teams of 2 to 5 people will have 90 minutes to decipher our riddles, find the correct cemetery symbol, take a picture, and return to the facilitator to be awarded points. Meet at Bigelow Chapel. This scavenger hunt is best suited for ages 16 and up.  The winning team with the most points will receive a $50 giftcard to Sofra Bakery & Cafe so that the entire team can be treated…

Not all of Mount's Auburn's "notables" are residents. King Edward VII of England, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, John Wilkes Booth, Herman Melville, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and John Denver all visited Mount Auburn as tourists, travelers, or mourners. Join Susan Zawalich on a walk to discuss some of these notable visits.  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…

Experience the beauty of autumn at Mount Auburn during this fall walking tour led by Visitors Services Assistant, Jim Gorman. We will visit some of the more colorful trees in our landscape in addition to looking for plant and shrubs putting out their fall fruits and nuts. Free for members, $12 for non-members 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.…

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…

Experience the beauty of autumn at Mount Auburn during this fall walking tour led by Visitors Services Assistant, Jim Gorman. We will visit some of the more colorful trees in our landscape in addition to looking for plant and shrubs putting out their fall fruits and nuts. Free for members, $12 for non-members 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.…

Satigata, or "progressing into mindfulness," is a musical exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and  wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. With its roots in the Buddhist community at Harvard Divinity School, Satigata is a unique combination of modern folk-rock, hand drums, flute, Tibetan singing bowls and bells, and both traditional Buddhist mantra and original chanting compositions. Led by two Master of Divinity graduates in Buddhist ministry from Harvard Divinity School, Chris Berlin and Darren Becker, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Meet in Story Chapel.…

Want to learn some very basic ways for drawing the nature you know and love here in Mount Auburn?  Join illustrator Clare Walker Leslie in any or all of these 4 Sunday afternoon sessions.  Appropriate for ages 10 and up, teens and adults.  Bring your own paper, pencils and/or colored pencils.  Meet in Story Chapel. Nov 10 | Drawing Local Birds Dec 8 | Drawing Mount Auburn’s Mammals, Amphibians & More Feb 9 | Drawing Winter Trees Mar 8 |…

Over the past six years, Mount Auburn has preserved more than forty monuments honoring veterans. Join Jenny Gilbert (Director of Institutional Advancement) and Greg Ghazil (Preservation Supervisor) on a walking tour that pays tribute to the soldiers, sailors, military doctors, nurses, and musicians who have served our country. Along with telling the stories of each individual memorialized, these monuments are an important funerary art form with their evocative combination of carved words and imagery. Learn how conservation stabilizes the stones,…

Schlesinger: The Imperial Historian by Richard Aldous is the first major biography of preeminent historian and intellectual Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a defining figure in Kennedy’s White House. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (1917–2007) is buried on Narcissus Path. 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 those now buried and…

Get your hands in the soil alongside our gardening staff during our annual fall bulb planting. Bulbs planted in the Cemetery each fall add blooms to Mount Auburn’s early spring season. Bring your work gloves, trowel and lots of energy and enthusiasm. Dress for garden work. 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…

Loss and grief are natural components of our life on Earth. In this centering & calming workshop Nancy Webber will offer guided meditations and gentle movement to counteract the pain of loss. In our modern corporate world employees are typically given 72 hours to grieve. We need much more time to process loss. The societal pressures that urge us to move on quickly can back-fire resulting in sadness becoming lodged in our hearts and bodies.  Sometimes sadness cannot be expressed in words…

Loss and grief are natural components of our life on Earth. In this centering & calming workshop Nancy Webber will offer guided meditations and gentle movement to counteract the pain of loss. In our modern corporate world employees are typically given 72 hours to grieve. We need much more time to process loss. The societal pressures that urge us to move on quickly can back-fire resulting in sadness becoming lodged in our hearts and bodies.  Sometimes sadness cannot be expressed in words…

Satigata, or "progressing into mindfulness," is a musical exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and  wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. With its roots in the Buddhist community at Harvard Divinity School, Satigata is a unique combination of modern folk-rock, hand drums, flute, Tibetan singing bowls and bells, and both traditional Buddhist mantra and original chanting compositions. Led by two Master of Divinity graduates in Buddhist ministry from Harvard Divinity School, Chris Berlin and Darren Becker, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Meet in Story Chapel.…

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…

Want to learn some very basic ways for drawing the nature you know and love here in Mount Auburn?  Join illustrator Clare Walker Leslie in any or all of these 4 Sunday afternoon sessions.  Appropriate for ages 10 and up, teens and adults.  Bring your own paper, pencils and/or colored pencils.  Meet in Story Chapel. Nov 10 | Drawing Local Birds Dec 8 | Drawing Mount Auburn’s Mammals, Amphibians & More Feb 9 | Drawing Winter Trees Mar 8 |…

The Tenants by Bernard Malamud revolves around a rivalry between two writers—one of them Jewish and the other an African-American— who are the last two persons remaining in a soon to be condemned apartment building.  Malamud is buried on Azalea Path. 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…

Our annual Candle Lighting Service, held each December, provides the opportunity to remember all of the loved ones no longer with us.  Join us in Story Chapel for this seasonal program of words and music.  During the service, you will have the opportunity to light a candle in honor of someone you wish to remember. 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 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…

In this perennial tour in Mount Auburn’s January landscape we join docent, Rosemarie Smurzynski, spotting angels in the cemetery and exploring the meaning of angel art for monuments which was  especially treasured by the Victorians. 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 for programs has been…

Satigata, or "progressing into mindfulness," is a musical exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and  wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. With its roots in the Buddhist community at Harvard Divinity School, Satigata is a unique combination of modern folk-rock, hand drums, flute, Tibetan singing bowls and bells, and both traditional Buddhist mantra and original chanting compositions. Led by two Master of Divinity graduates in Buddhist ministry from Harvard Divinity School, Chris Berlin and Darren Becker, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Meet in Story Chapel.…

In this biography, Louis Agassiz: Creator of American Science by Christoph Irmscher, the controversial biologist and geologist’s legacy is explored.  Agassiz is buried on Bellwort Path. 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 those now buried and commemorated here. The Book Club meets in the Front Office Conference…

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…

Satigata, or "progressing into mindfulness," is a musical exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and  wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. With its roots in the Buddhist community at Harvard Divinity School, Satigata is a unique combination of modern folk-rock, hand drums, flute, Tibetan singing bowls and bells, and both traditional Buddhist mantra and original chanting compositions. Led by two Master of Divinity graduates in Buddhist ministry from Harvard Divinity School, Chris Berlin and Darren Becker, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Meet in Story Chapel.…

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…

Want to learn some very basic ways for drawing the nature you know and love here in Mount Auburn?  Join illustrator Clare Walker Leslie in any or all of these 4 Sunday afternoon sessions.  Appropriate for ages 10 and up, teens and adults.  Bring your own paper, pencils and/or colored pencils.  Meet in Story Chapel. Nov 10 | Drawing Local Birds Dec 8 | Drawing Mount Auburn’s Mammals, Amphibians & More Feb 9 | Drawing Winter Trees Mar 8 |…

American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation by Eric Rutlow shares many captivating stories: the Liberty Trees, where colonists gathered to plot rebellion against the British; Henry David Thoreau’s famous retreat into the woods; the creation of New York City’s Central Park and the rural Cemetery movement. 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,…

Join us for this annual program in Story Chapel, co-sponsored by the Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site. Following a talk about Longfellow’s lasting legacy, we’ll enjoy birthday cake and then walk to the Longfellow Lot on Indian Ridge Path for a wreath-laying ceremony. This year’s speaker will be announced as the event date nears. 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…

Satigata, or "progressing into mindfulness," is a musical exploration into opening the heart to transformation, devotion and  wisdom through Buddhist and yogic songs and chanting. With its roots in the Buddhist community at Harvard Divinity School, Satigata is a unique combination of modern folk-rock, hand drums, flute, Tibetan singing bowls and bells, and both traditional Buddhist mantra and original chanting compositions. Led by two Master of Divinity graduates in Buddhist ministry from Harvard Divinity School, Chris Berlin and Darren Becker, Satigata is inspiring spiritual music with energy, tenderness and a progressive sound. Meet in Story Chapel.…

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…