6. Green-Wood Cemetery

478 acres of green hills, centuries old trees, picturesque ponds in the heart of South Brooklyn. Green-Wood Cemetery is home to many famous “residents,” including Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Designated a National Historic Landmark, the cemetery was founded in 1838 as one of the first rural cemeteries in the United States.

The beauty of its landscape and surroundings allowed it to quickly become a popular tourist destination. In the 19th century anyone who was anyone in New York society was buried at Green-Wood. In his journalistic writings, Walt Whitman wrote about Green-Wood several times and shows a profound familiarity and affinity for this once popular national destination.