New York Marble Cemetery (not to be confused with New York City Marble Cemetery) is the oldest non-sectarian burial ground in New York City and its beautiful landscaped grounds are only open to the public about once a month. Established in 1831, this cemetery is unique in that it has no individual headstones, and interments are not buried in traditional earth graves. This May, Untapped New York Insiders are invited onto the grounds of this historic cemetery during an Open Gate Day to learn about its unique features on a self-guided tour and to hear from New York Marble Cemetery President, Caroline DuBois!
Meet the President of New York Marble Cemetery, Caroline DuBois, who will give a brief introduction to the site
Bring a picnic and enjoy lunch outside on the manicured grounds
Take a self-guided tour of the historic cemetery and its engraved marble walls
Tickets to this event on May 30th are free for Untapped New York Insiders! You can gain access to unlimited free virtual and in-person events per month and unlock a video archive of 100+ past virtual experiences as an Untapped New York Insider starting at just $10/month. Already an Insider? Register here!
Image Courtesy of New York Marble Cemetery
Established in 1831, New York Marble Cemetery is one of the oldest burial grounds in New York City. Instead of traditional earth graves, which were outlawed due to fears of yellow fever, the cemetery’s interments are buried in marble vaults, about the size of a small room, ten feet below ground. To access one of the 156 family vaults, a stone slab would be moved. Instead of individual headstones on the ground, the garden cemetery is bordered by long stone walls that contain marble plaques denoting the family names of those buried below.
On this rare visit inside the cemetery, Insiders will hear about the history of the cemetery and its current adaptive reuse as an event venue in a short introduction from cemetery president Caroline DuBois. You are then invited to spend the rest of the afternoon in the cemetery as you choose, enjoying a picnic or using the printed materials provided for a self-guided tour around the grounds. The New York Marble Cemetery garden is available to rent for weddings, corporate garden parties, graduations, and movies to help pay for landscaping expenses. You can show your support for the cemetery by making a donation here!
