Green-wood Historic Fund Inc

Green-Wood seeks to bring people closer to the world as it is and was, by memorializing the dead and bringing to life the art, history, and natural beauty of New York City.

As a nationally-recognized arboretum, a de facto botanic garden, an outdoor museum of art and architecture, a public pleasure ground, a producer of major arts events, an educational institution for students engaged in both formal and informal learning, Green-Wood has become a cultural destination for visitors from the neighborhood, the borough, the city and the world. Extensive public programming in arts and culture brings visitors to Green-Wood; school programs for Pre-K though High School embrace NYS curriculum standards and the themes of art, history and nature; workforce development in historic preservation offers training for young people in masonry restoration; access to and research in Green-Wood’s archives extends our understanding of 19th- and 20th-century life and death in New York City. Our Urban Grasslands Institute in partnership with Cornell University finds way to reduce our carbon footprint and fight climate change, both here and throughout New York City. And, yes, we are also an apiary producing our own brand of honey: The Sweet Hereafter.

People, landscape, art, architecture, nature, and history. Our staff includes a public programming department of three, an education director with a team of part-time educators, a historian, archivist, communications manager, development manager and a VP of development and programming. We have 478 acres of land that are protected by state law. In 2019, we completed a strategic plan with our board of trustees that confirms our commitment to serving our community and utilizing Green-Wood’s assets to their best advantage. We raise private funds and utilize available cemetery operating as well as some limited endowment funds to achieve our vision.

Green-Wood is now recognized as a National Historic Landmark and an accredited arboretum at Level III (the second highest in the world). We welcomed over 330,000 visitors in 2019 and held over 250 public programs. We have substantially expanded our capacity to serve schools and students, through a catalog of tours and course on the themes of art, history and nature. In the arts, we have launched an artist in residency program which received just over 900 applications. The successful resident artist will begin in January 2021. We have bold goals to:

1. Steward Green-Wood’s physical assets to ensure the long-term health of its monuments, landscape, flora and fauna
2. Ensure Green-Wood’s long-term financial security.
3. Leverage Green-Wood’s cultural, historical and natural assets to expand and deepen our engagement with audiences and enhance our social and environmental impact.
4. Strengthen Green-Wood’s physical and institutional infrastructure to support a thriving organization that embodies both an active cemetery and a leading cultural institution.