Explore Impressive Cemeteries and Memorials with Bloomberg Connects
Cemeteries and memorials can provide us with opportunities to learn about history, architecture, art, while also allowing us to remember and reflect on those we’ve lost. In collaboration with Bloomberg Connects, we have compiled a list of historic cemeteries and memorials for you to explore — some close to home and others further afield.
LOCAL
Courtesy of The Green-Wood Cemetery.
The Green-Wood Cemetery | Brooklyn, NY, US
What’s said to be the world’s most beautiful cemetery can be found in the heart of Brooklyn. Green-Wood is a living cemetery that was first established in 1838 when churchyards in New York City were becoming overcrowded. Today, it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark – a place of beauty where you can discover “Art & Architecture,” “Memorials,” and nature, including “Celebrated Trees” and “Birds of Green-Wood.” You can also use the built-in Google Maps on Bloomberg Connects to locate the resting places of notable people interned there, from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Leonard Bernstein.
Courtesy of 9/11 Memorial & Museum
911 Memorial | New York, NY, US
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum honors those who were killed in the 2001 and 1993 attacks while also documenting its impact. The app provides an 11-stop “Memorial Audio Guide” that takes you around the plaza, showcasing the thoughtful and beautiful memorials. It is narrated by Anthoula Katsimatides, a New Yorker whose brother, John Katsimatides, was killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11. We also suggest taking a moment to learn about “The Survivor Tree” – a living reminder of resilience, survival, and rebirth, and the annual commemorative public art installation: “Tribute in Light.”
NATIONAL
Exterior view of Forest Lawn Museum with the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection. Courtesy of Forest Lawn Museum.
Forest Lawn Museum | Glendale, CA, US
Over in Glendale, California, you’ll find the Forest Lawn Museum. Opened in 1952, it houses a permanent collection of bronze and marble sculptures, paintings, and stained glass windows from the 12th to the 16th century. Forest Lawn celebrates life through art, allowing us to contemplate important themes like beauty, triumph, and the passage of time. Discover the “Museum Permanent Collection,” “Park Highlights,” and explore “The Great Mausoleum” with their guide.
INTERNATIONAL
La galerie des arcades ©Les Catacombes de Paris / Paris Musées / Gautier Deblonde.
Catacombes de Paris | Paris, France
One of the most famous burial places in the world is the Catacombes of Paris. In the 1700s, cemeteries in the center were overflowing, so the King decided to close all the graveyards and move all the bodies to a network of underground tunnels left by limestone miners. It took over twelve years to complete this Empire of Death. Learn more about the Catacombes through their guide; Find more details about “The History of the Site,” understand the “Geology and the Quarries,” and explore specific items in “The Catacombs.”
Cemetery view with H. Samuel memorial and urn © United Synagogue.
Willesden Jewish Cemetery | London, England, UK
In the London Borough of Brent, there’s the Willesden Jewish Cemetery. This burial ground was established in 1873 as a collaborative venture by the United Synagogue and five Jewish congregations from the City of London. To learn more about its history, watch “The House of Life Introductory Film” and explore the grounds by taking the “Highlights Tour.” Today, among the 26,000 graves, the cemetery encourages open conversations on the topic of death and dying – as Melvyn Hartog, Head of Burial at United Synagogue, says in the “We Need to Talk about Death” video: “A cemetery is not a place of fear it is a place of comfort.”
With guides to hundreds of museums, galleries, and significant places – wherever you are, the Bloomberg Connects app allows you to immerse yourself in arts and culture. Start that journey today.
Open House New York is supported by Bloomberg Connects, a free mobile app featuring guides to hundreds of museums, galleries, sculpture parks, gardens, and cultural spaces.
