Woodlawn Cemetery

Woodlawn has been on my list of places to visit for a long time, and the weather on Sunday was perfect for a cemetery stroll. I know some people are creeped out by the idea of cemeteries, but I've always loved them. They're sad,  yes, but also peaceful, beautiful and in a way, hopeful. I think it's nice that in reading the names of people long gone I'm helping in some small way to preserve their memories.

Woodlawn is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City, and a designated landmark. I only ended up walking around about half of the cemetery — the office is closed on Sunday and I didn't have a map — but what I saw was absolutely beautiful.

The grounds are filled with huge mausoleums, intricate tombstones and beautiful signage. I love the variety of markers — obelisks, poems, angels, portraits, etc. I would love to go back to Woodlawn and explore further. There are quite a few famous gravesites that I'd like to see, and will definitely be picking up a map next time I go. I think I'll try to go again when the leaves really start changing since there's nothing that says fall to me quite like a good cemetery stroll.

There were already quite a few hints of fall if you looked hard enough, and I can only imagine how amazing the whole place will look in a few weeks. Maybe I'll even be brave enough one day to do one of the nighttime tours of the cemetery?