Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City. It is also one of the most beautiful and the most haunted. It covers more than 400 acres and has the feel and character of a rural cemetery. It opened in 1863; since then, more than 300,000 people have been buried there, including many notable figures. Read on to learn more about it – this haunted cemetery is definitely worth a visit!
When Woodlawn Cemetery opened, it was in Westchester County. It was intended to be a lovely place to lay people to rest that was quiet and far from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. It still is. This cemetery is beautiful.
TNS Mafia/Google Local
The land upon which the cemetery stands was annexed to New York City in 1874. Today, it’s in the Bronx. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011.
Warren Sze/Google Local
Dozens of famous people are buried here including authors Nellie Bly, E.L. Doctorow, and Herman Melville, musicians Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis, suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and store founders F.W. Woolworth and J.C. Penney to name a few.
Ihor Melikhov/Google Local
The mausoleums are beautiful in this cemetery. There are so many to view, and they are all different.
Dan Dangler/Google Local
The stone work throughout Woodlawn Cemetery is of the highest quality.
TNS Media/Google Local
There are also many striking and memorable headstones to admire.
Pedro Quezada/Google Local
Anyone who visits this cemetery can easily get lost in it for hours. You’ll forget that you’re in New York City - it’s vast, quiet, and alluring.
Dan Dangler/Google Local
It’s a lovely place to visit and explore at any time of year. The trees and flowers in Woodlawn Cemetery burst with color in the spring and the fall. This cemetery is very well-maintained, and people are still buried there today.
Alan Z/Google Local
However, this cemetery is also very haunted, as you might guess. Some people have reported that they’ve heard voices whispering when no one else is around.
Monica Fecke/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Others have reported what appears to be a ghost with a flashlight running around at night flashing it in all directions. Sometimes he even screams and yells.
Evgeniy Kirillove/Eye Em Collection via Getty Images
One of the cemetery’s most famous ghosts is silent film star Olive Thomas Pickford. She died at just 25 years old under mysterious circumstances.
David Wall/Moment Collection via Getty Images
This cemetery is spooky, historical, and beautiful. It’s absolutely worth a visit and is a Bronx attraction that should not be missed.
Antonio Rodriguez/Google Local
Do you love cemeteries? Woodlawn Cemetery is just one of many cool, unique, scary, and interesting cemeteries that you can visit in New York. Check out this list for more: 5 Disturbing Cemeteries In New York That Will Give You Goosebumps.
TNS Mafia/Google Local
Warren Sze/Google Local
Ihor Melikhov/Google Local
Dan Dangler/Google Local
TNS Media/Google Local
Pedro Quezada/Google Local
Alan Z/Google Local
Monica Fecke/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Evgeniy Kirillove/Eye Em Collection via Getty Images
David Wall/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Antonio Rodriguez/Google Local
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Woodlawn Cemetery • Crematory • Conservancy, 4199 Webster Ave, The Bronx, NY 10470, USA