Social & Cultural Activities

Wear comfortable walking sneakers or shoes because we will be walking.

Trolley’s will be available to ride back to Jerome Avenue entrance of the cemetery.

Sunday, May 26th @ 10 am (rain or shine)

Meet at 9:15 am at the Jerome Avenue entrance of the cemetery (see directions below) for transport to the tour start point.

Tour last for about an hour and a half.

$25

1. Take the #4 Line heading North towards Jerome Ave/Woodlawn Bronx
2. Get off the #4 Line at Jerome Ave/Woodlawn Bronx (last stop)
3. Walk North toward the cemetery, in the direction of East 233rd Street. (You should be walking away from the train line and should not see the train above.) The entrance and security booth are on the right side of Jerome Avenue. Use the Jerome Ave entrance of the Woodlawn Cemetery (do not use the entrance at Webster Ave).

Woodlawn honors the musicians, composers and producers who created jazz, “America’s Music.” At the dawn of the Jazz Age and the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance, the Woodlawn Subway Station opened, connecting the cemetery to most of the city. With a tradition of caring for the diverse New York population, the families of many of the musicians and performers turned to Woodlawn at their time of need. In the southwest section of our grounds, the pioneers of jazz, King Oliver, WC Handy and members of the James Reese Europe band are remembered. Sculptures, granite grave markers and marble monuments commemorate the lives of the great performers of the era, Florence Mills, Irene and Vernon Castle and Bert Williams. Each year thousands of visitors go to Woodlawn’s “Jazz Corner” where the maestro, Duke Ellington, is at rest. Nearby, visitors find Miles Davis’ song “Solar” etched on his memorial. High on the neighboring hill etched in black granite there is an image of Jackie McLean playing the saxophone. Nearby stands a monument where swing dancer Frankie Manning performs the Lindy Hop. Be Bop drummer Max Roach is honored with a poem and Lionel Hampton, “King of the Vibes”, is “Flying Home.” The Woodlawn Cemetery is known internationally for its jazz legacy. As the flowers of spring unfold, we pay tribute to those who changed our lives and taught us how to swing.  Source: Woodlawn Cemetery