BAD BEHAVIOR IN GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY IS A THREAT TO KEEPING THE GATES OPEN
A letter from the President of Green-Wood Cemetery
It’s
very difficult for me to send this email. The conduct of a small
percentage of our visitors has created an unacceptable situation. If
things don’t change, we may be left with no choice but to close our
gates as many other cemeteries have done.
Four weeks ago today,
we decided to staff all four of our gates until 7pm every day of the
week. We knew how important that was. We all need open space, a
connection to nature, and a place for serenity. Thousands of you have
come to visit. We’ve been delighted to welcome you.
But some of our visitors have behaved very badly. They have brought their dogs. They've ridden bikes. Their kids have climbed trees. They've taken flowers that had been placed on graves. None of these actions is appropriate or permitted.
Green-Wood is a cemetery. It is an arboretum, and a place of tranquility. Families come to visit the graves of their loved ones. It is not a public park. It is a not a place of recreation. Our rules are clear on what is allowed and what is not.
With
the nice weather predicted this weekend, we will surely again be seeing
large crowds. We have a group of volunteers who will be assisting us as
Green-Wood Ambassadors, making sure the cemetery rules are honored. If
you would like to join the group, please click here. We hope, together, we can keep Green-Wood open and available for everyone.
