Video by Kwanwoo Jun. Text by Carly Okyle

When the New York Marble Cemetery unlocks its gates on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend, interested parties can enter for free and walk on a lawn 10 feet above a honeycomb-like system of vaults where, from 1830 to 1937, over 2,000 people were laid to rest. The cemetery is typically only open every fourth Sunday in good weather – the extended hours this weekend will be the last chance to see the burial ground before it closes until spring.

Described by Caroline DuBois, the cemetery president, as a “happy cemetery,” the tranquil lawn has been rented out for fundraisers, birthday parties, and weddings. During Open House New York Weekend, expect to hear some history about the individuals interred in the non-sectarian space, including Uriah Scribner – a merchant whose son went into publishing – and James Tallmadge, a congressman who later became the president of New York University.

More of Open House New York Weekend