Mount Auburn Cemetery

Directions to

Cambridge's Mount Auburn Cemetery

There's a lot of history buried here, both literally and in term's of Mount Auburn's place as a fundament of cemetery design and landscaping. An arboretum and an architectural feast complete with man-made ponds and hills dominated by a "Tower" before which Cambridge, Boston, and the Charles River lie spread like a smorgasbord designed specifically for the viewer's delight, the Cemetery is a wonderfully peaceful refuge from the bustling world buzzing at its boundaries. In the (greatly understated) words of its Friend's website,

 "Mount Auburn Cemetery, located in Watertown and Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 1831 as America's first landscaped cemetery. Comprising 175 acres, it is a National Historic Landmark, an active cemetery and a major cultural institution in the Boston area. It played a significant role in American history, inspiring the creation of the nation's public parks, and today it is one of the best birding spots and most beloved landscapes in Massachusetts."

Roaming through the grounds is tantamount to turning the pages of a history book; among the thousands of names immortalized on its stones are many familiar ones, including Charles Bulfinch, Mary Baker Eddy, Buckminster Fuller, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Winslow Homer, Henry Cabot Lodge, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Bernard Malamud, and Josiah Quincy.  Bring a scorecard.

To get there:

From Route 128/95

Take Route 2 inbound toward Arlington and Cambridge (Exit 29A) and drive about 7.5 miles to its intersection with the Alewife Brook Parkway/Route 2 at lights near the Alewife garage. Stay right here and drive past the garage to, and through, two more sets of lights before coming to a rotary. Fresh Pond should be visible just ahead. Go around the rotary, exiting at the first opportunity (Fresh Pond Parkway), always keeping the Pond close by on your right. In rapid succession you'll encounter, and drive straight through, lights at Huron Avenue and Brattle Street. If not already in the right lane by the time you reach Brattle Street, aggressively find your way there before reaching a final set of lights at Mount Auburn Street, in anticipation of making a sharp right turn at them. Turn right onto Mount Auburn. If all has gone well, the Cemetery will be clearly discernible ahead immediately on the left. Drive slowly along Mount Auburn Street until you reach the main entrance, and then go left into the Cemetery. Parking is permitted on any road not marked with a green center stripe; we recommend making a quick left as soon as you clear the entrance arch, passing in front of the brick Office building, and parking along one of the side streets (Yew, Sycamore) nearby.  The walk will start from the Office building (rest rooms available).

For those navigating to the start with MapQuest or a GPS system:

582 Mt Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 or N 42 22.508, W 71 08.684

To contact us call 978-808-0900

*** Good Luck !!! ***