Welcome to Mount Auburn :
Increasing Access at Our Front Entrance
Beth Brown Vice President of Institutional Advancement
With the lush spring having transitioned to the bright summer here at Mount Auburn , I can ’ t help but reflect on the inspiring balance of all that is new amid this historic landscape . In the past year , we ’ ve seen the completion of the beautiful new tree-lined pathway granting full access to the Story Chapel Columbarium ; we restored the ever-popular Violet Path with fresh slope-side plantings overlooking Consecration Dell ; we welcomed over 11,000 visitors to our expanded and marvelous December SOLSTICE event ; and we ’ ve celebrated the opening of four new arboreal-themed pedestrian gates ( with more planned !), allowing our visitors and community members to more easily enjoy Mount Auburn ’ s 175 acres of thoughtfully curated gardens and artistically engaging monuments .
As always , we could not accomplish all that we do without our loyal and dedicated members and donors , who honor Mount Auburn ’ s past by supporting its future . I want to thank all those who visit our grounds , attend our public programs and donor events , and give in support of the Annual Fund and other special projects throughout the year . Your generosity makes a lasting impact on Mount Auburn and enables us to offer greater service and greater welcome to this place of even greater beauty . Thank you .
O ver the past couple of years while entering Mount Auburn , you would have noticed a significant amount of work taking place in our front precinct , specifically at our entrances and around Story Chapel . From our new arboreal-themed pedestrian gates to the winding beauty of the Story Chapel Columbarium pathway and its featured garden , Mount Auburn has redoubled its dedication to access for our visitors while maintaining the exceptional beauty of our landscape . These transformative improvement projects have reached their final stages , and we are proud to unveil them to our visitors .
Pedestrian Gates
On Thursday , May 2 , 2024 , Mount Auburn premiered the first of its new pedestrian gates , which aim to further open our urban oasis to our surrounding communities . The ADA-compliant pedestrian gates allow safe access to the Cemetery at four separate entrances along Mount Auburn Street . In addition to these new gates , an existing gate on Coolidge Avenue will now be open daily . We are also currently in the planning phase of adding two pedestrian gates along Grove Street , offering a more welcoming experience for visitors on all sides of Mount Auburn .
Each iron gate along Mount Auburn Street was custom designed in collaboration with Wovensteel Inc . and thematically based on leaves of some iconic trees at the Cemetery . These include the White Oak Gate at the corner of Coolidge and Mount Auburn Street and the Sugar Maple Gate opposite Aberdeen Avenue ; the Ginkgo Gate opposite Brattle Street and the American Elm Gate opposite Belmont Street , which are particularly useful for visitors taking public transit to the Cemetery .
Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony in May were Mount Auburn President & CEO Matthew Stephens ; Cemetery staff and trustees ; and representatives of Watertown and Cambridge , including Steven Owens , Massachusetts Representative from the 29 th Middlesex district , and Steve Magoon , Assistant City Manager for Community Development & Planning for the City of Watertown . Together they celebrated the completion of the gates as one of many initiatives to increase the Cemetery ’ s openness to all . Before cutting the ribbon in front of the Sugar Maple Gate , our neighbor Sarah Baker eloquently expressed the significance of these gates to local residents :
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Beth Brown Vice President of Institutional Advancement