sweet auburn | 2024 volume i greater WELCOME
Did you know ?
The Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery is a Universal Participation ( UP ) Designated organization per the Massachusetts Cultural Council ( MCC ). This means we are committed to learning and improving upon accessibility through all facets of our organization and taking action to reflect the aspirations of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ). In practice , Mount Auburn has held trainings and information sessions on accessibility for staff , consulted with user-experts at the Institute for Human Centered Design ( IHCD ) in advance of our SOLSTICE programming to ensure access at this event , and incorporated an internal Diversity , Equity , Inclusion , and Belonging ( DEIB ) committee to move more accessibility action steps forward at the Cemetery .
Watch Sarah Baker ’ s remarks at the ribboncutting by scanning the QR code .
I live just beyond these gates with my husband and four children in the Coolidge Hill neighborhood of Cambridge .
Years ago , on a chilly November day , my family had just moved here , and I was eager to find some of my relatives who rest at Mount Auburn . We were focused on a destination , and anyone who has spent time here knows that just the journey to a destination in Mount Auburn is pretty splendid .
That November , the arboretum here was transitioning from one glorious autumn to a classic , snowy New England winter . Mount Auburn was doing what it did best : showing us how nature gracefully responds to transitions .
We took the long walk around the outer perimeter to get to the front entrance , and found the graves of our relatives nestled on Thistle Path . And we began a relationship with this place .
A relationship that has led us on discovery missions , hawk-spotting expeditions , tranquil walks , and healing visits . And , more recently , a family favorite : the December Mount Auburn SOLSTICE event . To dream up a stunning light show that celebrates graceful transition ? To guide people through mesmerizing soundscapes as they experience a cemetery in a whole new way ? To bring people of all ages into a cemetery through the chilly nights of December ? It takes a special place and a special team to make something like that happen .
Over the years , we ’ ve heard from friends and neighbors what Mount Auburn means to them . For many , it has been a place to grieve . For some , a place to heal . A place to find peace and quiet . A place to learn and explore . Like many of my neighbors , my family and I deeply appreciate living so close to Mount Auburn .
We are grateful that the new gates will allow more people in the community to access the natural beauty , history , and resources here . And finding more than one way to enter this space and access these experiences through the new gates is a gift to everyone .
I want to specifically thank everyone involved in the project : employees , city officials , and workers who are beautifying these entrances .
I also want to thank the team at Mount Auburn for setting this initiative in motion in the spirit of broader community engagement . And for opening Mount Auburn Cemetery to anyone who wants to be here . These gates were made possible by the generosity of a local donor . Thanks are also due to our contractors – R . P . Marzilli & Co ., Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects ( MNLA ), Lesmessurier , William Rawn Associates , and Wovensteel Inc . – for bringing this vision to life .
The new gates will open daily at the regular opening time of 8 a . m ., and close one hour before the main gates . Our closing times change seasonally , so be sure to keep track of our current hours on the Cemetery website !
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