History comes alive on a walk through Woodlawn Cemetery

Founded in 1863, Woodlawn Cemetery is the final resting home for many famous Americans, from author Herman Melville to “Poor Little Rich Girl” Barbara Hutton. The graveyard, located at the western edge of Van Cortlandt Park, boasts 400 acres of beautiful rolling hills and majestic mausoleums, all free and open to the public.

But for more information — and the chance to go inside a mausoleum — visitors can catch a tour every second Sunday. The cost is $15.

Riverdale resident Adam Stoler is one of the volunteer tour guides. While he admitted he does not know about all the architects and sculptors — he said you would have to catch a tour with Woodlawn’s historian Susan Olsen for that info — what Mr. Stoler specializes in is the stories.

With Mr. Stoler as a guide, you can hear about the woman who married into the Belmont fortune, became a suffragist and now lies in a fantastically ornate mausoleum modeled after the Chapel of Saint-Hubert in France; or see the final resting place of Isidor and Ida Straus, the couple who co-owned Macy’s and perished in the sinking of the Titanic, famously giving up their spots in a lifeboat.

One of Woodlawn’s biggest draws is “Jazz Corner,” where visitors can pay their respects to music legends like Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. The mausoleum of Cuban salsa legend Celia Cruz also continues to draw fans.

“Blink, and you’ll miss it,” Mr. Stoler said, pointing to the grave of Irving Berlin, the great American songwriter whose oeuvre includes “God Bless America” and “White Christmas.” Mr. Berlin rests in a modest family plot, which stands in stark contrast to the large, ornate structures, whose deceased occupants made their fortunes selling wooden barrels or in other, less savory manners.

“The irony is, these people thought their names would be remembered, and we don’t even know who they are these days,” mused Mr. Stoler.

Former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia also lies in a family plot. His tombstone simply reads “Statesmen. Humanitarian.”

“It doesn’t even say that he was the mayor,” admired Mr. Stoler. “Talk about a moral backbone.”

Woodlawn is still an active cemetery. Visitors regularly tend to graves of loved ones, which can be elaborately decorated under Woodlawn’s policies. The children’s section, a small plot where the grave markers are covered with colorful pinwheels and toys, is especially moving.

Tours have ended for the winter season but resume starting Monday, Feb. 15. To find out more, go to www.woodlawnconservancy.org or find the Woodlawn Conservancy on Facebook. The Woodlawn Cemetery is located at 3700 Jerome Ave., and is open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.