Community Events

Trees have been central to Elmwood Cemetery’s landscape design since it was established in 1846. Even Frederick Law Olmsted singled out the significance of Elmwood’s “ancient trees.” Today, Elmwood is a certified Arboretum and an oasis of oaks, maples, chestnuts, beeches, willows and, of course, elms. Join us for a tour of Elmwood’s trees and history on a tour co-led by certified master arborist Todd Fleishans and Amy Elliott Bragg, director of the Historic Elmwood Foundation. This tour is co-hosted with Planet Detroit, whose members are invited to a post-tour reception in our 1856 chapel! Learn more and register here. 

You'll find some of the biggest names in Detroit beverage history at Elmwood Cemetery, from Stroh and Goebel to Hiram Walker, whose Canadian-made "club whiskey" became an international sensation. Hear their stories and more at History & Hops as historian and author Mickey Lyons leads a walking tour of the cemetery's beer, wine and spirits history. After the tour, we’ll enjoy a beer tasting at a scenic spot on the grounds with beverages provided by Brewery Faisan and wine by Grandeur Cru. Drinks and light snacks are included in the price of your ticket! So popular last year, we're offering two time slots this year: Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, both at 2 p.m. More details and tickets here.

The Outlier Collective and the Historic Elmwood Foundation are thrilled to bring back Girls in the Graveyard! Last year's event sold out pretty much immediately so we're offering two dates this time around. Enjoy a stroll through Elmwood's beautiful grounds while we share the lives of some of the exceptional women who are buried here. Then enjoy refreshments provided by Blake's and For the Love of Sugar and peruse hand-picked on-theme books for sale from Source Booksellers. More information and tickets: October 6 at 6 p.m. and October 11 at 2 p.m. 

Join the Detroit Bird Alliance and the Historic Elmwood Foundation for a birding walk at the cemetery! This is a great field trip for birders of all ages and experience levels. We'll walk the grounds to identify the species we see throughout the cemetery and discuss bird migration, habitats and a few Elmwood history highlights. Bring your own binoculars, or Detroit Bird Alliance will have some on-hand to borrow. After the walk, we'll gather in the chapel for refreshments and discussion. Saturday, October 11 at 8:30 a.m. Register with the Detroit Bird Alliance at their Eventbrite. 

Le Run for Le Rouge returns to Elmwood! This 5K run/walk kicks off next door at the Detroit City Fieldhouse and loops through our gorgeous grounds. Proceeds support Detroit City FC's youth soccer programs. Race starts at 10:30 a.m. Learn more and sign up here! 

October's free public history walk is a "greatest hits" tour that will give you an engrossing overview of Elmwood: how and why it was created, who's buried here, and where to find our most iconic works of memorial art. If you've never been to Elmwood, this is the perfect intro. (If you have, we bet you'll still learn something new!) Free, but please sign up! October 12 at 1 p.m. Learn more and register here.

Join us for the inaugural Elmwood Alight! For two nights in October, the cemetery will shine with light, art, and sound — an immersive experience designed to evoke reflection and wonder. Walk the grounds as night descends and see this 179-year-old Detroit landmark in a totally new way. Gates open at 7 p.m. with last entry at 9:30 p.m. More information and tickets available here.

Elmwood Cemetery has been integrated since its founding in 1846, making it one of the oldest integrated cemeteries in the Midwest and a rich site of Detroit’s Black heritage. Join Jamon Jordan, Official Historian for the City of Detroit, for a tour of that heritage on October 25 at 11 a.m. From abolitionists William Lambert and George DeBaptiste to Mayor Coleman Young and Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg, we’ll visit notable Black leaders, luminaries, activists, entrepreneurs, artists and more who made Detroit the city it is today. This tour is free, but please sign up here.

All are welcome to gather at Elmwood Cemetery for our 41st annual Veterans Day Observance in partnership with the Detroit Historic Civil War Society on November 11 at 11 a.m. (Please note the time change from last year!) The event honors all Veterans with special recognition for members of the 102nd U.S. Colored Troops, the first Black regiment to fight for the Union from Michigan.  

The program will be held on our Civil War lot in Section S and includes a flyover by the Tuskegee Airmen Flying TG-7A, a flag-raising by Junior ROTC cadets from the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and a performance by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School marching band. Living history groups and Civil War re-enactors from across the state will be in attendance. Free and open to the public. For more details or media inquiries, contact Amy Elliott Bragg: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.