Photo courtesy of The Woodlands.

The Woodlands Cemetery’s popular gardening program, Grave Gardeners, will return this spring and some spots are still remaining for those who are interested in participating.

The Grave Gardeners program accepts volunteers who each will be assigned a cradle grave (designed in the Victorian era) to adopt at The Woodlands, located at 40th and Woodland. The Grave Gardeners tend to their assigned cradle grave throughout the growing season, from March to November. Gardeners will receive a wide variety of plant material (seeds, plugs and bulbs).  Continue Reading

Photo from the Woodlands Facebook page.

Here’s great news for the Woodlands cemetery’s numerous visitors: The Woodlands has now brand-new restroom facilities – in the Carriage House (Stable) building, located next to the Community Garden (see map here).

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facilities will take place this Saturday, Sept. 28 at 11:30 a.m. The bathrooms will be open for all events at the Woodlands, and whenever there is staff on-site.

Funding for the new restrooms came largely from the William Penn Foundation.  Continue Reading

Dozens of local artists and artisans will again descend on the historic Woodlands cemetery grounds as part of the bi-annual West Craft Fest. The popular family-friendly event, where you can shop for unique handmade gifts (clothes, ceramics, jewelry, accessories, prints and more), will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will also feature live music and entertainment, food trucks and children’s activities.

The list of participating vendors can be found here. And here’s the entertainment schedule:

11:00 a.m. – Pocket Prophets
12:30 p.m. – Vessna Scheff
1:30 p.m. – De Tierra Caliente
3:00 p.m. – Tinycircus by Tangle Movement Arts
4:00 p.m. – West Philly Foot Tappers featuring Kate Black-Regan  Continue Reading

Fall officially began today, and it’s probably the best time of year to visit the Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion at 40th and Woodland. The Woodlands has again prepared an exciting program of events for those who want to celebrate this season on the historic grounds, including events for the whole family and runners. Check out the list below. For more information, visit: woodlandsphila.org.

HollyWoodlands: Arsenic & Old Lace
Frank Capra, US, 1944, 118 min., b/w
Friday, Oct. 4
Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.
Film Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Free. Please RSVP here.

Fall Tree Tour: Hidden Gems & Old Favorites
Saturday, Oct. 5
9:00 a.m.
$10; Free for members. Register here.  Continue Reading

                     Spotted Lanternfly

The Woodlands Cemetery will be closed all day tomorrow, Tuesday, June 25 for tree work related to spotted lanternfly management. The USDA will be on the grounds performing the work.

Despite the gates being closed, The Woodlands staff will be in the office on Tuesday, so if anyone is visiting family buried there, please call 215-386-2181 for assistance.

The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive species native to East Asia. It causes serious damage to trees. It was found in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has since spread to 14 counties, including Philadelphia. These 14 counties are now quarantined to stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. A few adult lanternflies were spotted at The Woodlands last summer, according to executive director Jessica Baumert, and nymphs were spotted this summer.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly and what to do if you spot it, check out this Spotted Lanternfly Alert.

Nature Nights, the annual family-friendly event, is returning this week to The Woodlands. The first event in the popular series, Firefly Night, will be held Friday, June 21, to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

The night surely promises to be entertaining: you not only get a chance to spend time at the historic cemetery grounds after dark and watch for fireflies, but you can also enjoy ballet and acrobatic performances.

BalletX will be kicking off the evening at 6:30 p.m., and Tangle Movement Arts will follow them up with a firefly inspired aerial performance around 7:30 p.m. Sweet treats will be served by Lil Pop Shop. Also, don’t forget to pack a picnic and a flashlight!  Continue Reading