Photos by Shannon Collins Photography (@shannoncollinsphoto)

Many people visit the beautiful historic Woodlands cemetery every day – nature lovers, runners, dog walkers and others. And some folks may not realize that The Woodlands is an active cemetery and non-profit organization. After seeing an uptick in visitors with the return of students in the recent days, the Woodlands administration has posted on social media a reminder of their rules and safety guidelines, which we are sharing on our website:

“Welcome back, students! Now is a beautiful time to visit The Woodlands and a great opportunity to remind our visitors about the rules and safety guidelines that help keep these 54 acres open daily to the public. First and foremost: please remember that The Woodlands is an active cemetery and nonprofit. Treat the site with reverence and respect.

• Do not climb, sit, or lean on headstones—they are heavy and historic.

• Dogs must be on a leash (and the person walking the dog must be holding onto the leash) at all times with no exceptions.  Owners are required to pick up after their dogs.

• Biking is allowed on paved roads only. Do not bike on the dirt running path.

Continue Reading

Join us at The Woodlands for a party in celebration of one of West Philadelphia’s most active, significant, and well-loved places. Enjoy bites from local chefs, a silent auction, and the opportunity to fund critical needs at the cemetery. This event is made possible by the generosity of our Benefit Sponsors and Partners.

About the Benefit:

When: Thursday, June 13 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Where: The Woodlands, located at 4000 Woodland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104

What: You are invited to one of Philadelphia’s most active, significant, and well-loved places, where you will explore the Hamilton Mansion, historic cemetery grounds—and even a mausoleum—while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and drinks in support of The Woodlands. Enjoy bites from local chefs, including Tabachoy, Pitruco, Lil Pop Shop, Local 44, and Third Wheel Cheese Co., a silent auction, and the opportunity to fund critical needs at the cemetery.

Registration: www.woodlandsphila.org/benefit

Sponsorships, Individual and Young Friend Tickets are available. If you have any questions, please contact info@woodlandsphila.org

– The Woodlands Team

The spring edition of West Craft Fest is set to return to The Woodlands on Saturday, April 27 after a two-year break. (Rain date is Sunday, April 28). Over 100 local artists and makers will showcase their unique, handmade wares: jewelry, ceramics, home wares, accessories, original art, prints, stationery, clothing, candles, soaps, stickers, and much more! Check out the vendors list here.

The popular event also features live music and entertainment, food from local vendors, craft activities (make & take crafts), and acrobatic performances by Tangle Movement Arts. It is free and open to the public.

The Fest hours are: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here’s the performance schedule:

Continue Reading

Photo from Woodlandsphila.org.

A near total (for us in Philly) solar eclipse is coming on Monday, April 8. Philly is not on the “path of totality,” but we will get a very respectable 89 percent coverage of the sun, according to NASA, which should be enough to plunge the city into mid-day darkness for a few minutes.

The moon will start moving in front of the sun at about 2:08 p.m. and peak eclipse will begin at 3:23 p.m. Hopefully it will be a clear day for maximum eclipse awesomeness. If so, you definitely want to check this one out because the next solar eclipse this good won’t be for another 20 years.

So where to go for peak eclipse viewing and astronomical camaraderie in West Philly? A good place to start is at The Woodlands, which is hosting an eclipse viewing get together on April 8 from 2-4:30 p.m. The Woodlands offers a lot of open sky to get a good look. Plus a librarian from the Walnut West Library will be organizing an eclipse-themed storytime complete with music and dancing.

Continue Reading

The historic Woodlands cemetery is home to dozens of trees of various species, some of which are very old dating back to the early 20th century. This Thursday, March 14, The Woodlands gates will be closed to the public to accommodate some necessary sitewide tree work.

The work will be conducted by Arader Tree Service. Because the tree work is taking place in several high-traffic areas, the site will be closed to the public to ensure visitor and worker safety. The gates will reopen for visitors in the late afternoon (around 4 p.m.).

The Woodlands visitors are invited to learn more about the trees growing on the site by using The Woodlands Tree Finder. There are also tree-focused digital tours of the grounds. Click here for more details. Finally, if you would like to support The Woodlands’ work of growing and nurturing their tree and shrub collection, consider donating to The Woodlands Tree Fund. In spring of 2022, contributions to The Woodlands Tree Fund helped set up a mobile water tank so that maintenance workers can water more trees in less time.

Continue Reading

The historical Woodlands cemetery, located at 40th and Woodland, has announced its 2024 Grave Gardener season and is currently accepting applications for this popular annual program. The non-profit organization is currently recruiting volunteers who will take care of Victorian-era “cradle” graves originally designed to be planters. As usual, the season kicks off with a series of winter workshops where participants can learn about historical contexts and helpful how-to’s.

Each volunteer will be assigned to a cradle grave to tend to throughout the growing season (March to November). The application period closes on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

For more information and to apply, click here.

The Woodlands has also announced a Volunteer Site Work Day, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to help remove ivy and other invasive plants from trees, collect fallen sticks and branches, pick up trash along Woodland Avenue, and do other outdoor site clean-up chores. To learn more and to sign up, go here.