Lakewood Cemetery 150 Year Anniversary Observance Includes August 21 Garden Party and Much More

Article by Becky Fillinger

Lakewood Memorial Chapel 

Julia GillisWhen you visit Lakewood Cemetery, and you should, you’ll see stunning architecture, including a Byzantine chapel that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 250 acres of gorgeous gardens, exquisite examples of cemetery art and you’ll feel an enduring sense of serenity. We talked to Julia Gillis, Director of Marketing & Outreach, about the history of Lakewood Cemetery, events and plans to recognize the milestone anniversary. Keep reading – you don’t want to miss information about The Great Big Garden Party coming up on August 21.

Q: Lakewood Cemetery has been a community gathering place for the last 150 years. Please tell us some of the early history and how the community may interact with Lakewood today.

A: Lakewood is one of the most storied and extraordinary urban cemeteries in America. It was founded by a group of influential Minneapolis leaders in 1871 who had a vision for a grand “garden” style cemetery that is nonprofit and open to all. And for the past 150 years, Lakewood’s park-like grounds have become a fascinating chronicle of local cultures and traditions - a place where countless families have come to honor, remember and reflect in ways that are uniquely personal to them.

Though Lakewood is located in the heart of Minneapolis now, when Lakewood began it was set far outside the city center. Visitors travelled by horse-and-buggy along an unpaved road to get to here. It was often a full day’s trip, and they would spend time here socializing, picnicking and tending to graves. Like many garden-style cemeteries, Lakewood features winding roads, sculpted monuments, water features, beautiful architecture, and of course, gardens! Garden cemeteries, like Lakewood, were designed for the living as much as the dead. They met an emotional need – and Lakewood continues that legacy today.

Tea Ceremony

The Living Memory Tree

Music in the Chapel

Lantern Lighting Celebration

For our 150th anniversary (and beyond), the team at Lakewood has been making an extra effort to make sure the community knows they are welcome here. We are inviting people in to experience the amazing beauty of Lakewood, and we’re also sparking meaningful new conversations and sponsoring a variety of unique experiences and events that go far beyond what you would expect from an institution like ours.

Some of our upcoming events and experiences include: 

• Lantern Lighting Celebration - September 16-18 – a magical night of remembering loved ones
• Music in the Chapel – a monthly concert series held in our historic, must-see mosaic chapel
• The Living Memory Tree – a vibrant tree of ribbons that contain heartfelt messages of remembrance and love
• Grief tea ceremonies
• Sounds baths/meditations
• Lakewood Book Club
• Birding at Lakewood
• Death Cafe – offering a safe space to talk about death
• Trolley tours of Lakewood’s history, art and gardens
• Plus more! In the spring, we have greenhouse tours and a Memorial Day Celebration, we honor Mother’s Day and Father’s Day - and our popular Midsummer Memory Mandalas Community Celebration, which features an amazing earth art installation and a creative practice for honoring grief, takes place in July.

And of course – to celebrate our 150th, we’re inviting everyone to a special event called The Great Big Garden Party on Sunday, August 21, 4-7 p.m. At the event, we are honoring our roots as a garden cemetery and inviting the community to enjoy a picnic on our front lawn. We’ll have live music, raffle giveaways, art activities, carriage rides and more. Register for your box lunch here.

All are welcome to attend any of these events. You do not need to be affiliated with Lakewood in any way. To find out more about all of Lakewood’s events and offerings, visit our website: https://www.lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/.

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