The Kensico Cemetery Arboretum

In 1889, at a time when cemeteries in New York City were reaching full capacity, Kensico Cemetery’s founders sought to establish a cemetery consistent with the new, rural concept of the time. Farmland in the hamlet of Valhalla in Westchester County was carefully selected, approved for use as a cemetery, and developed to take advantage of the natural features of the landscape. Roads were designed to curve gradually and gracefully through the valleys and over hills, creating a spacious, tranquil, and pastoral place where loved ones could be buried and remembered for eternity.

Today, at 460 acres, Kensico Cemetery is committed to a standard of excellence set by over a century of service and care and its long history of preserving and beautifying the landscape. The 100 trees that comprise our level II arboretum status were selected for their significant size, age and/or identified as unusual for this area and represent just the first step in sharing this significant horticultural collection.