Community Events

Join us for a Twilight Death Café at Elmwood, Friday, August 28 at 8:00 p.m., led by Kristy Sue Bishop. Bring a blanket and your emotional support beverage (nonalcoholic please!) as we gather beneath the full moon for an evening of thoughtful conversation in one of the Detroit’s most peaceful places.

A Death Café is a welcoming, agenda-free gathering where people come together to talk openly about death, grief, mortality, and what it means to live well. There are no lectures, no therapy, and no expectation to share, just respectful conversation, curiosity, and connection. Whether you're simply curious, have experienced loss, are planning ahead, or wish our culture talked more openly about death, you're welcome here. Come as you are, listen if you'd rather not speak, and join us for meaningful conversation as twilight settles over the cemetery. This event is currently sold out, but you can register for the waitlist here. 

Detroit, once known by the code name “Midnight,” was one of the last and most important stops on the Underground Railroad and home to a robust Black-led community of anti-slavery activists, many of whom are buried at Elmwood. Join Jamon Jordan, Official Historian of the City of Detroit, for a tour exploring the history and context of the Underground Railroad in Detroit and Michigan. Elmwood is proud to be a significant site on the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Saturday, August 29 at 11 a.m. The tour is free, but registration is required; sign up here. (Tour sold out? Join the waitlist — spots tend to open up closer to tour date!)

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. We will gather in the chapel following the walk for refreshments and discussion. Saturday, September 12 at 8:30 a.m. Register with the Detroit Bird Alliance at their Eventbrite. 

Take a stroll through two centuries of Detroit music history, from classical and concert performers and composers to ragtime, jazz and the roots of Motown. On this two-hour walking tour, we’ll visit the songwriters, producers, publishers, club-owners, broadcasters and performers who influenced the city’s incomparable sound, from Don Davis, Sylvia Moy, and Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg to Harry Guy, Fred “Sonic” Smith, and more.

The walk will last about 2 hours. Your expert Elmwood guide is librarian and local history lover Deb Evans. The tour is free, but space is limited, so please sign up!

Get to know Elmwood's history, art, nature and landscape from the comfort of a charming vintage trolley! We've partnered with Detroit's own Grand Trolley to bring you a delightful ride through our beautiful and historic 86-acre cemetery led by an expert guide. Tours will last about two hours. There will be some hop-off stops with a little bit of walking, but all stops are optional; just cruise and enjoy the scenery if you prefer! Thanks to the generous support of the Mary Thompson Foundation, tickets are just $10. Saturday, September 20 at 10 a.m. Get your tickets here and keep an eye out for more trolley tours to come in October! 

Elmwood Alight returns! 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 after dark and see our 180-year-old Detroit landmark in a new way. This year's experience includes an ambitious installation of works by local artists curated in partnership with Playground Detroit. Thursday-Saturday, Oct.1-3, 7-10 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and go on sale to the general public on August 14. More information here.