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 44 trees that comprise our Level I 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.