A Free Woodlawn Trolley Tour Traces 25 Harlem Lives

Woodlawn Conservancy runs this trolley tour at noon on Saturday, October 31, built on its new themed route, Where Harlem Rests. Project Historian Eric K. Washington researched 25 people who shaped Harlem's business, cultural, and civic life, and he guides the ride himself. The best-known names are a mother and daughter. Madam C.J. Walker built a hair-care company for Black women around a national network of sales agents, then gave to causes such as the NAACP. Her daughter A'Lelia Walker took over the company after 1919 and turned a floor of her West 136th Street home into The Dark Tower, a salon for Harlem Renaissance writers and artists, in 1927. The two are buried side by side, and the conservancy also names James H. "Chief" Williams among the stops.

The trolley leaves from the Jerome Avenue entrance and moves between sections of the cemetery while Washington tells the stories behind the route. The 25 researched lives frame the tour, but 25 people researched does not mean 25 stops, and the conservancy names only a few graves in advance. Where the group steps down, expect grass and uneven paths, so closed flat shoes help. No run time has been posted, so keep the early afternoon open.

The tour is free, but the conservancy requires a reservation on its ticket page, and spots were still open on October 23. That page is the final word on remaining space, so register before heading up. Meet at the Jerome Avenue entrance at Bainbridge Avenue, not the main gate at 4199 Webster Avenue on the far side of the cemetery. The 4 train ends at Woodlawn station, about half a block from that gate, though the station has no step-free access. The grounds stay open 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and the separate 2 PM fall foliage trolley that day is already at capacity.