Mount Auburn Cemetery in Winter

If you appreciate a beautiful garden cemetery, then you must visit Mount Auburn Cemetery along the border of Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts.  It is considered to be the first rural garden cemetery in the United States, founded in 1831, and designed to be a place to mourn but also to appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape.  It doesn't feel like a typical cemetery -- there is something otherworldly yet grounded about it.  Spanning across 170 acres of land, there is much to take in: the hills, the fauna and flora (particularly the diversity of birds and trees), the memorials, the monuments, and even the skyline views of Boston.

You could easily walk around the garden cemetery for several hours, perhaps an entire day, and still not see all that it offers.  I visited in October 2014 during the autumn revolution of colors, and in January 2015, I returned to get a new winter perspective as nearly three feet of snow covered the grounds.  It was an entirely different experience.

Story Chapel and the Administration Building

I chose to make my visit on a sunny late afternoon just three days after the blizzard Juno swept through.  During the couple hours prior to sunset, the bright light of the sun gradually shifts in color, then dramatically changes to a golden hue.  It's a perfect time to photograph.  The roads were mostly clear, and where it wasn't, the snow was fairly compacted.  The walking paths, however, were not cleared.  It meant that you simply had to appreciate the beauty of many sights from afar.  It also meant that grounds were clean and pristine, free of the salt and filth associated with plows and roads, and that amplified the gorgeousness of an untouched snow-covered landscape!

One of my favorite spots is Willow Pond, aptly named.  The willow tree (specifically, the weeping willow) is my most treasured type of tree. You would have had no idea a pond was there, as it was covered by ice and heavy snow.  The willows were in sight, however.  And as you can see here, that magical afternoon hour of sunlight made an impact on the willows' appearance.  You'd never know you were so close to a city here - it was so quiet and lovely.

At the edge of Halcyon Lake, the sharply defined, granite Mary Baker Eddy Monument is magnificent.  Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of Christian Science -- her name is associated with much in New England but especially Boston, where the Christian Science Plaza and "Mother Church" can be seen.  She was buried here at Mount Auburn Cemetery.  The design of the monument has such purpose and meaning -- which you can read more about through its hyper-linked name above.

The mausoleums at Mount Auburn Cemetery are diverse in terms of their structure and intricate designs.  The Lodge Tomb is one of my favorites (seen above).  It features this intriguing door -- yet it seems much more than a door.  The labor, love, and material spent to create it much have been great.  The shadows of the trees behind me added a layer of contrast to this scene.

The history of Mount Auburn Cemetery is lengthy and rich, and several books have been written about it.  One of them that I'd like to read is "Silent City on a Hill: Picturesque Landscapes of Memory and Boston's Mount Auburn Cemetery."  It seems like the perfect combination of written research and imagery.

Cherry Path in black & white

I look forward to seeing the way the spring brings about the flowers and other plant life.  Many of the walking paths bear names that refer to things we associate with flowers and fruits of spring and summer, such as cherries, lilacs, primroses, mayflowers, and tulips.  But Mount Auburn Cemetery is worth a visit in the winter, let alone any season!