Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations Â»

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places Â»
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Queens Bayside Cemetery
AO Edited

Bayside Cemetery

One of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the city, it is now overgrown with an urban forest.

Queens, New York

Added By
Allison Meier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Lizard in Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Tombstone in Bayside Cemetery   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Established in the mid-19th century in Ozone Park, Bayside Cemetery was once a stately burial ground for New York's Jewish community before it fell into disrepair.

Now an urban forest encloses one section of the cemetery and other parts are neglected, with vandalism has been a serious problem in recent decades, including the desecration of remains and destruction of mausoleums. However, volunteers are working to preserve and restore the historic cemetery, which has a quiet, rural beauty in the shadow of the rumbling A train tracks, where foliage flourishes and lizards crawl over the solemn tombstones. 

Update as of April 2020: The cemetery is currently closed to visitors.

Update as of March 2021: The cemetery is open to visitors on Sundays from 9 am-3 pm,  but closed on all Jewish Holidays.  However, the cemetery can be viewed clearly and photographed by walking around its perimeter on Pitkin Ave.

Related Tags

Cemeteries Catacombs And Crypts

Community Contributors

Added By

Allison

Edited By

bertcrabbe, wherearewedude

  • bertcrabbe
  • wherearewedude

Published

March 15, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07/10/the-gentle-gentile-local-catholic-man-volunteers-his-time-to-fix-up-jewish-cemetery/
  • http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=8253370
Bayside Cemetery
80-35 Pitkin Avenue
Queens, New York, 11417
United States
40.67829, -73.855874
Get Directions

Nearby Places

76th Street Subway Station

Queens, New York

miles away

Greaser on a Clock

Queens, New York

miles away

Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

Brooklyn, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Queens

Queens

New York

Places 76
Stories 12

Nearby Places

76th Street Subway Station

Queens, New York

miles away

Greaser on a Clock

Queens, New York

miles away

Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

Brooklyn, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Queens

Queens

New York

Places 76
Stories 12

Related Stories and Lists

Unique Cemeteries in New York

List

By Atlas Obscura

Society Adventures: A History of Neglect and 19th Century Judaism in Bayside Cemetery

society adventures

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • Underground tombs

    Nagcarlan, Philippines

    Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

    The crypt under this cemetery's chapel was used as a meeting place by Filipino revolutionaries.

  • William Edward Minahan Crypt

    Green Bay, Wisconsin

    Crypt of Dr. William Edward Minahan

    The secluded resting place of a local historical figure who perished during the sinking of the Titanic.

  • Tiered catacombs

    Birmingham, England

    Warstone Lane Cemetery Catacombs

    A hidden gem in the middle of the city's infamous Jewelry Quarter.

  • Sligo, Ireland

    Grave of W. B. Yeats

    This cemetery overlooking the Benbulben rock formation is the final resting place of one of Ireland's most beloved poets.

  • Laeken Cemetery Crypt in 2008.

    Brussels, Belgium

    Laeken Cemetery Crypt

    This recently restored crypt was once plagued by liquefying coffins and exploding caskets.

  • A corridor in the Mountain View Mausoleum.

    Altadena, California

    Mountain View Mortuary and Cemetery

    This magnificent mausoleum is as much a work of art as it is a historic resting place.

  • The Tower of Memories.

    Wheat Ridge, Colorado

    Tower of Memories

    A seven-story 1920s mausoleum outside Denver houses thousands of remains.

  • Cemetery of the Poor Clares

    Ischia, Italy

    Poor Clares Convent Cemetery

    Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.