DATE – Friday. May 15, 2026
TIME – 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM ET
WHERE – Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA
QUESTIONS? hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org
This event is free, but you must register in advance. Spaces are limited.
We also request a signed waiver from all participants. which you can complete online or print, sign, and bring or complete onsite.
SIGN THE WAIVER We’ll email you the night before if there are any changes.GPS ADDRESS:
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA
We will meet in front of the Gate House near the entrance.
PLEASE USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BIKE, OR CARPOOL.
DIRECTIONS AND PARKING
The closest subway station is Harvard Square. Parking is available inside the gates of the Cemetery. There are limited official spaces along the perimeter—chose those first. You may also park on the side of any roadway that does not have a line running through the center. Do not park on the grass, not even slightly, and be sure cars can pass you.
LINKS
Cambridge’s lush and historic Mount Auburn Cemetery is a masterpiece of landscape design—the ideal habitat for migrating birds. In spring, the Cemetery bursts into bloom and fills with birds. The sheer number of warblers can be astonishing.
This walk is designed for beginners who are just getting started with these tiny songbirds and any birder looking to hone their looking and listening skills and ability to pick a Tennessee Warbler out of the tree tops. We’ll keep this walk small so you can ask questions—and get on the bird.
Spring birding at Mount Auburn Cemetery is always a joy. Let’s give thanks, too, to the folks, who keep this place so beautiful.
Registration in advance is required. Limited to 12. A second walk may be added if there is demand.
PHOTOS: Birders at Mount Auburn feasting their eyes on a Cerulean Warbler, Cerulean Warbler at Mount Auburn, American Redstart, Canada Warbler, Northern Parula. PHOTOS: MFB, Getty Images,
TRAILS
This walk is easy/moderate, about 2 miles over mostly paved surfaces. Mount Auburn is quite hilly, and the grade for this walk is steep. There will be much twisting and turning of necks and backs.
FACILITIES
Restrooms are available at the Gate House.
Mount Auburn Cemetery was established in 1831 with a most ambitious vision. Within a forested landscape nestled between Cambridge and Watertown, our founders created an extraordinary place, one where the living mourner would come to find solace and the public would come to find inspiration.
The founders envisioned the Cemetery as the place where the great and the good of Boston — without restrictions on religion or race — would be remembered and celebrated for all of time in a setting of exceptional beauty. Nearly 190 years and more than 100,000 burials later, we continue to honor that founding vision, offering burial space and end-of-life services to families in their time of need and preserving this landscape of memory for 200,000 annual visitors.
Mount Auburn Cemetery is a singular treasure, a place where history and beauty meet memory and nature. Whether you come to birdwatch, enjoy the ever-changing landscape, admire the monuments, or enjoy a contemplative moment in this urban oasis, Mount Auburn is here for you. And it’s here for everyone: Mount Auburn is a National Historic Landmark that is open to the public at no cost, 365 days a year.