Tour The Beautiful Cemetery Where New York's Rich And Powerful Were Laid To Rest [PHOTOS]

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Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider

Deep in Brooklyn's interior lies Green-Wood Cemetery, one of the largest and most prominent burial grounds in the United States.

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In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Green-Wood was a premier final destination, housing the remains of New York City's elite in fields as varied as business, art, industry, and politics.

Among the most notable eternal residents are corrupt politician William "Boss" Tweed, toy store founder F.A.O. Schwarz, piano manufacturer Henry Steinway, and business magnates Charles Pfizer and William Colgate. More recent arrivals include famed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and composer Leonard Bernstein.

The 400-acre grounds, built in 1838, are a stunning example of the rural cemetery movement, with Green-Wood often looking more like a beautiful city park than a graveyard.

We took a tour of the grounds with Green-Wood historian Jeff Richman, who let us in on all the stories hidden behind the monuments and gravestones.

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