Entrance / Story Chapel / Thought-Artist Video

Along Lawn Ave facing East, you're welcomed into Story Chapel. It’s a large, red, brick building illuminated by amber lights with two steps up the front entrance and a low-incline ramp up on  the left side. 

The entrance of the chapel opens to a small vestibule. Within this foyer there’s a staffed visitor desk on the right and a single gender-neutral restroom on the left. The main chapel area is straight ahead, and flanked to the left by a galleria sectioned off. 

The chapel is lowly lit, cast in an amber glow with its rafters illuminated in blue. Straight ahead a large screen (approximately 11 feet by 13 feet) is suspended from the ceiling at the back of the space where a film is playing. There are voices and ambient sound from the film screening. As you move through the center of the chapel, its main aisle is framed by some seating. Community Message boards and tables with pens will be on either side of the main aisle, as you move towards the screen. 

The looping film playing on the main screen features four different Thought Artists discussing their reflections on the solstice. Its runtime is roughly 10-15 minutes. Guests may then exit Story Chapel from the vestibule entryway. 

Hortus Gateway Approach

As you leave Story Chapel, you turn left, heading south towards Central Ave. You are welcomed by a “gateway” of four illuminated vertical wooden pillars - one 10 foot tall tower followed by one 8 foot tall tower on each side of the road. The pillars are engraved with a symmetrical design of large leaves, pine needles, acorns, and sun symbols that are inspired by the landscape at Mount Auburn Cemetery. 

As guests pass through this “gateway”, the brightness and color of the illumination on the towers changes, acknowledging passers-by. 

Pathway Lighting & Landscape Lighting

Colored lights gently illuminate monuments, trees, and the ground; pathway lighting at ground level shoots across the path from both sides, beginning along Central Ave. This lighting is present throughout the experience, bringing beauty to the landscape and illuminating the self guided pathways. Of note, the main pathways throughout the experience are generally flat asphalt, concrete or mat material; the lighting visually creates striations throughout the pathways, but there is no depth to the pathways. At thresholds where there are stairs, steps will be clearly lit.

Hazel Dell Approach

As you continue up the main path into the cemetery (moving south along Central Ave), colored lights gently breathe and illuminate the ground shooting across the path from both sides of the Ave and staff are present to help direct guests. Of note, the walkways throughout the experience are generally flat asphalt or mat material; the lighting creates striations throughout the pathways, but there is no depth to the pathways.

Some large trees and monuments along the path highlight prominent features of Mount Auburn’s landscape. On the left there will be a pathway that inclines down into an ellipse-shaped area called Hazel Dell. 

A paved ramp descends into the sunken dell. It is roughly 10 feet wide,160 feet long, with black rails on either side and mausoleums along the left side. At the bottom of the ramp, is a wide paved area. Along its edge on the lawn-side, there is some seating.

Eclipse - Hazel Dell

On the left along Central Ave, a concrete ramp descends into the sunken, ellipse-shaped area, Hazel Dell. At the bottom of the ramp, is a wide, flat concrete area. Here, guests are confronted with a 12-foot diameter black disc, suspended in the center of the area, about 60 feet from the concrete edge. Warm white light gently moves and spills from the perimeter of the disc, illuminating its edges and casting a hollow, circular eclipse and shadow that extends across the ground 30 to 50 feet. Haze periodically flows into the area. Sound emanates from the area immediately surrounding the disc with low hums and whisps composed in conjunction with subtle changes of light.

After experiencing this artwork, guests may exit along the same path they entered, then turn left to continue south along Central Ave. 

Central Ave Extension Approach

If you choose not to explore the Central Ave Extension, please skip ahead to Bigelow Chapel Approach from Hazel Dell.

Bigelow Chapel Approach from Central Ave Extension

Upon exiting the Central Ave Extension along Cedar Ave and returning a lantern to the staff present, turn right onto Cyprus Ave, heading northeast. Immediately to the left, there will be a narrower pathway, Peony Path, that takes you towards Bigelow Chapel.

Bigelow Chapel Approach from Hazel Dell

Following the pathway lighting, at the top of  the hill, guests turn along the path - right onto Cyprus Ave where the lights have changed color. 

Moving along Peony Path, your attention is drawn to Bigelow, a gothic-revival style building with a contemporary, glass entryway to the right which leads you inside. Abstract projection-mapped animations illuminate the exterior of the chapel with synchronized sound. Guests are invited to enter the glass entryway before or after experiencing the external artwork fully. Three steps are immediately in front of the entrance, and a ramp is located to the left of these stairs. 

Bigelow Chapel — Interior

Upon entering Bigelow Chapel, guests are encouraged to move toward the back of the glass corridor of the contemporary wing. When you enter the building, amber candles flicker along the edge of the hallway as you make your way to a set of tables covered with unlit candles. This hallway is cantilevered above the illuminated grounds of the cemetery. Its overlook frames the continuously-moving lights encircling Asa Gray Garden, the final artwork of the Solstice experience, and broader landscape. A staff member will give you a candle from a circular table. Along the south wall, a video (captioned) is playing, featuring a reading of the poem, “We Remember Them”, a tradition at Mount Auburn Cemetery. After experiencing the video, you are directed back toward the chapel. To the right is a long switchback ramp followed by 6 steps leading into the main chapel space.

As you move into the historic Chapel, you are enveloped in darkness framed by the softly-lit stone ceiling and arches accompanied by the glow of candles along tables lining the altar area to the right. The colorful mosaic of a tall, rectangular, stained glass window glows beyond the altar. A staff member lights guests candles, which can then be placed along with the other candles on tables near the altar. 

Live classical music is played by a solo string musician above echoing throughout the space. To the left, the space is open, without pews, and a few chairs line the perimeter for anyone who would like to sit. Above is a rosetta-shaped stained glass window glowing from the animations being projected on the building’s facade from outside. You are welcome to linger here before exiting down four stairs from the front door of the chapel, or the entrance with the ramp which you entered

Bigelow Chapel - Exterior

Upon exiting Bigelow Chapel, guests may move south onto the lawn area in front of the large Sphinx monument to take in two projected, looping animations and accompanying sound on the entire Bigelow Chapel facade. Just off of the path, there will be an accessible area on the lawn, intended for individuals with wheelchairs. The pieces are abstract and illuminate the exterior of the Chapel with images reminiscent of stars and light choreographed to be embedded within the architecture creating expressions that transform the facade itself.  

Asa Gray Garden Approach

Upon exiting the lawn in front of the Sphinx statue or Bigelow Chapel, guests head west towards Pine Ave, then follow Pine Ave north to Spruce Ave. This pathway is the longest between SOLSTICE artworks, and is downhill. A staff member will help direct guests towards a mat path that gradually descends towards Asa Gray Garden. Through this passageway, different headstones, trees, and other features of the cemetery are lit, framing the experience with color and light. 

Through this passageway, different headstones, trees, and other features of the cemetery are lit along the walkway, framing the experience with color and light. 

As you follow this portion of the pathway, your attention is drawn to Asa Grey Garden, which surrounds a circular fountain and landscape. Light cycles through this garden as various sounds ring in an on-going spectrum of tones both soft and large. At the end of the mat path, there is a short concrete ramp onto the circular, asphalt road portion of Lawn Ave. This outer circular road is illuminated; guests may walk around this road, or continue straight to two sets of three large stairs, descending into Asa Gray Garden, the final artwork.

The main exit out of Asa Gray is east along Lawn Ave, towards Fountain Ave and Story Chapel. While the interior of Asa Gray is primarily grass, this pathway will be a continuous mat material from the center fountain out to Lawn Ave. As you leave Asa Grey, you see the Solstice Gateway on your right, and Story Chapel on your left. This concludes the experience, and you’re directed back to your vehicle. 

Phase Garden - Asa Gray Garden

In this final art installation, twelve 10-foot-tall truss towers are equidistantly-spaced around the first ring of Asa Gray Garden. Light fixtures line each tower, with a moving light fixture on top of each. Sound swirls around the space, coming from each tower, and phases in and out of a rhythm synchronized with moving and pulsating light. Haze periodically drifts through the Garden. You are invited to move through the inner rings and outer rings of Asa Gray Garden and experience these surrounding sensations. There are benches and chairs throughout the garden for enjoying this installation as long as you’d like before exiting northeast along Lawn Ave, towards Fountain and Central Aves, back at the start of the overall experience.