Cemetery Tours in New Orleans

New Orleans, also known as "the city of the dead", has a very particular folklore, in which spooky legends, jazz, voodoo, vampires and ghosts have left their mark. That's why touring its cemeteries is one of the best things to see and do in New Orleans.

While you enjoy your stay in the different neighborhoods, such as the French Quarter or the Garden District, it is a good idea to tour its most famous cemeteries to learn interesting details about their art and architecture, their funeral traditions and the renowned people who rest there, as well as the mysterious stories and situations that have occurred within their walls.

One of the main tours of New Orleans is the tour of the oldest cemetery in the city, the Saint Louis No. 1 Cemetery.

This excursion usually also includes a tour of the French Quarter, where you'll get a glimpse of its 18th century architectural art before heading to the cemetery.

The tour is perfect as a first approach to the city and to learn about its history, in which jazz, voodoo and ghosts have left their mark.

In the Saint Louis cemetery a guide will tell you, for example, how people are buried, and can also tell you about the vaults and the artistic details that artisans have captured in them. It is usually done on foot, during the day and you can enjoy it with the whole family.

Many legends and paranormal stories are told about the cemetery of Saint Louis. One of them is that of Marie Laveau, known as the Queen of Voodoo, who, apparently, not only performed hairdressing work, but also voodoo.

In addition, it is believed that she can still fulfill wishes, so visitors write several "x's" on her tomb or leave offerings for her. They may also perform voodoo ceremonies to communicate with her.

The St. Louis is one of the city's major attractions. It was built in 1789, that is, between the colonial era and the recovery of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803. Then it passed into the hands of the Americans.

That is why both European and American people rest in it, including slaves, aristocrats, musicians, celebrities and politicians.

Interesting details

• Price: Around 40 EUR.
• Duration: 1 hour.
• Means of transportation: On foot.
• Advantages of this option: You will get to know the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, about which many supernatural stories and legends are told.
• Disadvantages of this option: You must be prepared to walk, wear comfortable clothes and bring your own food and drink, in case it is not included.

On your trip to New Orleans you can visit one of the oldest cemeteries in the city, located in the Garden District, the first where non-Catholics could be buried, and one of the most famous.

A place that has been the scene of numerous films, such as Dracula (2000). This is Lafayette Cemetery #1

In Lafayette Cemetery, also known as "The City of the Dead", a specialized guide will tell you about unique and interesting funeral processes, spooky traditions and very particular burial techniques.

It is a walking tour that takes place during the day and, due to its characteristics, you can write it down as one of the things to do in New Orleans with children.

During the tour you will see the vaults of the eighteenth century, with large tombs like a house and other very small, some worked in marble and others in granite, with very admirable designs made with hand carvings.

In addition, you will learn which famous people are buried there and why their vaults were built above ground.

As you tour the vaults, you will learn about the history of the United States, as you will find, for example, graves of people who were in the Civil War, as well as many graves of victims of the 19th century yellow fever.

Most tours of the Lafayette Cemetery include a tour of the neighborhood where it is located, but if you want to know the neighborhood in more detail, you can take a full tour of the Garden District of New Orleans. In this neighborhood you will get to know its very old and elegant mansions, of a striking Greek Revival architecture, embellished by its English gardens.

Interesting details

• Price: about 30 EUR.
• Duration: 1-2 hours.
• Means of transport: by bus or on foot.
• Advantages of this option: it is ideal to learn about the history and culture of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: to visit the tombs it is necessary to be ready to walk, and to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

If you're a brave person, this tour is what you've been looking for. It's a guided tour of the Masonic Temple Cemetery that takes place at night, when everything is at its creepiest.

On the tour, a guide will tell you about the above ground burial procedures and the history of its vaults.

I must warn you that some of the experiences told by those who have been able to visit it at night are really supernatural. Perhaps that is why it is one of the best things to see and do in New Orleans at night.

On this tour you will learn about the origin of the cemetery, which was created by the State Grand Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons of Louisiana in 1865, so it is very different from Catholic cemeteries.

The particular shape of its construction and its tombs contribute to the eerie night vision of this cemetery. However, it is a tour suitable for the whole family. In addition, the groups that take the tour are not very numerous.

One of the strangest things is the particular shape of the cemetery, which covers about two blocks. It has a triangular plan with overlapping streets that form the Masonic emblem of the square and compass. The tour also usually includes a tour of New Orleans City Park, one of the oldest urban parks in the country. It hosts various events, such as dances, concerts and affaires d'honneur, which are very popular.

The tour may end at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, a cemetery where 85 unclaimed victims of the heartbreaking Hurricane Katrina rest.

Details of interest

• Price: about 28 EUR.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: touring the Masonic Cemetery at night is a unique experience.
• Disadvantages of this option: does not include food and beverages.

If you are interested in history, this tour is ideal for you, as you will learn about the tragic natural phenomenon that hit the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005: Hurricane Katrina.

The tour includes a guided visit to the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, which was built to commemorate the unclaimed victims of this catastrophe, who rest under the granite Mausoleum.

You will also be able to visit 4 other cemeteries located nearby, where the victims of yellow fever and soldiers who participated in the Civil War rest, among others.

During the tour, a guide will inform you about the most terrifying events that its citizens had to face as a result of the hurricane. He will also tell you the reasons why the Hurricane Katrina Memorial was built on the site. The tour takes place during the day, in groups of a few people, and is suitable for the whole family.

You will be amazed to see the monument made of granite, a rare material in cemeteries, built to commemorate the unrecognized victims of Hurricane Katrina. You will also learn details about its construction, which is shaped like a hurricane when viewed from the sky.

The other cemeteries in the city that you will visit during this tour are Charity Hospital Cemetery, Greenwood Cemetery, Saint Patrick Cemetery and Cypress Grove Cemetery. It also usually includes a stop at a bar for a snack to liven up the tour.

Details of interest

• Price: about 27 EUR.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Means of transportation: by bus.
• Advantages of this option: you will tour 5 cemeteries while learning about historical events important to New Orleans and the United States.
• Disadvantages of this option: drinks at the bar are not included in the price of the tour.

In this guided tour you will visit 3 important cemeteries in New Orleans: Saint Patrick, the Masonic and the Katrina Hurricane Memorial. It is a daytime walking tour in small groups. In this tour a guide will tell you about the history of the cemeteries and the people who have been buried there.

In the case of Saint Patrick's, its origin is linked to Saint Patrick's Church, the second oldest in the city, after St. Louis Cathedral. Construction began in 1833 and was completed in 1840.

St. Patrick Cemetery is one of the most interesting cemeteries in Louisiana.

In it you will see passages that seem to have the shape of a labyrinth and you will be amazed by its vaults containing angels and virgins on the tops. Section No. 1 of this cemetery is the resting place of Irish citizens who emigrated as a result of the extensive famine in their country.

You will also visit two other cemeteries during this tour: the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, which was built to honor the unclaimed victims of that catastrophe, and the Masonic Cemetery, one of the oldest and the first to be built to bury non-Catholics.

Details of interest

• Price: About 35 EUR.
• Duration: 1 hour and a half.
• Means of transport: On foot.
• Advantages of this option: You will visit three cemeteries of historical, architectural and religious interest.
• Disadvantages of this option: The tour does not include food and beverages.

One of the most interesting tours you can do is the one that includes a tour of New Orleans' Cypress Grove Cemetery, the first cemetery built for volunteer firefighters and their families, and Greenwood Cemetery, which has received thousands of yellow fever victims.

The tour can be done during the day and on foot, in small groups, and is suitable for all ages. During the tour of the cemeteries, a guide will tell you the history of each place, and the historical and symbolic relevance they have for their citizens.

Greenwood Cemetery does not have a striking architectural design, as it was designed to optimize space, given the enormous number of yellow fever victims.

Instead, the Cypress Grove has a unique entrance with two main towers, similar to the ceremonial architecture of Egypt.

Here you can see the vaults that were built by different volunteer fire companies, specially designed to honor their heroes. Even the bodies of volunteer firefighters that were in other cemeteries were moved there.

The Cypress Grove features vaults made by artisans and architects, made of marble, cast iron and granite, and an architectural style that is one of the most important in the country. The origin of the cemetery dates back to philanthropist Stephen Herderson, who donated property to the Firemen's Benevolent and Charitable Association in 1838.

Details of interest

• Price: About 18 EUR.
• Duration: 1 hour.
• Means of transportation: On foot.
• Advantages of this option: You will learn the history of the first cemetery built for volunteer firemen and war veterans, and the history of a cemetery built during the yellow fever epidemic.
• Disadvantages of this option: Some tours prohibit taking photos, so it is recommended to consult before photographing.

This tour is highly recommended if you want to learn about part of the history and culture of the city, more specifically related to voodoo, along with the oldest cemetery in New Orleans.

The tour consists of a visit to the key places related to voodoo and a tour of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, where Marie Laveau, known as the Queen of Voodoo, is buried.

It is a walking tour , in small groups, and both day and night. In addition, children can also participate in this tour, since the excursion is of historical interest.

Therefore, it is ideal for those who are looking for information about what voodoo really is, and not about spooky legends. During the tour, a specialized guide will tell you stories about voodoo and the sites related to its history.

During this tour, you will visit several sites of interest related to voodoo, such as the New Orleans Voodoo Historical Museum, the Voodoo Authentica store, the house where Marie Laveau lived and Louis Armstrong Park, which in older times was known as Congo Square.

Details of interest

• Price: About 25 EUR.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Means of transport: By bus.
• Advantages of this option: You will get to know the French Quarter and learn all about voodoo, its history, and about Marie Leveau, the queen of Voodoo.
• Disadvantages of this option: The Saint Louis Cemetery may only be visible from the outside due to some restrictive measures that are usually enforced. The tour does not include food and beverages.