Visiting a cemetery isn’t something I typically seek out for fun, not even on Halloween. Which explains why I had yet to visit a New Orleans cemetery until our recent trek back to the Big Easy. It wasn’t so much “fun” or a Halloween scare I was seeking out but rather a history lesson on one of my favorite cities in the Union. Ever since I first visited New Orleans – more than a decade ago – I’ve been mesmerized by the cemeteries. The art they hold. The history. The process of burying above ground. The one goal I had to achieve on this trip was going on a New Orleans cemetery tour. Luckily, The Husband agreed to go with his scaredy-cat wife.

New Orleans cemetery tour

New Orleans Cemetery Tour

There are countless New Orleans cemetery tour companies advertising online. I found it somewhat difficult to narrow it down to plain old cemetery tours since many group them together into city tours and/or plantation tours. While a city tour of New Orleans is great, I’ve done it and really had no interest in doing it again, thus I just wanted what I wanted – a New Orleans cemetery tour.

A good one we found was through Haunted History Tours. Their New Orleans cemetery tour runs at 10am and 1:15pm. (Tip: If it’s a warm day, go to the morning tour.) Tours meet outside the Reverend Zombies House of Vodoo about 15 minutes before the scheduled time. It’s located across the street from Pat O’Briens on Saint Peters St. The price is $25 per person and the tour runs two hours. Plan to bring cash. Depending on where you’re staying you may be able to get a discounted rate; check with the concierge.

New Orleans haunted cemetery tour
The Haunted History Tours website says reservations are required, we did not make a reservation but we were also visiting in a slower time of year and it was a Friday. If you’re planning to go on a weekend and/or during peak season I highly suggest making a reservation.

Our tour included the St. Louis Cemetery Number One, but that’s not where we started. To fully understand and appreciate the cemetery one needs to understand a bit of its origin and how it came to be. In other words, one must have a BRIEF understanding of New Orleans history. Thus, the tour begins on Saint Peters St. with a short walk through the French Quarter to St. Louis Cemetery Number One, stopping along the way to see where buildings stood that were home to people such as the man who is said to have caused the 1788 fire in New Orleans. It was this fire that resulted in the St. Louis Cemetery Number One being built.

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The St. Louis Cemetery Number One is the oldest, most famous New Orleans cemetery and replaced the city’s older St. Peter Cemetery (no longer in existence) as the main burial ground when the city was redesigned after the fire in 1788.

The cemetery spans just one square block but is the resting place of many thousands. In fact, there are more people in New Orleans dead – buried here – than there are alive. How can that be? Think “natural cremation” as our guide educated us. Essentially, a body is placed in the family tomb 1-3 days after the person has passed. The HOT New Orleans summers and tomb cause the body to decompose into ash, aka “natural cremation”.

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Rows of smaller and larger tombs fill the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Notice the brick and concrete openings to the tombs. Bodies are placed in a wooden box (still to this day), a Sexton closes the tomb, mason then bricks/plasters it closed. They are not reopened for one year and a day. On that day after, the wooden box is emptied and the ashes are swept into the back of the tomb or into the bottom of a family/large tomb.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
A midsized family tomb at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Care of all tombs are the responsibility of the family who owns them.

Care of all tombs are the responsibility of the family who owns them, even if the family is no longer “around”. They are deemed as private property by the Catholic Church, who owns the cemetery. Many of the tombs were crumbling and falling into disrepair. It’s a pretty sad sight, actually. Our guide did tell us there are some conservation groups that will occasionally step in and help if family members cannot be reached to tend to their property. Tombs can still be purchased today for around $15k. However, they must include perpetual care to ensure they do not fall into disrepair. It was my understanding that families could also purchase perpetual care for existing tombs.

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A Protestant section lies in the north-west section of St. Louis Cemetery Number One

To be buried at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. you have to be Catholic. I thought it was interesting though that there is a Protestant section of the cemetery that lies in the north-west section; the majority are not vaulted. It’s covered in beautiful, little yellow flowers.

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Renowned Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau was buried in the Glapion family crypt. Her grave is the second most visited grave site in the United States. The first is Elvis.

Renowned Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau was buried in the Glapion family crypt. Her grave is the second most visited grave site in the United States. The first is Elvis (I visited both during the month of September, not on purpose but kinda strange all the same). Wondering how a Voodoo priestess was allowed to be buried here? Apparently she was also a devote Catholic who went to Mass every day. This is according to our tour guide, Charles, who also practices Voodoo. He enlightened us on how Voodoo and Catholicism are similar and “really compliment and support each other”.  I don’t know enough about Voodoo but regardless of his pitch, Voodoo still kinda makes me uneasy (as I say a few Hail Mary’s).

Marie Laveau is known to help those whose path are crossed. Those who are tangled into things they can’t get out of. People come from all over the world to pray to her for help and guidance. When the guide told our group this, many said little prayers and touched the tomb…

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Marie Laveau’s tomb
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Exposed brick at the final resting place of Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. The three X’s placed on the Voodoo grave sites are left by visitors. Their meaning in true Voodoo practice is nothing -according to our guide who practices Voodoo. A little online research told me people believe they represent warding off evil spirits and/or you will be immortalized and you will be rich.
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Offerings at the Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau tomb included lipstick, combs (she was a hairdresser) and traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras beads.
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Dr John, a Voodoo priest is also buried at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. The “offerings” people left for him were fun and very New Orleans – dice, cards and cigarettes.

From Old to New at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

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Nicholas Cage has the newest tomb built at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. A little different in terms of the architecture at the cemetery. No one has been buried here yet.
oldest grave
One of the original grave sites at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. It wasn’t as effective as the tombs now used.
Italia
There were several “group” tombs at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. This one being specifically for the Italian Immigrant Organization. I was told it was likely there were 25,000 people buried in this particular tomb.
angel
Everyone needs a sweet angel to pray and protect you…
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Many of the walls have sunk at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. The bottom row are a bit lower than they once were.

Looks like a small entrance? Well, it is. Many of the walls have sunk at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 due to the ground water. The bottom rows are a bit lower than they once were. I’m not sure if they can still be used but would assume so.

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Family tombs are the responsibility of the family to care for. And so, Mr. Smith has chosen to decorate his family’s tomb with bright, ornate and welcoming colors.

Family tombs are the responsibility of the family to care for. And so, Mr. Smith has chosen to decorate his family’s tomb with bright, ornate and welcoming colors. He’s quite the welcoming committee at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. His family’s site is near the entrance and he’s there everyday to tend to it and welcome visitors. You can find him there walking through the maze of rows at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 checking on all the tombs and providing a few history lessons for visitors.

MrSmith
‘Keep on livin till u cant help it no more’ – Mr. Author Raymond Smith

And this completes New Orleans cemetery tour at St. Louis Cemetery Number One.

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And this completes our tour of St. Louis Cemetery Number One.
New Orleans cemetery tour guide
The very knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide – Charles, Charlie, Charles Duffy III, Duffy or Duff. Make sure to check out Haunted History Tours, and ask for him.

Have you ever visited St. Louis Cemetery Number One or done a New Orleans Cemetery Tour?

19 Comments

  1. What a fantastic tour of this cemetery, love the history and vibe of the place. Thanks for linking up to Travel Photo Mondays.

  2. The tour guide makes (or destroys) the tour and you were able to get a great guide to share these beautiful pictures and history. I hadn’t realized there was natural cremation in this area, but it makes sense.

    1. Yes, we had a GREAT tour guide who really did know a lot – and was entertaining. The New Orleans summers are intense. I mean intense. The natural cremation process is very effective here. Thanks for reading!

  3. Wow, hadn’t realised that New Orleans is famous for its cemeteries when I visited there. Certainly an interesting post!

    1. Thanks! The next time you head out to NOLA try to visit one. While it’s a little creepy, it’s still beautiful and such a great history lesson.

  4. What a unique and great tour! I visited New Orleans years ago and wanted to do this but couldn’t convince my fellow travelers. I’d love to do it in the future. Wonderful photos!

    1. Thanks! It’s a lot of fun and a great history lesson. Hope you’re able to make it happen on your next visit.

  5. These photos are stellar! Such beautiful colors in New Orleans architecture and the clouds in that first one – gorgeous. I haven’t been to New Orleans in a very long time and even then I didn’t have much time to really look around. I’d love to go back. And? I want that tour guide’s hat.

    1. I know, his hat is awesome. Hope you’re able to get back out there. I’d like to just go and spend a week walking the Quarter and Garden District taking pictures. There’s so much to see and capture. Thanks for reading and I hope you’re able to get back to New Orleans soon.

  6. I did a cemetery tour when I was in New Orleans last year, but it was a bit different than this tour (it focused on the history and preservation of the cemeteries). I’d love to go back and take a tour like this as well. New Orleans has such a fascinating history, and the cemeteries are really interesting to visit.

    1. There are several groups who do cemetery tours. The one you did may have been done by the historic preservation group. I haven’t done that one yet.

  7. I’ve never done a cemetery tour, though I’ve heard good things about many of them.

  8. That looks awesome! We will actually be in New Orleans next month, so now I am hoping that we can fit this in!

  9. Wow! That is a really fabulous article!! My parents were caretakers of a cemetery when I was little and we lived on the premises. My dad was also worked for a monument company and we would visit several cemeteries looking at the headstones for ideas. Weird, I know, but I think I’ve grown up with the appreciation of the “art” of the cemeteries rather than being scared!

    1. That’s a very interesting thing to do as a kid and one that would create more of an appreciation of the “art”. Hope you’re able to get to NOLA to see the “art” there sometime too.

  10. How cool. NOLA is one of my favorite cities. Next time this is on my “to do” list.

  11. So funny story — I did a grad school project on cemeteries. Everyone thought I was totally dark and twisted. But I thought the tombstones were awesome! So I get it.

  12. Great back story on the cemeteries in New Orleans. NOLA is one of my favorite cities and the cemeteries like the people are filled with so much history and diversity.

  13. Creepy in an awesome way, I’d love to do a haunted tour!

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