New Orleans Cemeteries: A Visitor's Guide to St Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1

Two cemeteries, two very different visits

New Orleans is known for its “cities of the dead”: cemeteries filled with above-ground tombs, stacked family vaults and weathered stone, laid out like small streets of houses rather than the flat lawns most visitors expect. Of the more than a dozen historic cemeteries in the city, two matter most for a short visit, and they work in almost opposite ways. St Louis Cemetery No. 1, just outside the French Quarter, is the oldest surviving cemetery in the city and can only be entered with an authorised guide.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, in the Garden District, has historically allowed independent, self-guided visits during set hours. This guide covers how to actually get into each one, what a visit involves, and what to expect once you’re inside — not the history or the folklore behind them.

If you’re looking for the story of Voodoo, its roots and its place in New Orleans culture, that’s covered in a separate page: Voodoo in New Orleans: History and Tours. This page sticks to logistics.

Why the tombs are above ground

The short, practical answer: the ground doesn’t cooperate. Much of New Orleans sits at or below sea level, wedged between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, with a water table close to the surface. Early colonial burials in the ground reportedly resurfaced during floods, and the city moved toward above-ground vaults and family tombs as the practical solution.

Whatever the exact origin story, the result is what you see today: rows of whitewashed stone and brick structures, many built to hold multiple generations of the same family, reused over decades as older remains are moved to a lower vault or a communal space to make room for the next burial. It’s a functioning system, not a museum display — some tombs in both cemeteries are still in use.

St Louis Cemetery No. 1: guided access only

St Louis Cemetery No. 1 was established in the late 18th century and is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans still standing. It’s small, dense, and packed with elaborate tombs, some crumbling, some carefully maintained, arranged in narrow rows a short walk from Jackson Square.

The key practical fact: you cannot walk into St Louis Cemetery No. 1 on your own. Access is restricted to visitors accompanied by an archdiocese-approved guide, at set times and for a paid ticket. This isn’t a suggestion for safety or preservation reasons dressed up as a rule — it’s an access policy, and it has held for some years. There is no ticket booth where you buy your own entry and wander freely. Your options are:

• Book a guided walking tour that includes the cemetery. Several operators run tours that combine St Louis No. 1 with the French Quarter, Congo Square, or a Voodoo-themed walk. A dedicated guided tour of St Louis Cemetery No. 1 focuses specifically on the site.
• Combine it with a broader city walk. A guided walking tour that covers several of the city’s historic cemeteries is a good option if you want context beyond a single site.
• Pair it with a museum stop. Some operators run a combined museum and Voodoo-themed walking tour that includes cemetery access alongside indoor exhibits — useful on a hot afternoon or if rain is a risk.
• Hire a private guide. If you want a smaller group or a specific focus, a private, custom tour with a local guide can be built around the cemetery and adjusted to your pace.

A typical guided visit to St Louis No. 1 runs around an hour, sometimes bundled into a longer French Quarter walk of two hours or more. Groups are usually kept small given the narrow paths between tombs. Because this is a working cemetery with fragile, aging structures, guides generally ask visitors not to touch or lean on tombs, and photography rules can vary by operator — ask before you shoot.

What you’ll see inside

Guides typically point out a tomb attributed to Marie Laveau, the 19th-century figure associated with Voodoo in New Orleans — again, her history is covered separately on this site, but her tomb is a fixed stop on most walks. You’ll also see the stepped pyramid tomb built for actor Nicolas Cage, elaborate society tombs built by benevolent associations for their members, and family vaults dating to the cemetery’s founding. The layout is tight and shaded in places, uneven underfoot, and best managed in flat, closed shoes.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1: self-guided, in the Garden District

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 sits in the heart of the Garden District, across from Commander’s Palace, and is a natural stop if you’re already walking the neighbourhood’s oak-lined streets and antebellum mansions along St Charles Avenue. Unlike St Louis No. 1, this cemetery has historically allowed independent, self-guided entry during its posted opening hours, at no charge.

That said, hours are limited and change — some periods have seen shorter weekday hours, seasonal adjustments, and closures on Sundays or holidays. Don’t build your day around a specific opening time without checking current hours before you go; a locked gate at the address you expected to walk into is a common frustration for visitors who didn’t confirm in advance.

If you’d rather have a narrated visit, guided walks of Lafayette Cemetery are also sold, sometimes combined with the wider Garden District walking tours circuit that covers the neighbourhood’s mansions and history alongside the cemetery itself.

Layout and what to expect

Lafayette No. 1 dates to the 1830s and served the once-independent city of Lafayette before it was annexed by New Orleans. It’s laid out in a grid, more orderly and slightly more spacious than St Louis No. 1, with wide central aisles and rows of family tombs, many built of brick and covered in stucco that has weathered over nearly two centuries. It has appeared in film and television productions, which occasionally draws visitors specifically looking for a recognisable tomb, but most come simply to walk quietly among the vaults. A self-guided visit typically takes 30 to 45 minutes, longer if you’re reading inscriptions or photographing.

Comparing the two cemeteries

	St Louis Cemetery No. 1	Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
Location	Edge of the French Quarter	Garden District
Independent entry	Not permitted — guide required	Historically allowed, hours limited
Typical visit length	About 1 hour (guided)	30–45 minutes (self-guided)
Cost	Cost of the tour booked	Free to enter independently
Known for	Marie Laveau’s tomb, dense historic tombs	Orderly grid, film locations, Garden District setting
Best paired with	French Quarter or Voodoo-themed walk	Garden District walking tour, streetcar ride

Getting to St Louis Cemetery No. 1 and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

St Louis Cemetery No. 1 sits at the edge of the French Quarter, an easy walk from Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral for visitors already exploring the Quarter on foot. Since entry requires a guide, most people simply meet their group at a designated point rather than navigating to the cemetery independently — check your booking confirmation for exact meeting instructions rather than assuming you can walk straight up to the gate and buy a ticket.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is uptown in the Garden District, across from Commander’s Palace, and is most commonly reached by the St Charles Avenue streetcar, one of the classic ways of getting around the city; see Getting Around New Orleans by Streetcar for how the line runs and where to board. Walking from the French Quarter is possible but covers real distance, so a taxi, rideshare or the streetcar are the more practical options for most visitors.

Because both cemeteries sit within easy reach of other sights, few visitors treat either as a dedicated outing on its own. St Louis No. 1 pairs naturally with a morning in the French Quarter, while Lafayette No. 1 fits into a longer walk through the Garden District’s mansions, covered in Garden District History and Culture Tours.

Other historic cemeteries in New Orleans

St Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1 draw the most visitors, but they aren’t the only cemeteries in the city worth knowing about. St Louis Cemetery No. 2, a few blocks toward Treme, and St Louis Cemetery No. 3, further out on Esplanade Avenue, hold the same style of above-ground tombs and family vaults, though with their own access rules that can differ from the two covered on this page. Metairie Cemetery, west of the French Quarter, is larger and laid out differently, with grand mausoleums and monuments built by some of the city’s wealthier families.

None of these secondary cemeteries are covered in the same depth here, and access policy at each should be checked independently before visiting — what applies at one cemetery in the city’s system doesn’t necessarily apply at another. If your interest in the area runs toward Treme’s history and its connection to the city’s African American heritage and the roots of jazz, see Treme and the Birth of Jazz and African American Heritage in New Orleans for context that extends well beyond the cemeteries themselves.

Planning your visit

A few practical points that apply to both sites:

• Rules change. Access policy, hours and fees at both cemeteries have shifted over the years and can shift again. Treat anything you read here — including this page — as a starting point, and confirm current access before you plan around it, especially for St Louis No. 1’s guided-only policy.
• Footwear matters. Paths in both cemeteries are uneven brick, gravel or worn stone. Flat, closed shoes are worth the minor inconvenience.
• There’s little shade. Between late spring and early autumn, New Orleans heat and humidity build quickly by mid-morning. Water and sun protection are worth carrying, particularly for a guided visit that runs a full hour outdoors.
• These are active cemeteries, not attractions built for visitors. Some tombs in both sites are still used by local families. Guides generally set expectations for respectful behaviour — no sitting on tombs, no removing anything, quiet voices — and it’s worth following that lead even where a rule isn’t posted.
• Combine with a wider walk. St Louis No. 1 sits close enough to the French Quarter to fold into a morning of walking, and Lafayette No. 1 fits naturally into a Garden District visit along the streetcar line. Few visitors treat either cemetery as a standalone half-day trip.
• Ghost and Voodoo tours often include cemetery stops. If a cemetery visit is one part of a broader interest in the city’s ghost lore, see Ghost Tours in New Orleans Compared for how those itineraries are usually built, and Voodoo in New Orleans for the history and tour options built around that subject specifically.
• Fold it into a longer stay. If you’re mapping out how cemeteries fit into a broader trip, see How Many Days in New Orleans and Things to Do in New Orleans for how a cemetery visit sits alongside the rest of the city.
• Book ahead for St Louis No. 1. Guided tours can sell out, especially when demand is highest; booking at least a day in advance is safer than trying to arrange something the same morning.
• Tipping your guide. If you take a paid walking tour that includes cemetery access, a tip is customary practice, as it is for most guided tours in the city; see Tipping and Sales Tax in New Orleans for typical local practice.

Frequently asked questions about visiting New Orleans cemeteries

Why are the tombs in New Orleans cemeteries above ground?

New Orleans sits at or below sea level with a high water table, and early attempts at in-ground burial in the colonial period saw coffins float back up during floods. The city adopted above-ground vaults and family tombs instead, a practice that continued even as drainage and levees improved, and it became the dominant local style.

Can I visit St Louis Cemetery No. 1 without a tour?

No. Since 2015, independent, unaccompanied entry to St Louis Cemetery No. 1 is not permitted. Visitors must be with an authorised guide, either on a scheduled walking tour that includes the cemetery or by arranging a licensed guide for a private visit. This has been the rule for some years, but always confirm current terms before planning your day around it.

Is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 free to enter?

Yes, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 has historically been free to enter independently during its posted opening hours, which are limited and change, including seasonal adjustments and closures on Sundays. Guided tours of the cemetery are also sold for visitors who want a narrated visit rather than a self-guided walk.

How long does a cemetery tour take?

A typical guided visit to St Louis Cemetery No. 1, booked with an archdiocese-approved guide, runs about one hour, sometimes combined with a walk through the French Quarter or a nearby museum. A self-guided walk through Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 can be done in 30 to 45 minutes, longer if you stop to read inscriptions or take photographs.

Is Marie Laveau’s tomb in St Louis Cemetery No. 1?

Yes, a tomb attributed to Marie Laveau stands in St Louis Cemetery No. 1 and is one of the sites guides typically point out. For the history behind the figure and the Voodoo tradition associated with her, see this site’s separate guide to Voodoo in New Orleans; this page covers only the practical matter of visiting the cemetery itself.

What should I wear or bring to a cemetery tour?

Comfortable flat shoes for uneven paving, sun protection or a hat in summer, and water, since neither cemetery has much shade. Insect repellent is worth carrying between spring and autumn. Cameras are generally allowed, but ask your guide about any restrictions on tripods or commercial photography.

Are there other historic cemeteries worth visiting in New Orleans?

St Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1 are the two most visited and the focus of this guide, but New Orleans has more than a dozen historic cemeteries across the city, including St Louis No. 2 and No. 3 and Metairie Cemetery. Access rules differ site by site, so treat each one separately rather than assuming the same conditions apply.