St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans (must see)

Quite possibly the oldest and most renowned among New Orleans' "cities of the dead", Saint Louis Cemetery Number One was established in 1789, following the devastating Great Fire of 1788, and was located just beyond the city's boundaries at the time. Due to the city's location below sea level and a high water table, the decision was made to bury bodies aboveground, as previous attempts at underground burials had resulted in caskets floating to the surface during floods.

Today, this cemetery houses more than 700 tombs and has been the final resting place for thousands of individuals. It features crypts designed by renowned architects and artists, creating a somewhat eerie labyrinth. Most of these aboveground structures are owned by families and designed to hold multiple sets of remains. While constructed primarily of brick, many of the elaborate tombs are often covered in concrete or stucco. Some of the oldest tombs have succumbed to time, reduced to little more than crumbling ruins and piles of brick dust. One intriguing feature is the segregated Protestant section, situated at the rear of the predominantly Catholic cemetery.

Among the famous residents are civil rights activist Homer Plessy (known for the landmark case Plessy v. Ferguson) and the beloved Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. Her supposed tomb is a frequent stop on daily tours, although it's worth noting that she is believed to be actually buried in two separate tombs. Both graves bear the iconic XXX symbol, used to invoke Laveau's spirit for favors. Visitors often decorate them with Mardi Gras beads, bananas, flowers, bones, bottles of rum, and signed notes.

To enter the cemetery, tourists (those not related to the deceased) are required to be accompanied by a licensed tour guide, as mandated by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Several organizations offer guided tours, with one of the most reputable being Save Our Cemeteries. They conduct hour-long excursions, with tours commencing from the lobby of Basin Street Station nearby.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in New Orleans. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on Map

Sight Name: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Sight Location: New Orleans, USA (See walking tours in New Orleans)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in New Orleans, Louisiana

Create Your Own Walk in New Orleans

Create Your Own Walk in New Orleans

Creating your own self-guided walk in New Orleans is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Garden District Walking Tour

Garden District Walking Tour

It may come as a surprise, but New Orleans’ Garden District is known for its architecture more than for its gardens. The city’s elite residential neighborhood since the 19th century, when wealthy newcomers built opulent structures, it is considered one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the South, and certainly one of the most picturesque. You can see why this is the...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
Voodoo Tour

Voodoo Tour

Voodoo is an ancient ritualistic practice brought by enslaved West Africans onto the American soil upon their arrival in the 18th century. This form of religion was most prominent in New Orleans from the 1820s through the 1860s, when it was introduced by the “Voodoo Queens”. Of these, Marie Laveau became more prominent as she overthrew other queens to become the sole oracle.

Your best...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
French Quarter Walking Tour

French Quarter Walking Tour

The French Quarter, also known as the Old Square, is New Orleans' oldest and most popular neighborhood. Founded in 1718, it perfectly combines the tempting, noisy and nutty nightlife of Bourbon Street with important historical landmarks, art galleries, sophisticated cafés, and some of the city's oldest churches – all within walking distance, close to Mississippi River.

On this...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
French Quarter Historical Buildings Walking Tour

French Quarter Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Widely known for its heritage sites with a variety of unique architectural styles, New Orleans has lots of beautiful buildings designed in the Greek Revival, American Colonial, or Victorian styles. Walking around the French Quarter, you'll enjoy these old historic buildings (some open to the public), their old ironwork gates and balcony railings, the antique brick- and stone-paved sidewalks...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
African American Heritage Walking Tour

African American Heritage Walking Tour

For over 300 years, the African-American community has played an intrinsic role in creating authentic New Orleans that everyone loves today. The bedrock of the city's life is built on the African-American experience, a heritage both proud and tragic, yet strong enough to have preserved throughout centuries the many aspects of African culture, influencing everything from religion to vibrant...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles