New Orleans Cemetery Tours Fascinate Tourists
Louisiana’s Cities of The Dead a Strange But Stunning Day Out
Aug 8, 2009
The city’s oldest outdoor museums, the historic cemeteries provide a fascinating glimpse into the romance and tragedy of three centuries of life and death in New Orleans. The cemeteries are best known for their unique, aboveground tombs, in this city where people are more likely to be buried six feet over than six feet underground.
While the tombs and wall vaults of the New Orleans Cemeteries may look similar to those in other cites such as Paris, there is one important difference that is not obvious to the naked eye. Such structures in other cemeteries are usually memorials to the people who have been lost, with the bodies buried in crypts under ground. In New Orleans, the remains are actually kept in the tombs and wall vaults themselves.
Above Ground Burials in New Orleans
The first cemetery in New Orleans, St Peter’s was established in 1721 in the French Quarter and was the first – and last – to use below ground burials. It soon became clear that New Orleans was prone to frequent flooding, which combined with high water tables due to the city being entirely below sea level, presented an unfortunate set of problems.
In heavy rains, the coffins would move, and could rise to the surface even after they were loaded down with rocks and sand bags, and holes were bored in the caskets to release trapped air.
Eventually it became clear that New Orleans cemeteries could not be like those in other towns and cities, and the above ground burials began. Over the years 31 cemeteries have been established around the city, with the most famous including St Louis Cemetery, Holt Cemetery, Lafayette Cemetery and Metairie Cemetery.
St Louis Cemetery, New Orleans
St. Louis Cemetery Number 1 was established in 1789. The first to use raised tombs in the area, St Louis Cemetery became the burial ground of some of New Orleans’ most illustrious citizens.
Visitors can see the final resting place of Etienne Boré, the first mayor of New Orleans, and the man credited with the process of making granulated sugar, the world famous chess champion Paul Morphy, and various local and national figures.
It is also home to the vault where it is rumoured Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau was laid to rest. Marie Laveau is said to be one of many ghosts that haunt the cemetery, and followers decorate her supposed grave with candles and flowers in the hope that she will bless them.
Lafayette Cemetery, New Orleans
One of the earliest and most significant aboveground burial sites in New Orleans, Lafayette Cemetery Number 1 is found in the historic Garden District. It was the city’s first planned cemetery, and has been in continual use since it was declared a city burial site in 1833.
Its incredible history and architectural importance has earned Lafayette Cemetery a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Movie fans may also recognise parts of the cemetery from films including Interview With The Vampire and Double Jeopardy. Easy Rider is the only movie to be filmed in St Louis Number 1, and that was only because it was filmed without permission.
Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans
While its name would suggest the Metairie Cemetery could be found in the Louisiana city of the same name, it is in fact on the edge of New Orleans’ city limits. The cemetery features the largest collection of elaborate marble tombs in the city.
Founded in 1872, Metairie Cemetery is a chance to enjoy a diverse range of cemetery architecture, including an Egyptian Revival Tomb, a Roman Temple, and memorials of the Army of Tennessee and the Army of Northern Virginia. The remains of hundreds of Confederate soldiers are held in the Confederate Monument in Metairie.
Safety Tips for Visiting New Orleans Cemeteries
Tourists could spend weeks exploring the various cemeteries around the city, tracing the changing styles of the tombs through the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Unfortunately some tourists have fallen victim to a number of crimes after visiting the cemeteries, as they have either visited at the wrong time, or ventured into an area that is unsafe. Some of the cemeteries are in neighborhoods that would not be recommended for tourists to visit at any time of day, while in other cemeteries should be avoided at twilight or night.
It is best to take an official tour through the cemeteries. Save Our Cemeteries is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting New Orleans’ cemeteries. Their guides are licensed New Orleans tour guides, and proceeds from their tours are used to help restore historic tombs.
Official Tour Guides for New Orleans Cemeteries
There are a range of other cemetery tours on offer in New Orleans, but always insist on seeing a valid tour guide license, rather than trusting someone who simply says they are a cemetery employee or volunteer. Tourist offices and most hotels will be able to provide you with a selection of tours to choose from.
For those who prefer to go without an official guide, remember there is safety in numbers and it’s best to travel with a group of friends. Visit the cemeteries in the middle of the day, and ask at the hotel if it is in a safe area.
Halloween is a popular time to go on cemetery tours, and an incredible time to visit New Orleans to take advantage of its haunted history and party throwing skills.
Most importantly, don't leave New Orleans without taking a tour of at least one of its incredible cemeteries. And take a fully charged camera with you. This is one tourist experience that is worth recording.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
