What New Orleans Cemeteries Are Open to the Public

cemetery tour

All the New Orleans cemeteries are open to the public. At the present time (January 2023) one of the most popular near Commander’s Palace restaurant is closed due to repairs. But all other ones are open.

 

The St. Louis Cemetery, owned by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, currently have restrictions on how many can enter at a time. To access this cemetery you need a guided tour. You can go to Cemetery Tours New Orleans to book a visit. This is probably the most interesting and best kept of these cemeteries in New Orleans. And it is more interesting than just walking around by yourself. The tour guide will be able to tell you fascinating and interesting facts that you would not get from a guidebook.

 

Why are folks so fascinated with New Orleans cemeteries? Most places in New Orleans where people are buried contain crypts rather than being buried in the ground. Some call these places cities of the dead. It is really the only place in America where people are buried above ground.

 

Many find these places interesting because you can read the names of the deceased as many generations of families use the same crypt over and over. Some famous crypts people like to visit at the St. Louis Cemetery is that of Marie Laveau, the famous voodoo queen and the weird pyramid shaped crypt built by Nicholas Cage for when he moves on to the great beyond.

 

Here is an interesting article about the St. Louis Cemetery.