St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is often considered one of the United States’ – and the world’s – most famous cemeteries. It’s a must-see attraction, frequently topping any “must see” list for visitors to New Orleans, Louisiana (New Orleans: The City of the Dead.). Located just outside of the equally famous French Quarter, it’s a unique experience, as it’s a completely above-ground cemetery, created that way to accommodate the frequent flooding that New Orleans used to experience. First opened in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, quickly approaching its 235th birthday. A Catholic cemetery, it is, to this day, owned and maintained by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is home to numerous well-known (and infamous) forever occupants. A true historical site, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was placed on the list of National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Even though St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is only one single city block, thousands are buried within its walls. Built 8 blocks from the mighty Mississippi River, it has been in continuous use since its creation almost 2.5 centuries ago. Contrary to popular belief, one can still be buried inside this famous cemetery – if you are lucky enough to be a member of a family with a burial tomb within its walls. Due to being an above-ground cemetery that uses concrete tombs, or “vaults”, ground space is not an issue for those who manage to snag a family plot. You simply are shoved into the tomb or a temporary “wall vault” for one year and one day to wait your turn, as Catholicism forbids the opening of any vault for exactly one year. It also forbids cremation, so those buried within this cemetery must all be buried “intact”.
So, how do they continue filling these vaults with family members for decades, sometimes centuries? Due to the overwhelming amount of humidity New Orleans experiences almost year-round, and the forbidding of opening the vault for one year and one day, the most recent burial within the family vault is liable to be nothing but bones. After that one year and one day deadline, they open the vault, and push back the “bag of bones” into the “basement” of the vault (they are not ground level as they appear to be but are built several feet into the ground). If two family members happen to pass at the same time, or one passes during another’s one year and one day timeframe, they must go into a holding cell a.k.a. the wall vault, built into the wall surrounding the cemetery. Only one person is allowed within the family vault at a time to decompose.
Due to its notoriety, one can now only access St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 via a guided, licensed, prepaid tour. It used to be open to the public, and free; however, in 2015 the Archdiocese of New Orleans changed that due to vandalism issues. If you want to visit this cemetery while visiting New Orleans, I highly suggest purchasing a tour well before your visit date, as the spots go quickly. You may get lucky and find an open spot day-of, but the odds will NOT be in your favor, and you may not find enough for everyone in your party. We purchased tickets via Viator, which can be accessed at https://www.viator.com/ or the app. Tickets are $25 per person, with groups of 20 leaving approximately every 30 minutes. The cemetery is open from 9am – 3:45pm, with the last tour usually available at 3pm.
While St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is famous for its history and age, one of the main reasons it’s so well-known is due to who is buried there. The notorious Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau is said to be buried within the Glapion family crypt. For those who have seen American Horror Story: Coven, she was played by Angela Bassett. Marie is one of the main reasons why the Archdiocese had to close the gates to the public and allow the cemetery to be accessed via guided tour only. Her family’s tomb was continuously vandalized with people etching XXX all over it. Due to popular folklore, if you mark her tomb with three X’s, clap three times, turn around and shout out your wish, her spirit will hear you and grant your wish. Of course, people still sneak in at night to perform this ritual. However, good luck doing it while on your guided tour.
Aside from Marie, there are other well-known and/or historical people buried within. These include Bernard de Marigny, a French-Creole American politician, playboy, writer, and President of the Louisiana State Senate from 1822 to 1823; Barthelemy Lafon, a notable Creole architect, engineer, and city planner of New Orleans, who also moonlighted as a pirate and smuggler for the pirate Jean Lafitte; Paul Morphy, a celebrated 17th-century American chess player who’s considered to be the greatest chess master of his era; Homer Plessy, of “Plessy v. Ferguson”, the decision that led to “separate but equal” becoming the law of the land for 58 years; and finally – and very allegedly – Delphine LaLaurie, the infamous, evil, and terrible New Orleans socialite and serial killer. She is most well-known for her torture and murder of slaves within her French Quarter mansion. She was run out by an angry mob after this grotesque reality was discovered during a house fire. She allegedly fled to France, and it’s highly debated whether she was buried in France or if she secretly snuck back to New Orleans, eventually finding her eternal resting spot in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (and hopefully, Hell). She was portrayed by Kathy Bates in AHS: Coven.
One last notable tomb within St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is that of the famous actor Nicholas Cage. Even though Cage is still very much alive, his bizarre – and quite frankly, ugly – tomb is already built and ready to go. While it’s practically impossible to purchase ground within this cemetery in modern times, when you have fame and money, anything is possible!
Overall, I strongly suggest a visit to the world-famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, particularly if you are an enthusiast of historical sites or a believer in the paranormal (or both, like me). It’s not something I’d ever recommend passing up, especially if it’s your first trip to New Orleans. I visited New Orleans for the first time in 2018, and missed the opportunity to visit this cemetery, as I wasn’t informed that you needed a pre-bought, guided tour, and attempted to go on my last day there. I left New Orleans feeling like my trip was incomplete and I didn’t know when I’d be back. Luckily, I was able to visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 almost exactly 5 years later, and my New Orleans adventure felt finally whole. It’s an awe-inspiring place, once you learn the history, who’s buried there, and why they are buried the way they are. Definitely check it out!
