Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Cemetery · Garden District

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Cemetery · Garden District

1427 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Highlights

Step into the haunting beauty of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, a historic gem with diverse above-ground tombs that whisper tales of New Orleans' past.

1427 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130 Get directions

nola.gov

@atlasobscura

"The lovely tree-filled grounds of Lafayette Cemetery were established in 1833, and it is the oldest of the city-owned and operated cemeteries in New Orleans. More than 7,000 people are buried in the cemetery, which occupies a space roughly equivalent to a single city block. The cemetery was named for the old city of Lafayette, now incorporated into New Orleans, and was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1972. Known for their distinctive above ground burials and particularly lovely monuments, New Orleans’ historic cemeteries are all worth exploring, including Saint Louis Cemetery #1 (home to the tomb of “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau), St. Louis Cemetery #2, and the racetrack-shaped Metairie Cemetery. If you love the show The Originals, then you might recognize this cemetery as the home of the witches. All the scenes that take place in a cemetery were filmed here. Update as of November 2020: Lafayette #1 is currently closed for repairs." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

Famous Cemeteries in New Orleans

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@afar

"Embark on a Cemetery Crawl New Orleans' cemeteries are part of the city's culture as well as its landscape—and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous. Opened in 1789 on the edge of the French Quarter, the cemetery is home to the tomb of Marie Laveau, a free woman of color who earned a reputation as the city's most powerful voodoo queen in the 1800s. Her tomb is littered with tributes (money, alcohol, candy, trinkets) left by those who hope the queen will grant their desires from beyond the grave. In the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 made a cameo in several movies, including Interview with a Vampire and Double Jeopardy . Save Our Cemeteries, a non-profit dedicated to cemetery restoration and preservation, runs tours of both St. Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1."

The Best Things to Do in New Orleans

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@suitcasemag

What to Do in New Orleans

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@cntraveler

"Spend two hours walking around the Garden District and one of NOLA's most grand burial grounds with guides whose love of history and New Orleans' rich culture rings out loud and clear. It's okay to geek out seeing the current and former homes of larger-than-life figures like Trent Reznor, Nicolas Cage, and Anne Rice. History buffs are much better suited for this tour than ghost hunters and Goths." - Paul Oswell

The Best New Orleans Tours, from Cemeteries to Street Art

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Nicholas P

Google

I came here before they were temporarily closed but I wanted to share some pictures. I loved seeing the craftsmanship because as you can see not all of them look the same. It’s like the perfect cemetery for a horror movie or show, walking around here at night would give you creepy, spine chilling vibes. It was free to visit and we didn’t do any tours. We drove here but parking was limited.

Louis and Elaine

Google

The cemetery is closed to entry. You may occasionally see people coming or going but they are there to maintain the tombs. You can see quite a bit through the locked iron gates if you walk around the perimeter. The Lafayette Cemetery Number One is the oldest cemetery in what was the City of Lafayette. Lafayette was later incorporated into New Orleans. The above ground tombs are varied and in some ways quite beautiful.

Balazs Kiss

Google

Still closed in November 2024. The cemetery was founded in 1833.

Jose Vega Fuentes

Google

Now it’s close, but be near to the cemetery it’s a unique experience.

J Ryan

Google

Temporarily closed so I was of course disappointed but went to multiple spots and got a few good looks of different mausoleums and plots. Really hoping to get inside some day. The work and craftmanship on many of these mausoleums, headstones and statues are second to none. Some are quite creepy as well which I'm totally into.

Jamie L. Lemay

Google

We only had 20 minutes to explore before the cemetery closed, but it was a worthy experience. There were a couple of guided tours happening nearby and we heard a few interesting tidbits of info. Definitely a quintessential point of interest in NOLA.

Scott Wakefield

Google

We took the walking tour and it was fantastic. Lee was our guide and he was the best tour guide we’ve ever had. He knew so much and had personal context which made the tour so much cooler. Loved all that we learned about the area and well worth the cost.

isarel ochoa

Google

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 is beautiful. Lafayette is surrounded with tall wonderful big trees. You can walk around outside the cemetery under the shade, you can enjoy the historic age white brick tall wall also see four metal gates. You see through the gates and take look at the victorian gothic victorian mausoleum. I can’t say to much come check it out.