Do you need a tour to enter St. Louis Cemetery No. 1?

Yes for sightseeing visits. New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, the Archdiocese ministry that owns the cemetery, states that tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 are offered only by Cemetery Tours New Orleans. Family members of those interred visit separately using a family pass.

Is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 open in 2026?

No. The City of New Orleans Division of Cemeteries lists Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 as closed to the public while repairs and improvements take place, with hours to be determined. Family members of those interred can make an appointment by phone.

Where is Marie Laveau buried?

Her reputed tomb is inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, which is why that cemetery is the one most visitors are asking about — and why the guided-access rule matters. Leaving marks or offerings on the tomb is the behaviour that led to access being restricted.

Which New Orleans cemetery can you visit without a guide?

Metairie Cemetery, which is privately owned and normally open during daylight hours, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 on Esplanade Avenue, which keeps short posted hours. Both are free to enter.

Are night cemetery tours actually inside a cemetery?

The two after-dark bus tours below both state that they go inside a cemetery at night. Neither is inside St. Louis No. 1, and one operator states explicitly that it does not disclose which cemetery it uses.

Is a cemetery tour appropriate for children?

The daytime history walks generally are, allowing for heat and uneven ground. These are working cemeteries where funerals still take place, so the etiquette matters more than the age: no climbing on tombs, no offerings, and step back from any ceremony you come across.

Best Ghost & Cemetery Tours in New Orleans

Some are history-led, some are theatre. Both are valid — know which you're booking.

Start here

I want St. Louis No. 1

The Marie Laveau cemetery. You cannot walk in — access is guided only. 1 eligible option names it.

I want a cemetery plus the city

Walking and bus tours that enter a cemetery and explain the burial customs. 3 eligible options.

I want a cemetery after dark

Night access is bus-based and never St. Louis No. 1. 2 eligible options.

How this list is filtered: we only show tours with at least 1,000 traveler reviews and a verified product-level link. Access rules below come from the cemeteries' own authorities, not from tour listings.

The access answer first

Which New Orleans cemetery can you actually get into?

The decision here is not which tour is nicest. It is which cemetery you want, whether that cemetery lets you in unaccompanied, and only then which format suits you. 6 tours clear our standard of 1,000 traveler reviews, from $25 to $56 per person as an indicative "from" price supplied by Viator. Exactly one of them names St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.

Official access rules, by cemetery

Source of each rule is the body that owns the cemetery: the Archdiocese of New Orleans for the St. Louis cemeteries, the City of New Orleans for Lafayette No. 1, private ownership for Metairie. Rechecked 25 August 2026.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

No — guided access only

Where: Edge of the French Quarter, at Basin Street
Governed by: New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, a ministry of the Archdiocese of New Orleans
The rule: The Archdiocese restricts sightseeing access to a tour it authorises: its own cemetery page states that tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 are offered only by Cemetery Tours New Orleans. Descendants of those interred visit separately with a family pass.
Why go: The oldest surviving cemetery in the city and the one most travelers mean: the reputed tomb of Marie Laveau and the tomb of Homer Plessy are both inside it.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

No — closed to the public

Where: Garden District, Washington Avenue at Prytania Street
Governed by: City of New Orleans, Department of Property Management — Division of Cemeteries
The rule: The City's own cemeteries page lists Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 as CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC while repairs and improvements take place, with hours listed as TBD. Family members of those interred may book a visit by appointment on (504) 658-3781.
Why go: Normally the classic pairing with a Garden District architecture walk. While it is closed, a tour that promises it is describing something you cannot currently enter — check before you book.

Metairie Cemetery

Yes — generally open to visitors, no ticket

Where: Mid-City / Metairie Road, a drive from the Quarter
Governed by: Privately owned and operated (Lake Lawn Metairie)
The rule: Not governed by the Archdiocese or the City. It is the one major cemetery you can normally drive and walk yourself during daylight opening hours, which are set by the owner and worth confirming on the day.
Why go: The most monumental of them: broad avenues, society tombs and mausoleums on a scale the Quarter cemeteries cannot match. Best if you have a car.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3

Yes — generally open during posted hours

Where: Esplanade Avenue, near City Park
Governed by: New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries (Archdiocese of New Orleans)
The rule: Unlike No. 1, No. 3 does not require an authorised tour for ordinary visits. Posted hours are short and it closes early, so confirm the day's hours with the cemetery office before travelling.
Why go: The quiet alternative: the same above-ground tomb architecture without a group, and the usual choice for anyone who wants to walk a cemetery at their own pace.

New Orleans cemeteries compared by location, governing authority, whether you may enter unaccompanied, the governing rule and why visitors go
Cemetery	Where	Walk in?	Governed by	The rule	Why go
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1	Edge of the French Quarter, at Basin Street	No — guided access only	New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, a ministry of the Archdiocese of New Orleans	The Archdiocese restricts sightseeing access to a tour it authorises: its own cemetery page states that tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 are offered only by Cemetery Tours New Orleans. Descendants of those interred visit separately with a family pass.	The oldest surviving cemetery in the city and the one most travelers mean: the reputed tomb of Marie Laveau and the tomb of Homer Plessy are both inside it.
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1	Garden District, Washington Avenue at Prytania Street	No — closed to the public	City of New Orleans, Department of Property Management — Division of Cemeteries	The City's own cemeteries page lists Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 as CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC while repairs and improvements take place, with hours listed as TBD. Family members of those interred may book a visit by appointment on (504) 658-3781.	Normally the classic pairing with a Garden District architecture walk. While it is closed, a tour that promises it is describing something you cannot currently enter — check before you book.
Metairie Cemetery	Mid-City / Metairie Road, a drive from the Quarter	Yes — generally open to visitors, no ticket	Privately owned and operated (Lake Lawn Metairie)	Not governed by the Archdiocese or the City. It is the one major cemetery you can normally drive and walk yourself during daylight opening hours, which are set by the owner and worth confirming on the day.	The most monumental of them: broad avenues, society tombs and mausoleums on a scale the Quarter cemeteries cannot match. Best if you have a car.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 3	Esplanade Avenue, near City Park	Yes — generally open during posted hours	New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries (Archdiocese of New Orleans)	Unlike No. 1, No. 3 does not require an authorised tour for ordinary visits. Posted hours are short and it closes early, so confirm the day's hours with the cemetery office before travelling.	The quiet alternative: the same above-ground tomb architecture without a group, and the usual choice for anyone who wants to walk a cemetery at their own pace.

Can you visit New Orleans cemeteries on your own?: Some of them. Metairie Cemetery and St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 are normally open to visitors during daylight hours with no ticket. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is not: the Archdiocese restricts sightseeing access to the tour it authorises. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in the Garden District is currently closed to the public by the City for repairs.
Which cemetery do you actually want?: If you want the Marie Laveau tomb, the answer is St. Louis No. 1 and you need the authorised tour. If you want scale and grandeur, Metairie. If you want to wander alone, St. Louis No. 3. If a tour promises Lafayette No. 1, check its current status before you pay.
Do ghost tours go inside the cemeteries?: Usually not the famous one. Of the six tours below, exactly one names St. Louis Cemetery No. 1; the after-dark bus tours enter a cemetery but one of them states outright that it does not disclose which. That is a format choice, not a defect — just know which product you are buying.
How long does a cemetery tour take?: The authorised St. Louis No. 1 walk is 55 minutes inside the cemetery. Cemetery-focused walking tours run two hours. Bus tours that combine a cemetery with the city run two to three hours including hotel pickup.
When should you go?: Morning, for the daytime options. The cemeteries close early in the afternoon, there is no shade between the tombs and the heat from May to September is punishing. After-dark tours are a different product and are bus-based for that reason.

The six strongest tours, and which cemetery each one enters

Everything in this table is the operator's own statement on its live Viator record, read on 25 August 2026. Where an operator does not name the cemetery it enters, we print “Not clearly stated” rather than guess for it. Nothing here is ranked by commission.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Official Walking Tour

$25 · 4,663 reviews · 55 minutes

Cemetery: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 — named by the operator
Access: Enters and walks the cemetery. This is the tour the Archdiocese names as the authorised route in; it starts at the Cemetery Tour Desk inside Basin St. Station.
Format: Small walking tour inside the cemetery only. Inclusion stated by the operator: guided tour through St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
Time of day: Daytime departures only — the cemetery closes to visitors in the afternoon
On your feet: Short distance, but uneven paths and no shade between the tombs; the walking is all inside one city block
Best for: Anyone whose actual goal is to get inside St. Louis No. 1 and stand at the Laveau and Plessy tombs. It is the shortest and the cheapest of the six, and the only one that names this cemetery.

New Orleans Cemetery Walking Tour

$30 · 1,065 reviews · 2 hours

Cemetery: Not clearly stated
Access: Walks several cemeteries. The operator's own itinerary names the Hurricane Katrina memorial on a former potter's field and the crossroads where numerous cemeteries meet, but does not name St. Louis No. 1.
Format: Walking tour of several cemeteries, covering tomb architecture and burial customs. Inclusion stated: local guide.
Time of day: Daytime
On your feet: Two hours on foot outdoors, on uneven ground
Best for: Travelers who want the burial customs explained properly over two hours and do not need one specific famous cemetery.

New Orleans City and Cemetery 2-Hour Bus Tour

$55 · 2,218 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes

Cemetery: Not clearly stated
Access: Includes a walking tour of a historic cemetery, in the operator's words — the cemetery itself is described but not named.
Format: Air-conditioned bus with a licensed driver-guide, plus one cemetery walk. Inclusions stated: cemetery walking tour, live commentary, air conditioning, hotel pickup and drop-off from selected hotels.
Time of day: Daytime
On your feet: Most of the tour is seated on the bus; the walking is confined to the cemetery stop — the easiest of the six on your feet
Best for: Anyone with limited mobility, or a hot day, or a first visit where the cemetery is one part of getting the city straight: Garden District, Tremé, Katrina recovery and City Park all included.

New Orleans City Tour: French Quarter, Garden District & Cemetery

$40 · 2,750 reviews · 3 hours

Cemetery: Not clearly stated
Access: Steps inside one of the city's cemeteries, in the operator's words, to see above-ground tombs — the cemetery is not named in the itinerary.
Format: Air-conditioned mini-bus with a licensed local guide. Inclusions stated: hotel pickup and drop-off, licensed guide, air conditioning.
Time of day: Daytime
On your feet: Seated for most of three hours, with short walks at stops
Best for: The single best-value orientation day if you want French Quarter, Garden District, a cemetery, City Park and Frenchmen Street in one go rather than a cemetery specialist tour.

New Orleans Dead of Night Ghosts and Cemetery Bus Tour

$55 · 2,309 reviews · 2 hours

Cemetery: Deliberately undisclosed — the operator states it does not reveal which cemetery you will visit
Access: Enters a cemetery at night. The itinerary names Bayou St. John and the Magnolia Bridge, and a cemetery built during the yellow fever epidemics, but the operator explicitly withholds which one.
Format: Air-conditioned bus, ghost-led storytelling outside the French Quarter. Inclusions stated: professional guide, air conditioning.
Time of day: After dark
On your feet: Bus-based with short stops; a break at Café du Monde is at your own expense
Best for: Travelers whose real want is a cemetery after dark with the ghost framing, and who are relaxed about which cemetery that turns out to be.

After Dark Haunted New Orleans City and Cemetery Bus Tour

$56 · 1,863 reviews · 2 hours

Cemetery: Not clearly stated
Access: States exclusive access to a cemetery at night and going inside an above-ground cemetery. Other cemeteries are driven past; the Katrina memorial cemetery is viewed from outside the gates.
Format: Air-conditioned bus with live commentary. Inclusions stated: night cemetery access, EMF readers, air conditioning.
Time of day: After dark
On your feet: Bus-based, with a restroom break; short walking inside the cemetery stop
Best for: The most overtly paranormal of the six — EMF readers and ghost hunting. Choose it for the format, not for the history.

Eligible New Orleans cemetery tours compared by the cemetery named, access, duration, format, time of day, walking load, indicative from price and review volume
Tour	Cemetery named	Access	Duration	Format	Time of day	On your feet	From	Reviews	Best for
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Official Walking Tour	St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 — named by the operator	Enters and walks the cemetery. This is the tour the Archdiocese names as the authorised route in; it starts at the Cemetery Tour Desk inside Basin St. Station.	55 minutes	Small walking tour inside the cemetery only. Inclusion stated by the operator: guided tour through St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.	Daytime departures only — the cemetery closes to visitors in the afternoon	Short distance, but uneven paths and no shade between the tombs; the walking is all inside one city block	$25	4.6 ★ · 4,663	Anyone whose actual goal is to get inside St. Louis No. 1 and stand at the Laveau and Plessy tombs. It is the shortest and the cheapest of the six, and the only one that names this cemetery.
New Orleans Cemetery Walking Tour	Not clearly stated	Walks several cemeteries. The operator's own itinerary names the Hurricane Katrina memorial on a former potter's field and the crossroads where numerous cemeteries meet, but does not name St. Louis No. 1.	2 hours	Walking tour of several cemeteries, covering tomb architecture and burial customs. Inclusion stated: local guide.	Daytime	Two hours on foot outdoors, on uneven ground	$30	4.9 ★ · 1,065	Travelers who want the burial customs explained properly over two hours and do not need one specific famous cemetery.
New Orleans City and Cemetery 2-Hour Bus Tour	Not clearly stated	Includes a walking tour of a historic cemetery, in the operator's words — the cemetery itself is described but not named.	2 hours 15 minutes	Air-conditioned bus with a licensed driver-guide, plus one cemetery walk. Inclusions stated: cemetery walking tour, live commentary, air conditioning, hotel pickup and drop-off from selected hotels.	Daytime	Most of the tour is seated on the bus; the walking is confined to the cemetery stop — the easiest of the six on your feet	$55	4.7 ★ · 2,218	Anyone with limited mobility, or a hot day, or a first visit where the cemetery is one part of getting the city straight: Garden District, Tremé, Katrina recovery and City Park all included.
New Orleans City Tour: French Quarter, Garden District & Cemetery	Not clearly stated	Steps inside one of the city's cemeteries, in the operator's words, to see above-ground tombs — the cemetery is not named in the itinerary.	3 hours	Air-conditioned mini-bus with a licensed local guide. Inclusions stated: hotel pickup and drop-off, licensed guide, air conditioning.	Daytime	Seated for most of three hours, with short walks at stops	$40	4.8 ★ · 2,750	The single best-value orientation day if you want French Quarter, Garden District, a cemetery, City Park and Frenchmen Street in one go rather than a cemetery specialist tour.
New Orleans Dead of Night Ghosts and Cemetery Bus Tour	Deliberately undisclosed — the operator states it does not reveal which cemetery you will visit	Enters a cemetery at night. The itinerary names Bayou St. John and the Magnolia Bridge, and a cemetery built during the yellow fever epidemics, but the operator explicitly withholds which one.	2 hours	Air-conditioned bus, ghost-led storytelling outside the French Quarter. Inclusions stated: professional guide, air conditioning.	After dark	Bus-based with short stops; a break at Café du Monde is at your own expense	$55	4.7 ★ · 2,309	Travelers whose real want is a cemetery after dark with the ghost framing, and who are relaxed about which cemetery that turns out to be.
After Dark Haunted New Orleans City and Cemetery Bus Tour	Not clearly stated	States exclusive access to a cemetery at night and going inside an above-ground cemetery. Other cemeteries are driven past; the Katrina memorial cemetery is viewed from outside the gates.	2 hours	Air-conditioned bus with live commentary. Inclusions stated: night cemetery access, EMF readers, air conditioning.	After dark	Bus-based, with a restroom break; short walking inside the cemetery stop	$56	4.7 ★ · 1,863	The most overtly paranormal of the six — EMF readers and ghost hunting. Choose it for the format, not for the history.

Prices are indicative "from" values supplied by Viator and change with date and party size. The itinerary that counts is the one confirmed on Viator at booking.

Getting inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

This is the cemetery most people mean, and the one you cannot enter alone. The Archdiocese authorises a single tour operator for sightseeing visits, so there is one route in rather than a shortlist. It is also the shortest and cheapest tour on this page.

The Official Walking Tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Official Walking Tour

4.6 ★4,663 reviews· 55 min

The Official Tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 takes you through the gates to walk the paths between the tombs where the most famous of New Orleans' historical figures have been laid to rest. Visit the tombs of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, Homer Plessy, and more.

Indicative from $25 — confirmed on Viator

Best Ghost & Cemetery Tours in New Orleans

Which New Orleans cemetery can you actually get into?

Official access rules, by cemetery

The six strongest tours, and which cemetery each one enters

Getting inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Official Walking Tour

A cemetery plus the city that built it

New Orleans Cemetery Walking Tour

New Orleans City and Cemetery 2-Hour Bus Tour

New Orleans City Tour: French Quarter, Garden District & Cemetery

A cemetery after dark

New Orleans Dead of Night Ghosts and Cemetery Bus Tour

After Dark Haunted New Orleans City and Cemetery Bus Tour

Why the access rules exist

What to verify before you pay for any of these

If a cemetery tour is not the right answer

Frequently asked questions

Primary sources used on this page

Our verdicts

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St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Official Walking Tour

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