St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Official Tour

Mary Brandon was my tour guide and she is a national treasure. Her family has been in New Orleans for nearly 300 years, and her grandparents were introduced by Marie Laveau. She babysat her father (he was 74 when she was born). You can tell she has a true love of the city and its people, traditions and rituals. This is absolutely worth a visit, especially with Mary. Notably, there are important figures here, not just Marie Laveau. I wished I’d brought paper and pencil/charcoal to trace the letters of some headstones/plaques.

If you’re booking the St. Louis Cemetery #1 tour, ask for Will. Seriously. He’s an incredible guide, the kind who makes history feel alive instead of something you’re just listening to. His storytelling is sharp, engaging, and full of those fascinating details you’d never discover on your own. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does, and that energy makes the whole experience feel personal rather than scripted. He strikes the perfect balance between history, culture, and local insight, with just the right touch of humour. The cemetery is already powerful and atmospheric, but Will gives it real depth and meaning. One of the absolute highlights of our time in New Orleans. Highly recommend.

We booked a tour with Richie and I am so thankful we were able to experience this with him! This man knows and loves his city and his enthusiasm and knowledge made this experience one of a kind! It was informative without being too much content to digest. Richie shared stories from his personal life, some dad jokes, and gave recommendations of all his favorite things. He was so genuinely kind and enriched the experience!

We booked this tour for a party of 9 and we all definitely enjoyed it. Buddy, our tour guide was amazing. He was very informative and knowledgeable. We enjoyed his humor and personal stories. You will definitely walk away more knowledgeable about the history of New Orleans and the unique burial practices that still live today.

The tour was fantastic. I would highly recommend. It was fascinating to learn all about the history of burials in New Orleans and Richard was absolutely outstanding. He made the whole tour fun and fascinating if you can request Richard for a tour do so.

Our tour of the St. Louis Cemetery No 1 was amazing. Our tour guide Richie was both informative and engaging. He was authentic in nature and provided a rich history of New Orleans while being extremely respectful of the culture and families that make up the cemetery. His knowledge of the history was in depth and he was able to answer everyone’s questions. We even had a French family in the tour with us and he stayed engaged with them and was able to fold in more for their history interest. It was a freezing day and he was mindful to keep us in the sun and moving to stay warm. This tour was SO much more than we anticipated. Make sure you allow for time beforehand to check in and enjoy the little shop in there. Richie truly was a difference maker - he even made cards of his own personal recommendations for places to visit/eat and documentaries to watch! (although we lost it after using it so now I’m on a hunt for the documentaries if anyone has that!) Would highly recommend!

Taylor took us on an outstanding tour! He was informative and fun! I learned so much about the history of the city, it's people, and the burial process. Would highly recommend this tour!

My husband and I had an absolutely magical time here! Such an incredible place with the most beautiful architecture and such interesting history. We had the best tour guide, a French lady named Emi, who was so wonderful. It was particularly great getting to hear the correct pronunciations of all the French names on the tour in her beautiful accent. Even though it was about 30 degrees outside, we had the best time and it was absolutely worth braving the cold for this amazing tour. Hope we can visit again soon!

Advanced reservations are recommended to secure the time you want for the tour, so that it fits your schedule and guarantees you get one. You check in at the Basin Street Station museum and arrive 15 minutes before your tour time. You'll get a wristband and wait for your tour guide to pick you up for your walking tour. There are only 15 certified tour guides. Ours was highly versed in the history of the cemetery, NOLA, Louisiana, and his family heritage. A wealth of information was provided on the plots, site, and other historical sites. It's a little pricy for a 45-minute tour plus tip, but how often are you going to tour St. Louis Cemetery No. 1? Bathrooms, snacks, and water are available at the Station before the tour, but not during the tour. We took public transportation there, but were told that parking in the area could be as much as $40 a day. Parking in the Basin lot is free for 20 minutes only. It was a fascinating tour, you'll have to do it only once.

This one hour tour is not cheap, but it is worth it. Our guide was full of stories and he was quite the character. He did tend to speak very quickly, which made him sometimes hard to understand. Very educational and very entertaining. How much was true really did not get in the way of his good stories... You need a reservation since these tours fill up.

My wife loves cemeteries and on this visit, doing this tour of Cemetery No. 1 was at the top of her list. It seems the only way to get in is either with permission from the church or through this tour. Being September when we went we'd hoped it would be slightly cooler, tho this wasn't the case with the sun out and not hidden by the clouds today. There is no wind blowing once inside, shade is your friend, tho several stops along the tour have pop up canopy and misters going. They do hand out fans, if you can bring a shade umbrella, it will be very helpful. The cemetery is old and very neat for viewing. The talk about the "residents" of the cemetery and how the can place so many in the small area. I won't give any spoilers, but it's an interesting process that truly takes advantage of "dust to dust" phrase. The process does allow them to place upwards of 100 family members into one tomb. This has some famous folks in here, some not occupying yet, such as Nicholas Cage, he has a pyramid shaped tomb here, a famous local voodoo priestess is here with her Catholic husband. There is an area for protestants, way in the back, and hidden by a wall. The tour was fun, informative, and enjoyable. It's worth a stop.

Jimmy was our tour guide - amazing and so knowledgeable! Such a source of History and Facts of the Cemetery. We learned so much ! So many great opportunities for beautiful photos . Take the tour ! You won't be disappointed! :)

Thank you Mr Parker for a super informative and unforgettable tour! Loved your storytelling

This was a great way to spend a Friday evening in New Orleans. The St. Louis Cemetery No 1 Offical Tour was informative and entertaining. Our amazing tour guide was Mama Nita. At the meeting spot before the tour, she was very good about laying out the ground rules and expectations. The group was definitely adhering to her directives because I can only imagine the kind of nonsense people might try to pull on a nighttime cemetery tour. Mama Nita was confident and in control- a true professional! The tour was very informative and was a great balance of history and personal stories of the people buried there. The monuments are beautiful and architecturally significant. The cemetery was very dark. While there are some votives along the way to provide some illumination, there are lots of uneven surfaces like cracks and misaligned slabs. My advice is to walk carefully and lift up your feet to avoid stumbling. Not a commentary on the tour itself, but I was really surprised at how small the cemetery was. Having been to other globally recognized cemeteries like Cimetière du Père-Lachaise and Recoleta Cemetery, this one was surprisingly small. Certainly not an issue because the tour is comprehensive, fun and worth the while, just something I was surprised by. Overall great tour and highly recommend for an entertaining lesson about the cemetery and New Orleans history.

Because of vandalism, you can only enter the cemetery via a tour or to visit a family grave. Fascinating guided tour telling the history of New Orleans' families and showing us interesting burial sites. I enjoyed the detailed explanation of how the above-ground tombs are reused. We saw one from 1877 that had the 7th burial in 2023. When the family members cease to exist, then the Catholic Church gets the cemetery land back for resale.

Such an interesting place to walk around. Since the theft and vandalism in more recent years, St Louis has been closed to the public and the only way you can enter is if you're on a tour. When I worked in the area you could freely go in and out. But I guess it's more secure now which is good for the families with tombs there. The cemetery is large and includes and voodoo priestess' tomb, Nicholas Cage's tomb, and more. I recommend coming here if you're in the area. There is a lot of history here.

Loved our time here. A knowledgeable guide makes a big difference! Learned lots. Very nice shop and waiting area inside

My wife and I were in New Orleans for 5 days to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We were told DO NOT miss the "St. Louis Cemetery No. 1" tour, you'll regret it if you do. We met at Basin St. Station, something else not to be missed, and gathered for our tour. We hit a gold mine with our tour guide, Ra. We learned he was also the official historian of the cemetery. He was so knowledgeable and pointing out all the incredible details of the cemetery and talking about the burial customs that New Orleans in known for. What an incredible 45-minute tour! Thank you, Ra, for a wonderful informative time in the cemetery. We almost booked one of the nighttime tours but couldn't work the time into our schedule. This is a site in New Orleans you must see if you visit.

I hesitated to take this tour--I love history but do not like cemeteries (they give me the creeps). However, given New Orleans' unique death rituals, I decided I had to suck it up and visit at least one. I am so happy that I did because this tour was truly amazing. Our tour guide was Allen, who was incredibly knowledgeable about every aspect of the cemetery. He explained the process of entombing with remarkable detail, helping us understand the traditions and practicalities of these unique burial practices. What really impressed me was how Allen brought the cemetery to life--not in a creepy way, but by sharing stories about the individuals entombed there and weaving in the broader history of New Orleans. His understanding of the people buried in the cemetery, their lives, and their legacies made the experience so much richer than I could have imagined. I also really appreciated how Allen addressed the Black history associated with the cemetery. Some of this history is not pretty, but he handled it with honesty and respect, giving space for reflection on the painful truths of the past. As a lawyer who has done significant work in civil rights, one moment in particular hit me hard was standing at the grave of Homer Plessy.( As in Plessy v. Ferguson - worst SCOTUS decision ever) . Seeing his grave and hearing Allen's thoughtful commentary on the context of that case was both sobering and profound.

I am glad that we got the opportunity to see the above ground tombs, and doing the tour through this organization is the only way you can go inside St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in the Garden District is still closed for renovations, and I hear that some of the other cemeteries aren't as safe to walk into alone as a tourist because you're surrounded by walls on all sides. So if you're wanting to look around a cemetery in New Orleans, this may be your best bet, especially if you want to see the tomb of Marie Laveau. I was worried about it being a 45 minute tour, as I thought we may feel rushed. My fears were confirmed, as I did indeed feel that the tour was very very rushed. Our guide spoke SOOOO quickly and with a cadence that seemed like he was hurriedly getting through all the rehearsed tidbits. I could tell that he was very knowledgeable, but he spoke so fast that I actually didn't retain much of what he was saying. Tour guides really matter, and maybe you'll get a good one, maybe you won't. It's luck of the draw. I was pretty disappointed with the way the tour was led, but it was still cool to see the very different burial practices of New Orleans.

We were on the 945 am tour in May 27th 2025. Our guide was astounding he was fun loud and interactive. No playing around and right to the point perfect!! His name was Rashawn and we truly appreciate his guidance.

Great experience! Our Tour guide was a great storyteller so it made things very interesting along with his sense of humor. The cemetery itself is the oldest one around and we learned how the deceased are interred there. Side note, Nicholas Cage the actor has a plot set up for his future there should he choose to be laid to rest there. He apparently has another place in California also.

This tour was excellent and a lot of information about New Orleans, the cemetery and some of the people in it. My tour guide was Zelda and she was amazing! She didn't rush through anything, provided plenty of information, answered questions and had a great sense of humor and personality.

Our tour guide Alan was very knowledgeable and I enjoyed learning the history of the cemetery. We visited 4 years ago during COVID when the cemetery was closed, so this was very important for us to get to visit this time. Highly recommend visiting this cemetery! It is beautiful.

We booked our tickets online and the tour started on time. It was nice to hear the history of the cemetery, the families that are buried, and the city as well. Overall good and a must do!

I was really disappointed with this tour. I thought there would be a lot more history. There was some but felt like mostly the tour was a sales pitch for perpetual care. The tour guide kept pointing out the differences in the graves with and without perpetual care. It was constant and annoying.

You can no longer just walk in and tours are required. We got there 15 minutes after the last tour started and they wouldn't even let us look in. Bummer.

Made an online reservation for this tour and loved the area where you check in - lots of things to see and very modern. The tour itself was very informational with a comedic and charismatic tour guide! We saw Marie Laveau's tomb and Nicholas Cages too

Mama Nita was absolutely amazing. She was very engaging and knowledgeable. You can tell she enjoys giving tours of this fascinating cemetary. I highly recommend this tour and if possible, request Mama Nita!

5/5 stars for a great tour! I booked this tour on the website ahead of time. I would recommend going in the morning when it is not as hot outside. They had tours every 15 minutes leaving from an air conditioned visitors center. The visitor center had the ticket check in, exhibits, nice bathrooms and a gift shop. Our awesome tour guide was Denise. Her tour was informative and funny. It is a 45 minute walking tour inside the cemetery. This is the only way to see the cemetery. You can see Nicholas Cage's pyramid and the voodoo queen Marie Laveau's tomb. The tour had shady tent spots to stand and misting stations to keep everyone cooled. I would recommend this tour.

Denise was our tour guide, and she was AMAZING!!!! She was very animated and knowledgeable! Going in, of course you want to see Marie Laveau's Tomb as well as that of Nicolas Cage's, but with the tour, you get so much of the history and the cemetery and the city!! Highly recommend this tour! It is $25, and i would book in advance, but you can book there as well.

We did the 9am tour first thing and were some of the first into the cemetery. Our guide, Richie, was amazing and we really enjoyed his tone and demeanor. He did a great job of explaining how and why New Orleans does above ground burials and he took his time explaining the cemetery layout and how it has changed over time. Finding the Basin St. Station was super easy and we took an Uber from our hotel with no issues. We were able to check-in quickly and use the restroom, get a drink from the cafe, and shop the small gift shop and look around at the historical train station items while we waited. Our tour started right on time - and ended a little after (maybe by 10 minutes) the prescribed stop time but he asked if we wanted another story or two before we left. Great tour - my husband loved it and he hates organized tours. Note: You must book a tour to enter and this is the official cemetery tour company - it was easy to use and easy to find/check-in before the tour.

Gayle, David, and I completely enjoyed our recent (and fascinating) walking tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1. We purchased out tickets ahead of time and first met at the Visitor's Center. I was particularly interested as I'm currently on a Board for the Genoa Cemetery, which I guess means that I'm "In the Business". Highlights included the tomb of the Voodoo Queen, the future resting place of Nicholas Cage, some fascinating local history (including movie set damage), and military tributes, among other sights. Our only quibble was that our extremely knowledgeable and animated tour guide's thick regional accent prevented our full comprehension. We also regretted not having the time to visit other area cemeteries including Lafayette Cemetery #1 (Garden District) and the huge one in Metairie, that requires a golf cart to get around.

I've been living in New Orleans about 16 years now. Some of my out of town family came for a visit and wanted to take this cemetery tour. As I love things like this I 100% agreed. Our tour guide was Richie. He had some wonderful knowledge of the cemetery and some of the more famous people associated with it. He told us about how they bury multiple people in the same spot and what that process is. Truly a wonderful experience. Highly recommend for tourists and locals! Always good to learn more about our very culturally diverse population here.

Our tour guide Richie was fantastic!! He made the history interesting and he was very engaging. It was easy to learn the stories and details of the cemetery and City of New Orleans. And he's easy to talk to and answered all our questions. Very good tour and experience! Glad we got Richie for our guide.

My group and I had a great time exploring this cemetery with our lovely tour guide, Zelda, whom made it more memorable with her fun attitude. She took her time with the history lessons. The experience was very memorable, recommend!

ZELDA was an amazing tour guide! So friendly, and answered every question we had. The way she explained the history, and the stories she told, gave us a greater understanding of New Orleans' burial history.

Zelda was so nice and awesome! We loved her history tour. She lives her city and it shows. Greetings from Palm Springs! Nugget says hi

10 out 10 would NOT recommend. Our guild Will was a tool. He wouldn't let you walk to see anything other than what he was talking about then rushed the tour.

My wife and I learned more about New Orleans' and Louisiana's history in 45 minutes from our guide, Richie, than we have in our 45 years on earth. This is a must for NOLA first-timers!

The tour was amazing! We had Jeff as our tour guide and he was filled with knowledge and interesting facts about the area. Jeff was not afraid to shy away from the darker history of New Orleans. Best part is after the tour I asked about Delphine LaLaurie grave and he said "give me a minute I'll take you over!" So having a quick personal tour was very much appreciated. Would do the tour again

Richie was an awesome tour guide with lots of personal history to share. Very informative tour. Well worth the cost. Highly recommend!

Zelda was an amazing guide and very funny. 100% would recommend. Takes you all around the cemetery and you see some cool history.

Zelda was amazing must see great tour amazing guide so much good information. If you are in the area and looking for a great tour come see her

Mama Nita was awesome. Loved her story telling and knowledge. The tour was the perfect length in time. We did the 9am tour - which was nice as it wasn't too hot and we were the first group out there. Definitely recommend this tour.

Zelda was great! Loved the tour of the cemetery and her stories! Come and visit the oldest cemetery in New Orleans!

Super interesting for the most part. We had a very good tour guide and he kept it lively. Don't miss Nick Cage's future final resting spot

Went on a guided tour. Marie was out your guide. She was full of history and shared great information with the group. Beware of the heat that reflects off the tombstones. It can get very hot inside the cemetery. Aside from the heat we enjoyed the tour.

My wife and I love these type of tours. It's rare to get a tour guide that seemingly doesn't over embellish on the history. Jeff was straight to the point and had some great humor as well. We both highly recommend this tour and specifically Jeff. You may want to ask the front of staff to book you a time slot with Jeff, you won't be disappointed. Thank you for the restaurant ideas too Jeff. We booked at compere lapin.

The tour was amazing! Only $25 for the tour and it comes with a guide as well. Buddy was our tour guide and he did a great job at keeping us well informed and making the tour fun! This was my second tour and luckily second time getting buddy! He's my favorite tour guide and I hope I get him next time I visit as well. Love from LBC, CA

Our tour of the Saint Louis Tour no.1 was very intriguing and humorous. Our very engaging. I felt as if I was getting inside information on the Catholic burials there. Learning of the Creoles, voodoo, and Protestants was amazing.

We were a bit disappointed when we found out we had to pay and have a tour guide, but once we met Jeff that was the last thought in our minds. He was so informative and funny, while still being respectful. Not to mention it was pouring rain, he made the tour a BLAST! And he gave us hidden gem recommendations at the end of the tour! ALSO! When we finished the tour they were handing out cloths to dry off the rain, and one of the workers even gave us her umbrella. Can't recommend Jeff and this place enough!

The tour was enjoyable. Our Guide Alan was informative, fun and welcomed all questions!

Had the tour with Mary and she was great. It was interesting to see abd I appreciated her information.

If you want to gain a feel for the history of New Orleans, you have to do a tour of the St. Louis Cemetery. The tour was excellent as our guide brought us all around the cemetery, stopping at various graves and tombs such as the Voodoo Queen, Nicholas Cage's future resting place (that is in the shape of a pyramid), the Protestant area of the cemetery that has sparse graves scattered about, and many that have sunk deep into the ground due to the soot. We learned that if a family had abandoned a plot, you have to work with the Archdiocese to determine if you can take it over. We learned about the resident cats that lurk about. Many family plots dating back to the late 1700s, which is cool, with most of the tombs and stones carved in French for those loved ones. Once you see graves with markings dating to the late 1800s, you see many carved in English. The tour is a great one to reserve and take when you visit the Crescent City, just located outside of the French Quarter.

Rahsaan was very lively, informative, funny and interesting! I learned a lot on this tour and was able to take all the great photos I wanted.

We had a great experience with Jeff as our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and fun! Would recommend this tour!