As of 2026, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is currently closed to the public, but it's still worth stopping by if you're exploring the Garden District. Even from outside the gates, the rows of above-ground tombs and weathered stonework create the unmistakable atmosphere that New Orleans cemeteries are known for. It remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in the neighborhood and adds to the character of the surrounding streets. I hope by my next visit to the city, I'll be able to walk through the cemetery and experience the interior for myself. read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Lafayette Cemetery opened in 1833 in the New Orleans' Garden District. It is a historic & non-segregated cemetery known for its above-ground family tombs and cruciform layout. It was the burial place for thousands of New Orleanians, including victims of yellow fever & has served as a filming location for movies and TV programs. The cemetery is currently closed to the public due to ongoing repairs and maintenance, so we walked around the cemetery peering inside. read more

See all

This place is closed to public and closed for tours as well. Still beautiful place and there isn't any parking around. Street parking only.

I knew it was temporarily closed (for repairs and improvements) during my scheduled visit to NOLA, but I couldn't NOT come through, even just to see it with my own eyes. It is one of the more popular cemeteries in NOLA. Located within the Garden District, it's surrounded by an affluent neighborhood. Opened in the early 1800's and still an active burial site until now. I heard somewhere that tours are only available with a certified (or pre-approved?) guides. Might wanna do research on that before signing up for one. FUN FACT: Interview With A Vampire, Double Jeopardy and The Vampire Diaries were all filmed here. It's a tour I would like to take next time I come visit NOLA again! read more

See all

Views from the gates only. Definitely full of spirit & worth a pass by. Beautifully decaying piece of history.

Really beautiful cemetery that had a long history of different films and movies from Interview with a Vampire to the TV show The Originals. Too bad it is closed to the public right now read more

Too bad the cemetery was closed. From what you can see through spaces between bars and what not, there are some terribly old but eerily beautiful monuments, crypts and above ground graves. It's nice to see that the city is making efforts to preserve and improve these grounds. I'd love to come back when the grounds are open again. read more

Beautiful cemetery, but it's unfortunately closed. There is a gate on each side of the gated cemetery that you can peek in, but there was a tour blocking each side we walked by. This particular cemetery had a brick wall, not fencing you could see through, so visibility is very limited. read more

This cemetery has been closed a while but you can still walk by and peep in. Combine it with a progressive dining stop at Commanders Palace which is just across the road and as part of your Garden Walking Tour. We have been in it many years ago and always stop by to see Paul Morphy (here of FPK novel). The place is delightfully crumbling. If it is open do go in and soak up some atmosphere. Officially sanctioned as a cemetery in 1833, the Lafayette Cemetery was one of the first official protestant cemeteries in a predominantly Catholic city. Before this and the founding of the Girod Street Cemetery in 1826, Protestants were buried below ground at the back of St. Louis Cemetery #1. As the city's Protestant population grew due to the Louisiana Purchase, the city and that small squalid patch of land at the back of the old cemetery became overcrowded. The Garden District was soon formed as part of this boom. Formerly the Livaudais plantation, it was developed by French architect and planner Barthelemy Lafon, along with much of the upriver side of the city. In 1833 it became the City of Lafayette, read more

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. read more

See all

The day I went it was closed for some renovations, since we were told visitors were destroying and stealing from the historic cemetery. Seems like it would be a very interesting tour visiting the old crypts and walking the grounds. Maybe next time! read more

See all

I really can't knock the cemetery as it's been closed for a couple of years. Spoke with a volunteer that was going in to work there. He said there are some renovations/additions being done. This is to make it easier to facilitate tours in the future. He said it is supposed to reopen in "a few weeks". Bummed we couldn't walk through again. read more

Great place to experience the New Orleans history and their tradition of this unique cremation. You can see high raised dome for the buried people only here. Great sight to understand this unique experience. Must visit. Just infront of the Commander palace restaurant. It was closed for entry today due to maintenance work but we could sneak in from bar gates to get glimpse of it. read more

See all

Don't go alone. It's pretty cool to check out the old cemetery and walk through the crypt yard. Exploring the unique architecture of NOLA cemeteries is an experience I think you should make time for. The neighbourhood looks a little sketch so I wouldn't suggest going here alone or at night. Make sure you go with a decent sized group and keep your head on a swivel. read more

This cemetery was free to enter and you walk and tour it in your own pace. Parking is scarce so be aware. Entering this cemetery you need to be mindful and respectful of the people who passed. Such an interesting and smart way to have a cemetery built above ground. Since New Orleans is basically sitting in a bowl and are lowering than sea level and hurricanes and stormy weather do flood they made there burials above ground. Has a spooky feeling to it too which makes it that much more interesting. Some interesting people are resting there. read more

See all

I'm not sure how I missed reviewing this cemetery when we were there in 2019. It has been closed for sometime due to renovations which are desperately needed. The history of this cemetery is very interesting. There were tours guides in the entrance area that you could pay to learn more but we close to walk through ourselves. read more

See all

This is stop 12 on the Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour. You can do a self-guided walking tour which is open everyday except holidays. If you decide to take the tour, make sure that you grab a guide before you get off the bus because it will tell you what you are looking at. This cemetery is located on a former plantation. You will see above ground entombments. There are dates of recent internments as well as dates as far back as the 1800s. Several movies have been filmed here: Live And Let Die, Double Jeopardy, and my fav Interview With The Vampire. Definitely a must see! read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Going to visit the dead while in New Orleans is a thing to do. It may not be my thing, and it may not be your thing, but it definitely is a thing. The Lafayette cemetery is located directly across the street from the commanders palace restaurant. It is completely open to the public, and unlike many tourist attractions, there is no charge for entering. Before you enter, you'll find a few street vendors trying to sell things like Ouija boards, overpriced bottles of water, and a variety of other voodoo items to the tourist. If you feel the need to visit the cemetery, don't fall into the tourist trap of having to pay for the tour. Unless of course you specifically want historical information that is shared on many tours. Like most people, I've always had the desire to walk through one of the many cemeteries sprinkled throughout the city. They are unique in as much as everyone is buried above ground in either standalone or multiple places in one mausoleum/crypt. It's not uncommon to see a larger mausoleums/crypts with numerous family members in each one. It's also not uncommon to see one huge mausoleum with just one person that is buried there. For all the times that I have been to New Orleans this was my first time visiting one of the infamous cemeteries. Like most people, it's pretty cool to see and possibly occasionally overhear one of the other tour guides discussing the historical significance of each location of the various cemeteries throughout town. There definitely is less discussion about voodoo, sorcery, and the mystique of New Orleans, and more discussion about the township that is buried there. I will say that it was interesting to walk through, and as much as I love history, I absolutely felt like I was in the wrong place and on some level trespassing. Thankfully I don't know anyone that is buried there, and I think I was rather creeped out by the mother taking pictures of her young children standing in front of various mausoleums throughout the cemetery. Maybe it was the mere fact that she kept asking them to pose in certain ways... Regardless, if it's your thing to go see the uniqueness of the cemeteries, go at least once so that you can say you did it. read more

See all

The Lafayette Cemetery # 1 was the last stop on our French Quarter Phantom's Garden District Tour. While this can't compare to the Recoleta Cemetery's (Buenos Aires) grandeur, it was still interesting to see but our guide's information was the best part. THE GROUNDS: High walls surround the city block-sized cemetery which opened in 1833 and is full of mausoleums and tombs of all styles, shaded by old magnolia trees. A lack of greenery and poshness is its only downfall. We learned that there is a proper way to be buried in the Big Easy due to the area's shallow water table, the rules of family interment, and the gruesome facts of "natural cremation". While some of its residents were well-known, none of their names rang a bell for me. A few mausoleums stood out, including a white one made out of metal that inspired author Anne Rice in her book Interview With The Vampire, one of my least favorite movies, LOL. One grave in particular wasn't properly dug which resulted in human remains surfacing above ground and are still visible today. OVERALL: A definite highlight of our tour but not the most compelling graveyard we've been to. read more

See all

TEMP CLOSED...This is a great Cemetery if it were actually open. Beautiful old decayed tombs, graves and mausoleums under big shady trees like magnolias and oaks. Too bad it's been closed for repairs since sometime in 2019, there has been no indication of when it will reopen.. I haven't seen any work being done the last 3 times I visited. read more

See all

Was doing a walking tour of the Garden District and stopped at Lafayette Cemetery. Located in the middle of the District and across the street from Commanders Palace Restaurant is a compact old school New Orleans Cemetery that is a great place to get a feel for the city. I skipped the tour guides at the entrance who offer to take you around the cemetery for tip money; I have toured a number of cemeteries and feel comfortable doing so, but if you are hesitant this offers you a nice alternative. The above ground tombs are in various states of repair, from decrepit to well maintained. Some of the tombs have a large number of interments from the 1800s to the 2000s. Well worth your time to wander through and see what fascinates you. I thought this was a unique New Orleans experience and a must see for anyone looking for something a bit different. Plenty of cool things to see and photograph. read more

See all

Very cool free thing to do in NOLA! We had a fun afternoon walking around the Garden District looking at all the homes and then popping over to Lafayette Cemetery. Many tours go through here, but you can also explore on your own (one of the only cemeteries that allows you to explore without a tour). I printed a walking tour from online that we attempted to use, but we got all twisted backwards. Even without that, we had a fun time exploring. The cemeteries in New Orleans are fascinating as everything is above ground and just has so much history behind it. They say more than 7000 people are buried here and it's still an active cemetery with others being buried. This was the first cemetery in NOLA and also has been filmed more than any other, most notably Double Jeopardy filmed inside. Commander Palace is right across the street if you'd like a bite before or after - just dress nicely! read more

See all

Rating is based off of viewing the cemetery from outside the gate. Cemetery is CLOSED due to renovation. We went in the late afternoon on a cold cloudy day. It would of been perfect if we were able to go inside. read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

I understand this is a real cemetery with real families within, but between the age on the tombs and the growth of the foliage it's like walking through a work of art. The cemetery is free to go in, and there were tour guides available for a fee to point out the notable "residents". If you're coming from the French Quarter, this is easily accessible by the St. Charles Street Trolley. read more

See all

Worth it. Can't wait to return. Avoid the mall goth carnival barkers outside and do the Save Our Cemeteries tour. The tour is historically informative and the proceeds go toward the preservation of the site. Also keep in mind that besides being a tourist attraction, this is an active cemetery and families may be there to visit their loved ones. Please be respectful and considerate. read more

This gem is definitely worth a visit should you be lucky enough to find yourself staying in the Garden District. Hell, the same applies even if you're not. Believe me, you won't regret the side trip. Photography enthusiasts and those with artistic sensibilities, in particular, will find themselves smitten, as the beauty and atmosphere of the place are truly without equal. I checked out St. Louis #2 only a day or so later, and, while interesting, it was no match for Lafayette. This seems also to be a relatively safe cemetery (despite what you may have seen in Double Jeopardy) owing to the fact that it's quite busy. I visited at midday during Mardi Gras season and there were so many tourists milling about that a guy had set up a refreshment cart at the gate, and was peddling cold drinks. read more

See all

I'm not usually the one that goes seeking out cemeteries but my husband loves cemeteries and he can walk them reading the stones and taking tons of photographs. We've visited so many in New Orleans but I think we enjoyed this one most. It's in a lovely neighborhood (Garden District) and Magazine Street is just a couple blocks away with tons of restaurants and shopping. It's also just one block from the St Charles Avenue Cable Car and right across the street is the famous Commander's Palace. Last time we visited it was kinda creepy since there was this black cat that kept showing up every time we were about to take a photograph. read more

Over the years, I think I've walked through all of New Orleans' cemeteries. I appreciate the breathtakingly romantic decay. Watching nature mingle with the deceased residents of this and other cemeteries is somehow very life affirming. Seeing a thick young tree rise mightily from the roof of a crypt that looks ancient beyond its years was an incredible sight. I don't want to be buried in a cemetery but if I had to choose, I'd pick one in this city then let nature and time have its way with my remains. Perhaps, that seems morbid but the cycle of life and death is profoundly satisfying. read more

See all

What's better than free? Nothing! This is a very famous cemetery in NOLA and conveniently located in the Garden District and across from the famous Commander's Palace. While there are multiple paid-guided tours, or random people offering their services at the entrance, you can find any free online tour guide that will describe all of the unique tombs and the history without paying any extra money. Just a note, this is NOT the cemetery with the Nicholas Cage pyramid tomb read more

See all

This is the first cemetery of Nola!! It was yours if you want but it is open to the public to walk around. The grounds are maintained well. One of the oldest graves I saw was from 1865!!!! It is a quick trip from the French Quarter to get here. It is close to Magazine Str which has a lot of great places to eat at. I got a lot of great pictures here. It was super interesting to see how people paid their respects to their loved ones. read more

See all

The oldest cemetery in New Orleans and there was a funeral as recently as 2003, according to the tour guide I overheard. There seemed to be many family tombs with sometimes 8-10 names on them. Some are so old the carving was worn off and barely legible. The saddest we saw was a tomb with three children in it who died of yellow fever within two days of each other. The top one didn't even have a name as the child died the day after birth. The second child died the same day at two years old. The third child died the next day and was only 5. I wondered if the family had any other children, but there seemed to be no one else in that tomb, not even the parents. It would definitely be worth having a tour guide through this cemetery just to hear the stories. As it was walking around without one, we still saw lots of neat graves. read more

See all

Located in the Garden District in New Orleans, this is an amazing place. It has so much history. 1800s tombstones! And there are a few 2000s. There are people with sign boards that are offering tours. We didnt take the tour and walked around and just looked read the head stones. We were so facinated with the vegetation growing in and around the tombs. Ferns are coming out! Lots of history here.... The graves are above ground, which makes it even spokier! I sorta wish I had a tour guide.... We were just pressed for time by the time we got here. read more

See all

Another thing on the definitely to-do list while visiting NOLA is to get creeped out wandering through a cemetery. We were passing this one on a stroll through the Garden District and I vered right in. There were a few tours happening and I eavesdropped on some interesting tid-bits. I took a lot of photos and read lots of headstones. Be sure to explore beyond the beaten path, just do so carefully. This is the only cemetery we visited during our trip, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I thought it was pretty neat. read more

See all

I decided that I needed a photo of a cemetery for a professional poster that I presented at a meeting. (Yes this seemed an excellent idea to me at the time...it was sort of zombie/Halloween themed.) And I was looking for the perfect cemetery to use as my shadow on the title. After taking photos various places in my fair cities of the dead, I decided that I needed to try Lafayette no.1. Really it was silly that I had used them earlier since they were a lot closer to my house than others. I guess I just feel like this cemetery is overexposed. Anne Rice used to use it to make grand entrances to book signings at the independent bookseller nearby (even being carried out in a coffin once). And then it was featured in a local novel (Ruined by Paula Morris which is pretty good so don't let the YA designation dissuade you). ANYWAY. I found the perfect shot, so yay Lafayette no.1 read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Take the st. Charles streetcar from canal street in the French Quarter to the Garden District, walkable distance to this cemetery. It has two entrances one on Washington Ave. and the other on 6th Street. It's a place filled with stories, and out of all the cemeteries in New Orleans, Lafayette exudes the strongest sense of subtropical southern gothic. read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I have only recently started exploring New Orleans' famous cemeteries. Lafayette is an extremely popular destination with tourists, but I just found it to be OK compared to the others. This cemetery is relatively plain compared to Metairie or Greenwood Cemeteries. It also seems to be in somewhat poor condition. There were numerous crumbling tombs, open tombs, and overgrown trees. The sheer quantity of tourist and tour groups also detracted from my experience. It's pretty difficult to take cool photos when a group of randos is fawning over the phony story their guide is telling them. I did like the volunteer fire company tombs and some of the odder group tombs. It really reminds you how different things were back then. I do recommend you check this cemetery out, but for me one was probably enough. read more

See all

I couldn't go to New Orleans and not visit a cemetery. It was a toss-up between Lafayette and St. Louis. It's an interesting place, lots of greens and lizards running around and it's small enough for you not to get lost. There's so much history and interesting tidbits behind these above-ground graves (yellow fever, notable people, witches, etc.). Find Hugh Grant's grave! read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Entrance - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

Hubby and I made a stop here after a fabulous lunch at Commander's Palace (directly across the street). I had heard a lot about the "above ground" cemeteries in New Orleans and with it's beautiful old crypts and random layout, Lafayette Cemetery did not disappoint. If you're a nerd like me with a mildly morbid albeit healthy curiosity for things that go "bump in the night", this is the place for your to a) get a history lesson, b) take some kick ass photos and c) feel like a crypt keeper for an hour or so. Being that we were in the Garden District we didn't at all feel unsafe. It is a quiet, reflective place and with the shade, feels much cooler than it does outside the gates. Next time I would do the "Save our Cemeteries" tour as it would be far more informative than going it alone, and also because I truly do believe that places like are special and need our help with upkeep and preservation, etc. Ladies, I would also recommend flat shoes as the terrain is much more difficult to navigate in four or five inch heels. As I feel it necessary to make a yearly trip to Commander's Palace during my yearly pilgrimage to New Orleans I will definitely come back to Lafayette and do it all over again. read more

See all

I am a big fan of cemeteries because they are such a great way to get an idea on this history of an area. Also, they can be very interesting as far as architecture is concerned as well. On a previous trip to NOLA we went to St. Louis #1 and did not make it to Lafayette before they closed that is why it was a priority to go there on this trip. I signed up for a Save Our Cemeteries tour in advance so we met our tour guide at the main gate across from Commander's Palace. We had about 20 people in our group and our tour guide, Bill Perret, was a great guide who even brought extra waters for anyone who needed it! We gladly accepted it because we didn't think we would need it for just an hour and a half tour but boy were we wrong! It was insanely hot that morning and we were glad he brought it. His tour was filled with a lot of history in general, in addition to explaining some traditional gravestone symbols I have seen before and didn't know what it meant. This cemetery is not as "colorful" as St. Louis #1 because if you go there you will see some unique things and some famous resting places, but Lafayette #1 is very beautiful and the tour was wonderful. The reason I chose the Save Our Cemeteries tour is because I know they put the money back into restoring the cemeteries and that is important to me as well. read more

See all

Exploring New Orleans' cemeteries has changed a lot since I had last visited in 2015. Currently, this cemetery is closed to the public at all times and tour groups are not permitted. It was my favorite of the cemeteries I explored on my first visit. If you take a tour of the garden district, it's likely you'll meet up outside this cemetery, and you'll have an opportunity to glance through the gates and your tour guide will walk you through a little bit about burial culture and history in the city. It is a fascinating history -- although I noticed a little bit of a discrepancy between different tour guides explanations about whether or not buried bodies had floated during flooding, so I'm going to have to consult the oracle (aka do an internet search) to try to get to the bottom of that. Either way, all the tombs are above ground and it's really interesting to learn about the process of moving the bones out of the coffins on top into the caveau below. Since this large cemetery takes up a full city block, it has several entrances, affording numerous views into this beautiful historic cemetery. Every time we were in the area we noticed people peeking in at all of the gates. If you have family buried here, you can reach out to the city to request to be let in to visit their gravesite. read more

Lafayette Cemetery No.1 - Starting point for garden tour - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana