This place is the best of times and the worst of times all wrapped up into one. This is a VERY…read morebeautiful space and place with a lot of amazing things to see. It has also been a location for some of the worst of times with having to say goodbye to good friends and having to transition from knowing them in life to leaving them here for their final resting place. From an educational standpoint you can also find BOTH above ground and underground spaces here to prove that the old rumor of the water table preventing underground burials is just a rumor as New Orleans definitely has a LOT of underground burials. This is a peaceful place to take a stroll and contemplate life and see the ongoing march of time with the older historic resting places going forward to our current space and place as you consider where you might want to have your final resting place.

This is outside of New Orleans and one of the reasons we rented a car. This was our 3rd visit here…read moreand to 3rd to Nola. I find it interesting and beauiful. I have to say my pics weren't as good this visit. Maybe the rain grey day was the issue. I was glad to see the confederate statues were spared as I think trying to erase our past send the wrong message. Learn from your mistake or you will repeat them. plus, the statues are a landmark to finding the cemeteries most popular area .. the weeping angel. The angel is beautiful and not out in the open. It's in a large mausoleum with huge columns in the front and blue stained glass in the back.

This cemetery has almost 200 yrs of history. From mausoleums to historic tombs to monuments and new…read moremodern ones as well. As you walk through you will see dates going back to 1800's and as recent as March 2026 One thing I did noticed is some still has the water line from Katrina Hurricane I believe I read somewhere this cemetery is the largest in the city. It shows RIP to all buried there

I am writing this review for two reasons, first in the hopes of helping someone who is caught off…read moreguard and in a position to make a difficult decision after a loved one dies and to compliment the Greenwood Funeral Home's staff, especially, Krys. Early one Sunday morning, my phone rang, I saw it was from my brother and knew this was the call. "Ray, Mom is gone." We need to know what funeral home to call for the coroner to release her. We decided on Greenwood Funeral Home because my mother's family plot is in Greenwood Cemetery, adjacent to the funeral home. About an hour later two very nice ladies arrived and transported my mother to the Greenwood facility. On Monday morning, we went to our appointment at Greenwood and met Krys. She was kind, compassionate, and also very prepared. She had a set process and questions that helped guide our decisions...from obituary, urn, Mass readings, and many other things you are unable to think about yourself. She walked us next door to the Firemen's Charitable and Benevolent Association (FBCA) where we made the last of my Mom's arrangements. On a desk there was a sticker that said, "My job is empathy." I read it aloud and Krys said, "I have one of those too." We finished at the FBCA and told Krys goodbye. The following Monday, we arrived at Greenwood for my Mom's funeral. Greeting us with a warm, kind smile was Krys. We made it through the day because of her. I will emphatically state, Krys performs her job with empathetic grace and professionalism. I am relieved and glad that she was the funeral director for my Mom's funeral. For my family, Greenwood was definitely the right choice, with Krys as our guide, making this difficult time easier for us to manage.

A great old crumbling cemetery. The cemetery was made possible in 1838 by New Orleans…read morephilanthropist Stephen Henderson whose estate left property to the Firemen's Charitable & Benevolent Association. The charitable association sold this property to fund the purchase of the cemetery site at the very end of the Canal Streetcar Line. Crowning this imposing entrance was the motto: "Here to their bosom mother earth, take back in peace what thou has given, and, all that is of heavenly birth, God in peace recall to heaven." Shortly after opening the cemetery, the remains of volunteer firemen entombed elsewhere were moved to Cypress Grove. Tombs at Cypress Grove are among the nation's leading examples of memorial architecture. Its located a few minutes walk from the Katrina Memorial so a good little twofer.

This is an active cemetery, meaning that people are laying their loved ones to rest here-it's not…read morejust old graves. So when walking through, please be sensitive and respectful of that. It's absolutely fascinating to me how the burial process works here. I'm used to attending funerals where the person is laid to rest in a casket six feet under the earth. Here, it's different. Because you'll hit water after digging two feet (remember, New Orleans is built on top of a swamp), it's not practical to bury people this way. Instead, there are these beautiful and eerie above-ground tombs that people are placed in. I learned that the deceased person is put in a pine box, then put onto a shelf inside the tomb. 366 days later (a year and one day), the person's remains (usually just bones and dust by that point), are pushed to the back of the shelf, falling down to the open ground below (still inside the tomb). This is how the family burial tomb works. It's shared amongst multiple people; often many generations. I also learned that it's not uncommon for a family to have a note ("mortgage") on their tomb. Not surprised, since those things are massive, I'm sure they cost a pretty penny. It was one of the highlights of our trip-visiting the cemetery and learning about how culture, environment and tradition play a role in this process. I'd strongly encourage anyone with a hint of curiosity to take the time to visit.

Located at Canal and Canal, the three St. Patrick Cemeteries were established in 1841 by Catholic…read moreIrish immigrants who formed the parish in 1833. Initially, traditional in-ground burials were the preferred type due to cultural preferences and cost. However, the Yellow Fever Epidemics of 1847 and 1853 and water table in New Orleans changed the landscape of the cemetery. In August of 1853, 1,300 people died of yellow fever each week. The Irish and German immigrants were especially hard hit by the epidemic. In the month of just August 1853, over a thousand yellow fever victims were laid to rest in St. Patrick Cemetery No. 1. The massive numbers of interments within such a short period of time led to St. Patrick Cemetery No. 1 being less organized in distinct rows than St. Patrick Cemetery No. 2 and 3. St. Patrick Cemetery No. 2 and 3 follow a more formal layout in organized rows. The tombs reflect the changing demographics of the St. Patrick congregation over time as many English, French, and Italian surnames are represented. The beautiful Pietà in St. Patrick Cemetery No. 2 was erected by Father Raymond Carra pastor of St. Patrick's Church, during the 1910s or early 1920s. It is a peaceful cemetery to visit on a visit to New Orleans.

This cemetery is on the North East corner of City Park Avenue and Canal Street. Canal Street…read moredivides it from number 1 and City Park Avenue divides it from number 3. This seems to be the larger of the 3 cemeteries. By no means are these any where close to the size of the larger ones nearby. Well maintained, there are only a few graves in that are dilapidated, but that is primarily because of the age. This was not started yesterday. But, the Catholic church maintains this site very well. It is amazing how well taken care of this place is. There are so many others in the city that have been vandalized or left to rot, it is nice to see one so peaceful and nice. For a little of the history, please look at the following links. You can really learn a lot. https://nolacatholiccemeteries.org/our-history http://gonola.com/2014/11/03/nola-history-the-irish-cemeteries.html Cemetery number 1 is listed here. https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/dR1KrzRelzoUrSjqPa75rA?return_url=%2Fuser_details Cemetery number 3 is listed here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/st-patricks-cemetery-no-3-new-orleans The listing for all of them combined is listed here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/st-patrick-cemeteries-and-mausoleum-new-orleans?osq=st+patricks+cemetery This is truly one of my favorite cemeteries as it is well maintained and cared for.

This place is touching. Poignant. Heart wrenching. Special. Holt Cemetery, a former pauper's…read morefield, has been a Black cemetery since it's creation in 1879. Oftentimes families bury their loved ones here because they can't afford traditional arrangements. From the research I've found, one man cares for the cemetery and does the burials by hand, and isn't paid or employed by the city. The city does not maintain this cemetery as it does many of the others. Bodies are often buried on top of one another and because NOLA is below sea level, you can often find human remains. In one way, it's tragic evidence of inequality and racism, and in another, it's an example of the resilient spirit, deep love, soul, and devotion of the Black community. Graves date from the 1800s through the 2020s. It's really untelling how many bodies reside within the cemetery, as graves are reused and weather and climate change have ravaged and degraded many of the sites. You'll notice there appears to be a disproportionate number of veteran graves, but that's not because the number is particularly high. Veterans were buried here because they weren't allowed burial in military cemeteries. Their provided stones are sturdier so they just stay around longer. Graves are soul touching memorials to loved ones. Nick names. Misspelled words. Coarse markings on a plain stone for a beloved mother. Stuffed animals. Mardi gras beads. Beer bottles and trinkets. Writing about it now brings tears to my eyes. Another affecting aspect of the cemetery, and it's crudely cut grass and faded historical markers, is the fact that jazz legend Buddy Bolden is in this cemetery in an unmarked grave. A pioneer coronet player, Buddy spent the later years of his life in a mental institution due to schizophrenia, and was buried here because he was indigent. A memorial has been erected for him. The city has threatened to raze the cemetery. They say there is no saving it in the current form. Luckily that plan has never come to fruition. The last time they even attempted to perform some upkeep was 2013. This is a place you shouldn't put off seeing, not only because it's a moving study in Black culture, New Orleans culture, and inequity, but because you never know when it may be gone. We stayed in the French Quarter. We walked up to Canal and caught the outgoing red street car labeled "cemeteries." We got off at the at the intersection of Canal and North Rampart. From there it was a 4/10th of a mile walk. They have limited hours. Closed on Sunday. Saturday 8-4, weekdays 8-2:45.

Great night time adventure! We loved it and our guide. Highly recommended. Started on time and the…read morebeignet stop was delicious!

I cannot say enough about the compassion and professionalism shown by Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral…read moreHome during one of the hardest moments our family has ever faced. When my brother reached the end of his life, Kevin was there for us every step of the way. His kindness, patience, and genuine care made an incredibly painful time a little easier to bear. He treated my brother with dignity and handled every detail with such respect, while also supporting our family with warmth and understanding. Kevin went far beyond what we expected, making sure we felt guided and comforted during a time when we needed it most. Our family will always be grateful for the compassion and professionalism he showed us. I visited four other funeral homes during my stay in town, and I made my decision pretty much as soon as we met. I felt the kindness of Kevin, and I knew my brother would be taken care of. Thank you Kevin, thank you for your kind words to my mother, and thank you for guiding my brother during his last moments on earth. If anyone has any worries about end of life care in New Orleans rest easy, Kevin will take care of you with grace and a kind smile. From my family, thank you, thank you, thank you.

The funeral itself was nice, i wont lie. But the experience i went through after was completely…read morehorrible. My son passed away and I did not communicate with the mother after the funeral (personal reasons) but i did arranged my own plans for his ashes (he was cremated). Out of the blue the mother contacts me letting me know she had her half of my son's ashes and i purchased a necklace to put my some of my half in.. I was shocked i was not aware of this by the funeral home but yet content i was finally able to have my son's remains with me. I call the funeral home to let them know i wanted to go and get the rest of his ashes to fill the necklace, just to find out they were not there and the mother took it all. I asked why they did not communicated with me, they said because the mother said "she was going to take care of it" and instead of reassuring and calling me, they decided to believe her, came to find out the mother had my son's ashes for 2 weeks since the time she picked them up to the time she told me she had them doing who knows what with them. I was furious and wanted to talk to the owner or a manager, they were not there so they would give me a call back and never did. The irresponsibility from this funeral home its incredible. 2 weeks and i had no idea if the mother actually gave me half of my son's remains or whatever she liked since this funeral home did not do their job correctly and i will have to live with that question in my mind for the rest of my days. Shame on this people.

I imagine that people who have never lived or visited New Orleans may find it odd that we celebrate…read moreour cemeteries down here. It's not odd at all to discover that most of the people who visit the cities of the dead are not necessarily visiting a loved one, they are there admiring the tombs. St. Patrick's is an archdiocesan cemetery meaning it is maintained by the Catholic Church. It is one of the better maintained properties especially when you consider many of these tombs were built back in the mid 1800's. That was a particularly bad time for the Irish who had settled in the city as many succumbed to a Yellow Fever epidemic. Many of those pour souls are forever entombed here and when you visit you will notice many Irish names adorning these graves. I suggest visiting this cemetery before you head to Metairie cemetery as this far less fancy. If you go to MC first you may be a bit disappointed, but there is still plenty to see. My favorite spot can be found at the rear of the cemetery near the old K&B. There is an incredible statue with swords and a crown that I stood and stared at for a long time. You'll know the one I am talking about when you see it.

I happened to have an appointment in the 4 story building adjacent to this cemetery and the windows…read moreallowed for great views down into it. While non of the tombs are super fancy, many are very nice and date back to the mid 19th century. The space is well maintained as this is a diocesan cemetery rather than city owned. I appreciate that they have taken care of the older head stones and that they aren't lying broken in the aisles. As you can imagine from the name, this was originally a graveyard for those of Irish descent in New Orleans.

St. Louis Cemetery is located at 3421 Esplanade Ave. and runs parallel to Bayou St. John. It was…read moreestablished in 1854. Burials began in 1855 but the actual construction did not begin until 1856. As most of New Orleans' tombs are above ground, it is a very popular tourists' attraction, as there are often tour busses parked outside the gate. Before buying a plot here, I'd consider the hours of operation as the gates are "only" open from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM Monday through Saturday, and 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM on Sundays and holidays. These hours can be a little constraining if you work past 4:30 PM. Prior to my dad's passing in Spring 2025, he told us that he wanted to be buried in St. Louis Cemetery 3, as he wanted to close to Bayou St. John, as it brought back fond childhood memories going fishing there. He chose to be cremated, as will my mom one day. They chose a side by side niche for their ashes in the St. Michael the Archangel Cremation Garden, which is a fairly "new" addition to the cemetery. Mrs. Mel Byrd helped us with all the details regarding his final resting place and plaque. There are 2 or 3 mausoleums here as well as countless vaults and above ground gravesites. Even though it's a tourist attraction, most tourists are very respectful when I have been there. Often times, there are no tourists there and it can be very serene. If you are not from New Orleans, this is a good/informative tour outside of the French Quarter.

While still daylight we decided to do some exploring. Years ago hubs and I took a vampire as well…read moreas voodoo tour here. Later Doc and I spent a day while on a road trip. I have watched Double Jeopardy many times and wanted Doc to see the graveyards. This afternoon we visited 3 cemeteries before dinner. We could not enter, just observed from outside the gates. Remarkable how costly their immortal houses must have been. Very unique, many angels. Befitting of what we saw, Doc put Coco on the tv.

There are simply not enough words to express my gratitude to the entire staff for the love,…read morecompassion, and care you showed my family as we said goodbye to my beautiful Mami Elsa Rodriguez . Losing her has been the greatest heartbreak of my life, but because of each of you, we were able to celebrate her life with the dignity, grace, and love she deserved. A very special thank you to Landen, our funeral director. From the very beginning, you helped bring every detail together with such professionalism, patience, and kindness. You guided us through every decision with such compassion, making an overwhelming time so much easier to bear. I will never forget everything you did for our family. To Lauren, thank you for being by our side every step of the way. Your caring heart, gentle spirit, and willingness to help with every detail brought so much comfort to us. You treated my Mami and our family with such respect and love, and that meant the world to us. To Erin, thank you for escorting me as I prepared my Mami's hair and makeup. That final act of caring for her was one of the most emotional moments of my life. Your kindness, patience, and compassion gave me the strength to do something I will cherish forever. Thank you for making such a difficult moment feel so peaceful. To the entire staff, thank you for every smile, every comforting word, every hug, and every act of kindness. From the moment we walked through your doors until the end of the services, each of you treated us like family. Your compassion and professionalism gave us peace during one of the darkest times in our lives, and we will never forget the love you showed us. Because of all of you, my Mami was honored with a beautiful and heartfelt service that she truly deserved. Thank you for helping us create memories that our family will treasure forever. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for loving on our family, for honoring my beautiful Mami, and for reminding us that there are still extraordinary people in this world. May God richly bless each and every one of you! The Rodríguez Famila

Sadly, I attended a funeral service for a dear friend's father mid-March at Lake Lawn; such a…read morebeautiful edifice. Well kept grounds, quite pristine in appearance, expansive in size, very orderly and serene. Very much so a place of peace. And that's just the outside. Inside, I noticed 2 chapels, idk if that what you call them, but for this review, that's what they will be. These "chapels", are the areas where the actual "church-like" service is held for family and friends to say their last goodbyes to loved ones. When you enter there's a huge oval information desk... to the left or right you go. I don't recall music playing overhead, but I felt like there should've been some. After signing the funeral register book, I entered the chapel, and I had a seat. 2 sets of plush fabric benches with a center aisle for the family processional. I saw lots of familiar faces, as is customary for funerals and weddings. Programs were distributed and it was time for the service to begin. The host of the service, who is an employee of Lake Lawn, made the necessary announcements and the service began. The officiating Pastor approached the lectern and we were off to a beautiful Home-going Service. The organist and psalmist arrived to minister in song and as much as I enjoyed it, I KNOW it could've been 20xs better. The overhead sound speakers and the mics were horrible. I'm not sure what happened, but there was lots of static, the mics were going in and out, the speakers were not clear at all and the organ... omg, sounded like a circus air calliope; I was so very disappointed. The sound system was not in-line with the facility and all that I had witnessed thus far. I truly expected a state of the art sound system, but this wasn't the case. This was a notable blip on the radar of this beautiful facility. As I exited, I noticed a fence with weird painted on it that said Heavenly Pets; I thought this to be a pet cemetery of sorts. Quite a beautiful way to bury you fur-babies. I hope not to return here anytime soon, but if I must, I pray the overhead sound system, mics and organ have been revamped or even replaced to match the aesthetics and elegance of this establishment. RIP Mr. Wallace