Great tour! We booked a tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1 for 10AM on 10/30. It was very busy (day before Halloween), but Tony was a great tour guide. He was able to navigate the crowds really well. He was also very knowledgeable about the area. He shared a lot of NOLA history with us and taught us about the designs of some of the the tombs. He guided us to all of the big name tombs, including Marie Laveau, Homer Plessy, Paul Morphy, and Nicolas Cage (a weird one). He also made sure we were all able to get the pictures we wanted. This company is a huge advocate for the conservation of the cemeteries, and they treat the area with great respect. I'm glad we were able to contribute to this effort while getting to experience our tour with such a knowledgeable guide. Highly recommend this company and this cemetery for anyone visiting the area. read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

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A friend of my wife and I recommended using the Save Our Cemeteries tour company to visit St. Louis number 1 while we were vacationing in New Orleans in May 2018 and boy were we pleasantly surprised. We got such a detailed guide by the name of Tony who was a wealth of knowledge of everything this cemetery had to offer. The price may be higher than most other tour companies but the level of understanding and the ability to tell a good story are critical when visiting such a notable place. You just can't go wrong with Save Our Cemeteries, plus some of the money they make goes towards the restoration efforts at the local New Orleans cemeteries. read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

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This was a really fun tour and totally worth it. We toured Lafayette #1 at 1pm. Our tour guide was Jamie and she was incredibly knowledgeable about the cemetery as well as the history in New Orleans. Reflecting back, had we just visited the cemetery on our own, we would have thought: "this is cool, wonder why the tombs are above ground. Nevermind, it's hot, I'm going home." But since we took the tour, we learned a ton about the customs of burial, and the culture in New Orleans. I would highly recommend this tour. And bonus, it's for a good cause! Just one recommendation, bring lots of water and an umbrella. There's not a lot of shade so you'll be happy you have these. Happy touring! read more

I couldn't give these tours enough stars. I took all three of the cemetery tours while here on vacation this week. Lafayette #1 with Gayle and St. Louis #1 (dusk tour) and #2 with Dana and I was very satisfied with all three. Both ladies are very knowledgeable and fun. All facts, no cheesey tourist stories. Both ladies recommended a books for further reading as well. If you get a chance to, take the once monthly dusk tour of St. Louis #1. So much nicer without the crowds and without the sun beating down. I'm glad there was an organization like this because I'd rather the money goes to an organization dedicated to the presentation of these beautiful, historic cemeteries. The guides are volunteers and they deserve a lot of praise for their work! read more

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Ginger was lovely and so knowledgeable about the history of the city and the cemetery - it was a great intro to our exploration for our first time in New Orleans, really helped us to get a feel for the dynamic culture and colorful history. It's great to know that this tour company plays an important role in restoration and preservation! read more

The tour is ok, but for the price to an organization called, "Save Our Cemeteries", we were very disappointed. Of the several hundred people there during the 1 1/2 hours we were ther, None of the money appears to go saving the cemetery. Trash and weeds everywhere. When we asked the guide about it, she blew us off. read more

We took a tour of St Louis Cemetery I & II. We really enjoyed our time with Monique. She was very interesting and gave a lot of history of the cemeteries and the city. She knew so many answers to our questions. I would highly recommend spending the time to do this tour. read more

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Jamie gave our tour and she was incredible!!! So much great information, she answered all our questions and took her time explaining everything to us. Our tour ran over a little bit, but so worth every minute. One tip- call them directly if you are trying to make reservations right before the tour starts. Originally we decided the morning of to hit the tour and online it only showed the 1:00 tour as being available. Called the number and they got us on the 10:30. I would definitely take another tour with SOC! read more

I'm not new to NOLA cemeteries, and I've been to St. Louis #1 many times over the years. SOC has the most well-informed tour guides by far. The Society works with the cemetery owners to research, document, and preserve these important pieces of NOLA history. Don't bother with costumed guides or hack drivers who don't have accurate information, or worse, repeat old urban legends that lead to the further desecration of the cemeteries. Go with SOC. BTW, the 10AM tours can sell out, so book ahead of time. Don't count on being able to walk up and join in. read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Lovely example from St. Louis #1 - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

I was SUPER hesitant to do any cemetery tour because I really wanted to be respectful of the community and culture. Most of these other tours seem so gimmicky. This is NOT the case with Save Our Cemeteries. The experience was wonderful - we met at Backatown Coffee Shop, which was also super cute - and Tony was our tour guide. Super real, knowledgeable, and friendly in the best way! It's about the same cost as the other corny tour companies & with SOC, your money is going to a non-profit helping to preserve the cemeteries. Thank you for a great experience & THANKS, TONY! read more

Great Cemetery! Don't get me wrong. The tour was extremely slow and painful the way that one experiences a root canal when the numbing agent isn't completely on board. It took forever for the guide to figure out that we only had 17 people on the tour. Counting to 17 proved challenging. Then, it took 3 cycles of a traffic light for 17 people to cross the street. This was the most exciting part! We were so board that we decided to take off on our own. Plessey's grave was amazing . Unfortunately the extremely tight controls ( you can't walk anywhere without the mind numbing tour guide) caused us to be ejected...... Not many people can say that they have been kicked off of a cemetery tour. There should be I got kicked off of a cemetery tour t-shirts....... now that would be fun.. read more

Save our cemeteries is a non profit and when you purchase the tour from them it helps restore the cemetery. Jeannie was a great tour guide. Highly recommend this tour read more

A friend and I went on walking tour of St. Louis No. 1. It was definitely a hot, sunny NOLA day and they tell you in the instructions to wear sun protection and bring water and people should definitely follow their instructions. I enjoyed that the money from the tour went to help preserving the cemeteries and our guide did discuss their various restoration projects. The cemetery was crowded with other groups which definitely threw off our tour guide as several times we went to walk to the next stop and would end up walking around in circles until the other groups moved. I would have also liked to hear more about the people buried in the cemetery as the guide only talked specifically about 3-4 people. Overall I enjoyed it but it could a little tweaking. read more

The best experience! The Save Our Cemeteries guide shared her knowledge of this cemetery and all others that benefit from this organization whose purpose is to save and retain these incredible spaces. We got a very detailed history of the entire area and we enjoyed her graveside humor. Being within earshot of other guides tours, ours was the most detailed and entertaining! You won't be disappointed with this tour...they ARE the local experts! read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

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Do the right thing and book a tour with Save Our Cemeteries. Terry is the best, the younger guy is whack and too eccentric. Probably the best time I had at a cemetery. How many times can I say tha read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Terry is the man - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

Six words: nonprofit cemetery tour, so much information! Not going to lie - I chose this tour group because their tickets seemed affordable and they offered tours at a time that was convenient for me. I had no idea about the damage done to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and I had no idea that St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was inaccessible unless you had a family plot or were part of a tour group. I just really wanted to go on a tour and Save Our Cemeteries offered one. But once I got on the tour, I knew we had made the right decision. My friends and I took a Monday afternoon tour with Lisa and greatly enjoyed it. Her relaxed manner made the whole tour seem like a stroll through the park. She had a wealth of information to share about the history of tombs and graves in New Orleans, in addition to the conservation efforts. Going on a Save our Cemeteries tour not only helps preserve the cemeteries of New Orleans, which are unlike any I've ever seen but also ensures you're getting an authentic view of the cemeteries. This isn't some hokey, haunted tour. This is a historical tour through a historic cemetery in a part of New Orleans with an incredibly vibrant history. I won't spoil anything but I definitely think this tour company is worth it. $20 + fees is definitely worth it. read more

I chose this tour group because they give money back to the upkeep of the cemeteries and even try to restore tombs when possible. Many of the cemetery tours are just out to make a buck but this group is a non-profit with the main goal of keeping the cemetery in good shape. Tour groups meet inside of the very large Basin Street station. There is a self-guided small train museum and a short five minute film about New Orleans, as well as a sparkling clean bathroom and gift shop. Monique was our tour guide. She looked a little offbeat with her raspberry pink striped hair but Monique's personality will quickly quell any doubts you may initially feel. She is passionate about telling a good story and keeping you informed plus entertained. I feel lucky that I was in her group. We learned about oven tombs, family plots, the benevolent societies, a little about Napoleon's soldiers being buried in some plots, and the story of the Musson family and their great scandal. Monique made the stories of the people come to life. She also gave us some realistic information about Marie Laveau really being a devout Catholic, who just happened to also know some voodoo. Marie Laveau's daughter of the same name was more the vision of dancing with snakes in Congo Square. If you're going to choose a cemetery tour, look no further. Select Save Our Cemeteries and you'll be happy with your decision. read more

This is a NOLA must-see. I chose this touring group because the funds from the ticket goes to help restore NOLA area cemeteries, so I was glad to give them my money. As of March of this year, you had to have a registered tour guide/company to enter the cemetery, since a bunch of no-goodniks had been defacing the tombs. We were able to use a promo code to save $3 a ticket in the month of August, so look around for some deals before you purchase. Book online at least a few hours before your tour. Anyway, it was SO HOT when we took this tour, so if you are here in the summer I would book the earliest tour available (10 AM). Even on the early tour we were sweating, but there is some shade here and there from the structures. Our tour guide was great, and she provided so much local history that it really enticed me to want to read more on my own! The tombs of many prominent NOLA people are here, including the famed Marie Laveau. Nic Cage has a plot here for when he eventually kicks the bucket, so that was kind of interesting too. Take this tour!! You will learn so much about New Orleans' past, as well as the current struggles with maintaining a cemetery in a place where you really can't bury anything. If you are even remotely interested in local history, you will enjoy this tour. Also, you can cool off in the Basin St station next door, and there is even more stuff to check out in there! read more

Yes, I took the tour. Yes, I loved the tour. Yes, I would do it again when I had more time. The fact of the matter is, no bones about it, there is much to be learned in New Orleans fabled Cemetery #1. Though I glided along with a coworker, I was informed that the SOC tour is the best deal in town; what they are about is maintaining and restoring so that interesting shrines of the deceased do not turn to ashes and dust. They are also about the history component of these hallowed avenues; and our tour guide was both interesting and informative. There was clear-cut "respect in her voice. For example, many assume that "Basin Street" bodes ill for any possibility of resting in peace without a floatation device. Frankly, if you actually check out the amazing stone work in front of you it is so very French, so very Spanish: that it's nice to know that ethnic influence was the predominant piece in above ground resting places. Does it hurt in a flood? No. Though we did not make a pilgrimage to #2, 3, or 4 sections, we did pause at the Glapion family mausoleum, that being the resting place of Voodoun priestess Marie Laveau. Was it my imagination or did I really smell roses when I placed by xxx on the side of her tomb? Or was it the mist and fog swirling around that added to our experience of the tour? I know what I believe. Let's hope my request comes true. read more

We took the Lafayette #1 tour with Val and were very satisfied. It was an extremely large group (he said so himself) but he managed to do a fantastic job guiding and teaching us. After a week in New Orleans and several guided tours under our belts, I can honestly say that this SOC tour was top-notch. Val was neither over-rehearsed sounding nor mechanical. He gave the information as if he was telling us for the first time even though we know he must have said the same things hundreds of times. He was also very pleasant - which I've also learned isn't the standard for tour-guides. This was my 4th time visiting NO but my first cemetery tour. Fascinating! Thank you Val! read more

The cemetery itself is absolutely worth the trip from the French quarter. The tour, as given by the "Save Our Cemeteries" group, is not worth the money. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the work they do to keep the cemeteries clean and open to the public. But you don't get your moneys' worth. For starters, the guided tours are first-come, first served. The last thing a weekend tourist wants to hear is that the tour they planned on going on is full. Simple enough to avoid, just get there earlier, right? Second problem; the tours don't begin at the cemetery. I, my three friends, and about 20 other people didn't get the memo that 501 Basin St. - the meeting point for the tour - is not the same as the entrance to the cemetery. When the actual tour did arrive 10 minutes later, we were told that the tour was full, and while we were welcome to join the already oversized group, we - paying customers - had to make room for the more map-literate members of the group. Long story short, we split off after about 10 minutes of following the group, and learned no more or less about this awesome cemetery by simply reading the many informative placards around the grounds. In fact, had we not split from the group, we never would have met a genial cemetery worker who took time off from his whitewashing duties to explain to us the differences between Cajun and Creole, and told us of the major family names that graced both this cemetery and the historical French and Spanish quarters. So while the cemetery is well worth the time (and I'd recommend at least an hour to browse this city of the dead), steer clear of the guided tours. But still donate to their cause - these cemeteries are well worth saving! read more

It was a waste of my time and money. Most of the time we remained standing for as long as fifteen minutes, while listening to the tour guide give a lecture about historical facts that had nothing to do with the cemetery and also to let other tours go by. The cemetery was filthy, unkempt and there was a lot of rubble. If you're willing to stand in the heat and the humidity, think of something else that might make your time worthwhile. read more

Because of a new rule, you cannot see St. Louis Cemetery #1 without a tour guide. But I'm really glad we took a tour with Save Our Cemeteries! Our guide, Sheila, was very knowledgeable and interesting. She pointed out all of the major sites and explained their back stories - Marie Laveau's tomb, Homer Plessy's, Nicholas Cage's (future) tomb, etc. Save Our Cemeteries uses funds from the tours to help restore some of the old tombs in need of repair. We liked touring with a foundation like this - not only does the money go to a good cause, but you know that the tour guides care deeply about the cemeteries, and not just about making money. If you want to see the cemeteries (and you should, they are beautiful and unique), definitely check out Save Our Cemeteries. read more

Definitely the BEST way to tour the cemeteries of New Orleans! Prior to our trip we knew we wanted to visit one of the infamous "Cities of the Dead." After much research we decided upon St. Louis 1 and immediately knew Save Our Cemeteries was the group for us. The focus as a non-profit working to restore the cemeteries and preserve their history was ideal for us. Knowing our tickets were going directly to the non-profit was such a great incentive. Not to mention that Mike was incredibly knowledgeable and excellent at pointing out fascinating information and facts while fielding our group's many questions. It was a sweltering muggy day and he made sure everyone could take advantage of shade when possible along with giving us fans for our stroll. We were fascinated with the history and stunning beauty. It was a great adventure and we look forward to touring another cemetery with this amazing company on a future trip! read more

I recently did a tour of Lafayette Cemetery through SOC and enjoyed it. It was actually my second experience with SOC-- I toured St. Louis #1 last winter and came back to learn more about NOLA's fascinating cities of the dead. I dig historic preservation, so I really love that this is an organization providing an important service AND educating the public. I'll give my money to that. They're also historically accurate, which is important. The tours were very informative both times, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The only reason I'm giving four stars, not five, is because the website said my most recent tour would last a little over an hour. We had lunch reservations immediately after the tour and actually had to leave early because the tour guide was still talking after 90 minutes. read more

Skip the touristy tours. I am a fairly new transplant playing tourist, so I'm always looking for ways to see the city without being a "tourist" SOC is great! We toured Lafayette #1 and thoroughly enjoyed the stories our guide was able to add to the history of the cemetery. Forgive me, I don't remember her name. I love that their purpose is to save the cemeteries. There are so many stories in this city and ALL of it must be preserved. The Lafayette tour starts at the cemetery and this one is in a great part of town so you can go alone, but you will be missing a lot from the experience if you do. I plan on taking all of my tours with SOC. P.S. After the tour walk a few blocks down to Magazine and turn right. Start walking and enjoy the shops. read more

This tour was amazing! I had no idea I would see the actual tomb of Marie Laveau and learn so much history. Our tour guide was Jeanne and we had a special guest Ina Fandrich, who is an expert on Marie Laveau. She described how voodoo was not witch craft and gave explanations about what is real and what is not in regards to Marie. For example, writing "xxx" on the tomb to get your wish granted is simply a rumor that people believe and now everyone seems to do it. After the tour, the ladies stayed and gave us some wonderful recommendations on where to go to eat, drink and be merry. We ended up going to all of them after realizing, these ladies are the real deal of NOLA. Do yourself a favor and go on this tour! read more

My mom really wanted to go on a cemetery tour while visiting NOLA. I couldn't think better way than to go with a guide who represents a great organization and knows so much rich history (Michael was a great guide!). We started promptly at 1030 in front of the main gates at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and meandered around the tombs for a little over an hour. We were able to learn a great deal about the history of cemeteries in New Orleans, about burial traditions, and about some of the families and inhabitants of the cemetery itself. I've wandered around some other plots before, but never knew there was so much symbolism in the small details! It was also nice/convenient to go across the street and have Sunday brunch at Commander's after a quick change of clothes. Although there are lots of groupons available for tour discounts, all the $ from the tours for SOC go towards conservation and education - totally worth the extra bit of money! We highly recommend this tour for locals as well since there's always something to learn. Looking forward to taking more guests to tours with SOC when they visit! read more

Had a great time touring cemetery St. Louis #1 with Tracy. She was a great host, friendly, interactive and told good stories, utilizing members of the party in her examples/ re-enactments. Pictures of older tombs and what certain sites looked like previously were also a nice touch. Recommend this tour company and ask for Tracy. read more

We took the St. Louis #1 Cemetery tour on a Sunday morning. Our volunteer guide Glen was fantastic! He's a local who knew his facts and admitted when he couldn't give an accurate answer. His insight and details made walking the cemetery much more interesting than a self-guided tour. Bonus is that your donation to take the tour goes towards the preservation and restoration of these cemeteries. If you're in town at the right time, don't miss a tour with this group! read more

Visiting the cemetery is free, but I really wanted to do a tour to fully get the history of the place. I went on yelp and googled cemetery tours of St. Louis #1. I came across "Save our Cemeteries" and decided this was the tour group I wanted to support. 100% of your ticket purchase goes to restoration and education programs. Our tour guide, Nancy, was informative and answered all questions. The tour was about 1 hr and 15 minutes long. We learned about the history of cemeteries in New Orleans, burial traditions, and about some of the families buried there. Definitely do this tour! read more

We went to St Louis Cemetery No. 1. Monique is so funny and knowledgable! She tells you the real stories without making up mumbo jumbo to make it sound scarier. It's really nice that the money goes towards taking care of the cemetery. The tombs are all unique and make this City of the Dead a must see! read more

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I have done two tours with this group on two different visits to Nw Orleans. They are always really good. They know their stuff and are thoughtful of the other tours going on. I have learned a ton from these folks. I also like that it's a non-profit that gives money to the preservation of the cemeteries. So my money is going to the tour guide and back to the cemetery! read more

We had Adam Stevensen as our guide. That man is brilliant! So well educated on the cemeteries, lively and very entertaining. The tour is about an hour and a half, all outside. You learn about the history of New Orleans, the culture and the upkeep of the tombs. This is truly a unique way to learn about such a unique city. Worth doing, all proceeds go to the cemetery conservation , and a great "different" kind of tour. read more

We had such a good tour at St Louis #1 with Tracy Norwood...she really knew her history and went into as much (or little) as we could have asked for! Highly recommend...it does get hot so bring some shade with you! read more

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If you're going to do a cemetery tour, I totally recommend this one! It's slightly more expensive than the other cemetery tours I looked at but I felt better spending the extra money ($2 per person) knowing the money would go to helping restore and preserve these beautiful cemeteries. Our tour guide, Brad, was very knowledgeable and informative about the history and traditions of the cemetery. It was pretty hot so I recommend bringing plenty of water but this tour was great and well worth the money spent. read more

Don was our tour guide and he is absolutely fantastic! A very, very informative hour and a half tour. He also has the best sense of humor. He pointed out some cool facts about the cemetery, the city, and other "New Orleans tidbits." He told everyone to be safe and gave his cell phone number if we needed anything throughout our stay in NOLA. Dan is the Man! read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

Our tour of St. Louis #1 was great. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging! I would really recommend it. read more

Save Our Cemeteries - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me

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I chose this tour company (for a tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1) because of the fact that their proceeds go to restore the graves and I stand by that decision. I feel like it doesn't matter what company you book because it's all about the tour guide that you get. Thus, you might as well just book a company that uses the money to help the cemetery. We had an OK tour guide. She kept hurrying us along when we were taking pictures and coming back to get those who were lagging behind to take photographs. This was a bit annoying but I think she was trying to move things along because it had been raining on and off. She mentioned the usually referenced reason for the above ground burials - high water levels. After doing some independent research, I learned that another explanation is due to tradition. According to the Lafayette Cemetery Research Project in NOLA (lafayettecemetery.org), "These are the tombs which are most common in the cemetery and bring rise to the belief that above-ground burial is due directly to the city's inherent water problems. In fact this style originated in the Mediterranean region thousands of years ago and was introduced to New Orleans and other New World colonies by the French and Spanish...Tombs, mausoleums and other raised, non-earthen, burial styles are common in most regions of the world with a strong Latin, Roman Catholic tradition, and a theory which is logical for anyone familiar with Southern Europe is that it evolved as a result of "rocky" soil in the region, making it more practical to find or build a burial structure." Anyway, irrespective of the actual reason behind it (perhaps they are both true), I feel like this explanation should have been mentioned. read more

Monique was informative and relaxed! We loved the whole thing. It is nice to learn more about some of the people buried that she finds interesting in addition to the regular popular sites. Thank you for a wonderful day! read more

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