The oldest active cemetery in New Orleans (1789), with above-ground tombs stacked in rows like a miniature city. The high water table made below-ground burial impractical. Notable interments include Homer Plessy (of Plessy v. Ferguson), Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau (supposedly), and many Creole families in elaborate society tombs.
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Tours are required for entry (no solo wandering allowed due to past vandalism). The Save Our Cemeteries tours are excellent and provide context on burial traditions, Creole society, and the architectural logic of the tombs. The Marie Laveau tomb is covered in X marks from visitors — a tradition based on legend, not history.
Morning tours are cooler (important in summer). Tours run daily, book in advance. The cemetery is small (one city block) but dense with history. Allocate one hour for the tour.
Opened in 1789 when the city's first cemetery (St. Peter Cemetery) was closed. The above-ground tomb tradition is practical (water table) and cultural (French/Spanish Caribbean influence). The tombs are family or society vaults — bodies are placed inside, sealed for a year and a day, then the remains are moved to a lower chamber to make room for the next occupant. This is why they are called 'ovens.' Marie Laveau's actual burial location is disputed. The cemetery was used as a set for Easy Rider. Entry requires a tour guide as of 2015 to prevent theft and vandalism.