A guide to free, no-tour-required New Orleans cemeteries
The icon of New Orleans cemeteries
As a kid growing up around New Orleans, I didn't realize that our cemeteries differed from cemeteries in other places. I assumed that all graves everywhere looked like little houses, and that all cemeteries were miniature cities of haphazard streets lined with those little houses.
The cemeteries never disturbed or frightened me; maybe it helped that I saw them as miniature cities filled with cute little houses. I liked looking at all the beautiful and sometimes odd statues. I liked the oldness of graves dating back hundreds of years into times I had only read about at school. I liked how quiet they could be, even centered in busy neighborhoods.
Always visit cemeteries when you travel
Cemeteries are among the best places to walk and contemplate, not only for their ethereal artwork and majestic trees, but also because of the natural opportunity to reflect upon the most important things. I find it compelling that every grave represents a real, living person whose life mattered to him or her as much as ours matter to us, and how on the headstones, just the tiniest bit of their stories remain. It’s so interesting and moving trying to guess all the things that may have been experienced by these people based solely upon their birth and death dates.
Why are New Orleans graves built above ground?
A charming bit of lore claims it's because otherwise in our marshy soil, the coffins would float up with every heavy rain. But really it's because at the time they were constructed, above-ground tombs dominated French fashion. If you visit Paris' Pere Lachaise or Cimetiere Montmartre, you'll note the striking resemblance with our St Louis No 1 or Lafayette Cemetery. Along with the iconic above-ground cemeteries, New Orleans also houses several "normal" cemeteries with graves set into the ground.
How to find free New Orleans cemeteries
Many of New Orleans’ historic cemeteries are no longer open to the public due to persistent vandalism and theft. Many others are accessible only through paid tours. These tours are fascinating and worth the ticket price. But if they're sold out, don't fit into your schedule or budget, or if you want to see the cemeteries on your own time, here are some of the best free cemeteries in New Orleans open to the public.
The chef's cemetery: St Louis Cemetery No 3
This cemetery would be my top choice for making a whole day of it. That’s because St Louis No 3 is located in Bayou St John, one of my favorite New Orleans neighborhoods. It's a non-touristy, quiet, and easygoing neighborhood with wonderful cafés and bars along an active bayou that connects Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River.
St Louis No 3 is the youngest of the city’s three St Louis cemeteries, created out of necessity after No 1 and No 2 reached capacity. The new burial ground on Esplanade Avenue opened in 1854, following a yellow fever epidemic that killed roughly one in ten New Orleanians.
No 3 is nicknamed "the chef's cemetery" for the many restaurant legends buried here. Creole cuisine queen Leah Chase owned and operated Dooky Chase’s, a gathering place for civil rights leaders in the 1960s. She later inspired Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. Nearby rests Paul Prudhomme of K-Paul’s, the chef who introduced mainstream American to Cajun cooking. You can also see the tombs of grand restaurant dynasties: Guillaume Tujague, founder of Tujague’s; the Galatoire family; and Emma and Bertha Camors, the original “two sisters” of the Court of Two Sisters. Architect James Gallier and Storyville photographer E.J. Bellocq rest here too, as does Ernest “Dutch” Morial, the city’s first Black mayor.
After you tour the iconic New Orleans graves, go across the street to visit Our Lady of the Rosary. Holy Rosary, as we call it locally, is one of the most beautiful domed churches in New Orleans. Have lunch at one of the cafés along Esplanade Avenue: Lola’s, 1000 Figs, Santa Fe, or our all-time favorite, Café Degas (wine is 30 percent off on Thursdays—you're welcome).
While you're in the neighborhood, you can also make appointments to tour Pitot House and Cabrini High School, the home and workplace of St Frances Cabrini while she lived in New Orleans. Stroll along Bayou St John (especially gorgeous at sunset) and, if you’re ready for an iconic New Orleans snack, head over to the City Park location of Café du Monde for beignets and coffee.
Fame, history, and sculpture: Metairie Cemetery
Despite its moniker, Metairie Cemetery is one of the largest and grandest cemeteries in New Orleans. Metairie Cemetery features a massive collection of impressive statuary topping the iconic New Orleans above-ground tombs, along with family mausoleums. A stunning replica of Rome’s famous Angel of Grief sculpture is among the beautiful sculptures you can encounter.
The cemetery origiated from a legendary New Orleans grudge. The grounds once housed the Metairie Race Course. The exclusive Metairie Jockey Club refused to admit Charles T. Howard, a man who had made his fortune via the Louisiana State Lottery. According to legend, Howard vowed someday to turn the track into a graveyard. After the Civil War the club fell into ruin. The land became Metairie Cemetery, with Howard on its founding board. You can see that the main avenues still follow the oval of the old track.
With dozens of famous and historically significant people buried here—from bandleader Louis Prima to Popeyes founder Al Copeland and generations of Carnival royalty—Metairie Cemetery has been called “the Père Lachaise of New Orleans.” You can read an interesting recent article about notable burials here. Generations of my own family are also buried here.
P.S. Howard, who reigned as Rex in 1877, died in 1885 after—of all things—falling from a horse. Local lore says he’s buried at the old finish line, but cemetery staff say that’s a myth.
A miracle origin story: St Roch Cemetery No 1
For a personal and spiritual vibe, visit St Roch Cemetery No 1. St Roch is an active Catholic cemetery known for exquisite religious artwork like its Italian-made stations of the cross. The Gothic chapel features numerous interesting ex votos (gratitude offerings) on display.
In 1867, a young German priest, Fr Peter Leonard Thevis, arrived as pastor of Holy Trinity parish just as yellow fever was sweeping the city. According to his native devotion, he turned to St Roch, promising to build a chapel in the saint’s honor if his parishioners were spared. Not one parishioner died in that epidemic nor in the even more devastating one of 1878. Fr Thevis kept his word. The cemetery was dedicated in 1875, and the Gothic chapel was completed on St Roch’s feast day in 1876. When Fr Thevis died in 1893, he was buried beneath the chapel floor in front of the altar.
For the nearly 150 years since, the faithful have left ex votos in the chapel’s small side room: crutches, leg braces, plaster hands and feet, rosaries, and handwritten thanks for prayers answered. It’s the only cemetery and chapel in the United States dedicated to St Roch. The chapel serves at the National Shrine of St Roch.
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