Save Our Cemeteries: Reviewing This Tour of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans
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Looking for an authentic, historically accurate cemetery tour in New Orleans instead of theatrical ghost stories?
Most cemetery tours in the French Quarter prioritize entertainment over education, leaving you with spooky tales but little understanding of New Orleans’ unique burial culture.
Save Our Cemeteries is different—as the city’s only non-profit cemetery tour organization, they’re focused on preservation and real history, not performance.
I took their Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 tour as both a history enthusiast and a fan of The Originals TV series (I’m a film tourism nerd), and I can tell you exactly what makes this tour worth your time and money—from the incredible restoration work they’re actively funding to the real stories behind famous tombs.
Whether you’re a history buff tired of ghost story gimmicks, looking for filming locations for iconic projects such as Interview with a Vampire, or a cultural traveler who wants your tourism dollars to support meaningful preservation work, this review will help you decide if Save Our Cemeteries’ tour belongs on your New Orleans itinerary.
Save Our Cemeteries merged with the Preservation Resource Center in early 2025, but still offers tours.
Why Visit Lafayette Cemetery No. 1?
I have to confess.
I actually looked into Lafayette Cemetery tours because of the CW TV series The Originals, as I was visiting in 2016 during the show’s run.
Since Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is a central location in the series, I wanted to see what it looked like in real life.
They don’t film the TV show here (only a handful of shots were filmed in New Orleans; the rest were filmed in Georgia), but they have filmed other films and TV series here.
So, if you’re a bit of a set jetter like me, this is one of the best Lafayette Cemetery tours to take.
Films Shot in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
- Interview with the Vampire (1994)
- Double Jeopardy (1999)
- Dracula 2000 (2000)
- Deja Vu (2006)
- Jonah Hex (2010)
Making it a great spot for film tourists!
Book Recommendation
Start with Interview with the Vampire—I’ve listened to the first two in the series thus far and have devoured them.
I get my audiobooks from Libro.fm—they split the profits with an independent bookstore of your choice.
It is also one of the most famous cemeteries in New Orleans, making it a prime attraction to add to your New Orleans itinerary.
Well-known as one of New Orleans’ oldest and most iconic cemeteries (est. 1833), it boasts above-ground tombs that reflect local burial practices shaped by the city’s high water table.
The cemetery stands out for its ornate family vaults and Greek Revival and Italianate details.
And after the disappointment of the Haunted History tour, I needed a win!
Starting the Save Our Cemeteries Tour
Getting to the cemetery is an easy walk from the streetcar or the #11 Magazine St bus on Washington Ave.
However, the Save Our Cemeteries website warns against relying on the streetcars (or trolleys) as they don’t always run on time.
We met our guide, Jamie, just outside the cemetery to start the tour.
Throughout the tour, I found her to be well-informed and thoughtful, which I really appreciated!
Save Our Cemeteries ensures that its guides provide both historically accurate and entertaining information.
Before beginning the tour, she offered all the guests parasols to help keep cool under the beating sun.
Warning: Though it looks cloudy in my photos, it was scorching in NOLA! That parasol would end up being my saving grace, as I burn easily and had forgotten my water bottle. Oops!
I should have read the Save Our Cemeteries website better, as it notes suggested items to bring:
- Bottled water
- Sunscreen
- Comfortable shoes
- Hats
- Umbrellas (to protect from rain and provide shade)
What is the History of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1?
This cemetery has been active since 1833 and is still in use (edit: it’s now been closed until further notice for repairs, so I’m not sure if it’s still in use as a graveyard).
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 has about 1,000 tombs and is home to around 7,000 people.
The size of a city block, it’s not racially or religiously segregated, and it contains over 26 nationalities, making it unique as one of the few cemeteries from that time that reflect cultural diversity.
The cemetery takes its name from its location, as it was once the City of Lafayette, a suburb of New Orleans.
It was also the city’s first planned cemetery.
Restoration Work By Save Our Cemeteries
A problem that was pointed out on this tour is that Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, and I’m sure other cemeteries in the area, have theft.
Jamie pointed out a missing section of wrought iron from a fence around a tomb that had been stolen. The rise in theft is due to a black market for such things.
While I was there, we got to see some of the restoration the Save Our Cemeteries team is doing.
To restore a tomb, they first have to contact the family to obtain permission, since owning a tomb is like owning a home. They can’t just work on it without consent.
They even go up for sale occasionally, as you can see in the photo below.
Consequently, a lot of these restorations take time.
Once permission is granted, they begin researching the tomb, including its original color and other details.
The current family members don’t always go with the original look.
Tomb from Interview with the Vampire
Jamie pointed out a cast-iron tomb in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1; it was pretty easy to spot, as it is the only one.
It’s not looking great these days since cast iron doesn’t do well in Louisiana heat. But you would recognize it right away, as it was the model for the tomb in Interview with the Vampire.
Side note: While promoting her 1995 novel Memnoch the Devil, its author, Anne Rice (also the author of Interview with the Vampire), emerged from a coffin after riding through this very cemetery!
What is Natural Cremation?
Something else we learned on this tour is the practice of natural cremation.
How natural cremation works is that when someone dies, the coffin is placed in a vault of the tomb. The body is then left to decay naturally.
Because New Orleans has a hot, humid climate, the temperature inside the vault can reach 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, the body is naturally cremated.
When they open the tomb, the remains of the previous occupant are removed, bagged, and placed in a chamber underneath.
The new person then moves into the tomb until it is needed again. They typically leave them in there for a year and a day before removal.
If someone were to die before a year and a day, the family would rent a tomb until the time was up.
You can see an empty tomb below that is thought to have never been used.
Ending this Lafayette Cemetery Tour
Jamie told intriguing stories about the people who now lie here during this NOLA cemetery tour.
My favorite story was of Julien de Lallande Poydras.
Originally from France, he had wanted to marry his sweetheart.
However, she had no dowry, making it impossible for them to marry.
So, he headed to America to make his fortune, but unfortunately, by the time he returned home to marry her, she was already married to another man.
Heartbroken, he returned to Louisiana and became a philanthropist.
He created the Female Orphan Asylum, to which he gave £100,000. In his will, he left $20,000 for a college at Pointe Coupee and dowry money to less fortunate girls so that they could marry whom they chose ($30,000).
This money is now given for educational purposes to women.
To the Charity Hospital of New Orleans, he left his house on Levee and Bourbon Street. To the Poydras Female Asylum, all his houses on Poydras Street, and the Batture.
He is now buried at Lafayette No. 1, and his tomb is a stop on this tour, though I somehow neglected to take a photo of it.
My Review of Save Our Cemeteries
A portion of the tour ticket price benefits Save Our Cemeteries’ education and restoration efforts.
So you can feel good about your hard-earned money being spent on one of their Lafayette Cemetery tours while visiting the USA.
I’m glad mine went to preserving the cemetery for future generations to enjoy as I did!
Update: Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is closed until further notice for repairs and improvements.
In the meantime, check out the other tours offered by Save Our Cemeteries.
But do continue to check back to see when their Lafayette Cemetery tours resume, as I highly recommend it!
If you’re open to exploring other cemeteries, I book tours through GetYourGuide because its cancellation policy is often more flexible than official sites
FAQs
Why Are New Orleans Cemeteries Above Ground?
New Orleans cemeteries use above-ground tomb burial because of the city’s geography.
Much of New Orleans sits at or below sea level, with a high water table that historically caused coffins buried in the ground to float back to the surface—a grim and unsanitary problem in a densely populated city.
Above-ground family vaults became the standard solution.
The design also has practical advantages in New Orleans’ climate: vault temperatures can reach 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, which naturally cremates remains over time, eliminating the need for traditional cremation services.
This practice is still used at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and other New Orleans cemeteries, where bodies are typically left in a vault for a year and a day before remains are moved to an underground chamber, freeing the space for a new occupant.
Is the Save Our Cemeteries Tour Worth It?
Yes, and it stands out among New Orleans cemetery tours for two key reasons: it prioritizes historical accuracy over entertainment, and as the city’s only non-profit cemetery tour organization, a portion of every ticket price funds active preservation and restoration work.
During my 2016 tour, guide Jamie offered parasols to guests, provided historically grounded context for every stop, and avoided the ghost-story theatrics common on French Quarter tours.
Highlights included the cast-iron tomb that served as the model for Interview with the Vampire (1994), the natural cremation process, and the story of French philanthropist Julien de Lallande Poydras, who left $30,000 for dowries so less fortunate women could marry freely.
Is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 Worth Visiting?
Yes, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is worth visiting, though it is temporarily closed for repairs, so check availability before planning your visit.
Established in 1833 in what was then the separate City of Lafayette, it is one of New Orleans’ most historically significant burial sites: roughly 1,000 tombs housing around 7,000 people from over 26 nationalities.
Notably, the cemetery was neither racially nor religiously segregated from its founding—unusual for the era.
It has also served as a filming location for Interview with the Vampire (1994), Double Jeopardy (1999), Dracula 2000, and Jonah Hex (2010).
Related Louisiana Travel Guides
- Haunted History Tour New Orleans: Is it the Best Ghost Tour?
- Save Our Cemeteries: Reviewing This Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 Tour
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