
(A tomb in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo © 2009 by Robin)
One of the things I wanted to do while in New Orleans was visit the cemeteries. I’ve read about them in various books (including Anne Rice’s vampire and Mayfair witch books) and seen them in movies. Research done before the trip revealed that the cemeteries are not only popular with tourists, they are popular with criminals looking to lighten the load of tourists by relieving them of some of their valuables. Pretty much everything I read suggested that if I wished to visit certain cemeteries, I should join a tour group, be sure to stay with the tour group, and none of that falling behind just to capture a few shots or wandering off by myself. One guide book even warned that you should “go with a tour group or a police escort” (emphasis mine).
To be honest, I was a little taken aback by some of the things I read regarding New Orleans and crime. Having never been there before, I wasn’t sure if I should leave the hotel room and wander around on my own or not. As it turns out, it wasn’t such a scary place to be after all. I walked around the city on my own for the first three days while M was attending a conference. I did, however, decide to join a tour group to visit one of the cemeteries. We could have toured Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 on our own (it’s one of the relatively safe cemeteries), but that would have deprived us of the great tour guide we had who filled our heads with stories, legends, and her knowledge of burial symbols and rites in New Orleans.

(Gate into the cemetery. Photo © 2009 by Robin)
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is located in the Garden District of New Orleans. The Garden District in and of itself is an interesting area and we took a walking tour of the District on our own after the tour of the cemetery. More on that in a later post. This area of New Orleans used to be known as the city of Lafayette, where Les Americaines (the Americans) lived. The cemetery is located on land that was once part of the Livaudais plantation. It was established in 1833, and you’ll find more German and Irish names in this cemetery than you will in the older cemeteries located in what were the Spanish and French sections of New Orleans.
Hanging on the entrance gate of the cemetery is a dedication to musician Theodore Von LaHache, founder of the New Orleans Philharmonic Society. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is the only cemetery in New Orleans dedicated to someone.

(Von La Hache tomb. Photo © 2009 by Robin)
Lafayette No. 1 has been used in a few films, including Interview With the Vampire (which, I gather, brought in plenty of tourists after the film was released in 1994). It is also featured in some of Anne Rice’s novels. (For the record, I didn’t set out to follow an Anne Rice tour of the Garden District, but it worked out that way due to scheduling. We’d have toured St. Louis No. 1 — an older cemetery — if we’d had the time to do so on the only Sunday we were in New Orleans. As it was, timing brought us to Lafayette No. 1 instead.)

(Warning on the gate. Photo © 2009 by Robin)
If you’re planning a trip to New Orleans and want to tour the cemeteries, I recommend the Save Our Cemeteries tours. You don’t need a reservation, the tour guides are knowledgeable, and your donation goes towards the protection, preservation, and promotion of the cemeteries.
More on Lafayette No. 1 in future posts.
Recent Comments