Old Cemeteries

Old Cemeteries are in various locations throughout the city. Because water filled the graves before coffins could be lowered, tombs were built above ground. Mausoleums, 100 or more feet long and four tiers high, are of solid masonry. Most burials still are above ground, custom rather than necessity.

Dedicated to the preservation of New Orleans' historic burial sites, Save Our Cemeteries offers regular guided tours of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 as well as seasonal tours of other historic cemeteries.