St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, at 425 Basin Street on the edge of the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the oldest surviving cemetery in the city, established in 1789. Visitors see a dense maze of whitewashed above-ground tombs, wall vaults and family crypts, a style adapted to the city's high water table and Spanish and French burial traditions. Among the notable burials are Marie Laveau, the celebrated Voodoo practitioner, Homer Plessy of Plessy v. Ferguson, and Ernest Dutch Morial, the city's first Black mayor. The cemetery also contains a pyramid-shaped tomb, reportedly purchased by actor Nicolas Cage, which draws many curious onlookers. Since 2015, entry has been limited to licensed guided tours or to relatives of those interred, in response to vandalism and wear on the historic tombs. Tours are run by the Archdiocese of New Orleans and licensed operators, last about 45 to 60 minutes, and usually cost about $25 to $30 per person. Guides explain burial customs, the history of Creole families and the preservation challenges of the site. The cemetery is small and crowded with tombs, so tours move slowly on uneven ground. For photographs, rows of crumbling tombs in morning light are the most striking, and the best compositions come from the main alley. Crowds are usually smallest on early weekday tours, and larger groups gather in late morning, especially around spring and fall holidays. Visitors are asked not to mark, touch or lean on the tombs and to avoid leaving offerings that damage the structures. The cemetery is a ten-minute walk from Bourbon Street and near Louis Armstrong Park, so it pairs well with a Tremé afternoon. Summer heat reflects off the white tombs and shade is scarce, so water, sunscreen and a hat are recommended.