Saint Louis Cemetery, Catholic cemetery in French Quarter, New Orleans, United States
Saint Louis Cemetery is a burial ground in New Orleans featuring white stone above-ground tombs arranged in rows across multiple pathways and sections. The graves form a structured grid pattern that extends throughout the grounds.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 opened in 1789, replacing the St. Peter Cemetery after an 1788 fire forced the city's redesign. No. 2 was consecrated in 1823, three blocks away, and No. 3 opened in 1854 near Bayou St. John along Esplanade Avenue. No. 1 and No. 2 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; No. 2 was listed in 1975.
Many tombs in No. 1 carry inscriptions in French, reflecting the Franco-Louisianan families buried there, and a separate Protestant section lies in the northwest corner. Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is believed to rest in the Glapion family crypt, which draws visitors who leave offerings. No. 2 holds jazz and rhythm-and-blues musicians such as Danny Barker and Ernie K-Doe.
Visiting requires joining an official guided tour, which starts from the Basin Street Station visitor center and provides historical context. Tours follow set routes to protect the graves and pathways throughout the grounds.
Marie Laveau, the Voodoo priestess, is believed to be buried in the Glapion family crypt in St. Louis No. 1, which draws visitors who mark the tomb with three X's. In 2010 actor Nicolas Cage bought a pyramid-shaped tomb there as his future resting place. The cemetery is one square block yet holds thousands of burials, with a Protestant section in the northwest.
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