New Orleans Metairie Cemetery Tour: Millionaires and Mausoleums

Join the Metairie Cemetery tour and uncover the secrets of historic tombs, from Popeyes’ founder to vampire novelist Anne Rice. Explore untold stories and scandalous narratives of New Orleans!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Lake Lawn Metairie - Metairie Cemetery (actually located in New Orleans) is home to some of the most elaborate and artistic marble tombs and funerary art in the city. This former racetrack is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is frequently ranked as one of the top cemeteries in the world. Metairie Cemetery has everyone from politicians, to jazz musicians to Storyville madams to mob bosses, to fried-chicken tycoons, to vampire novelists, all nestled together in an 127-acre pastoral setting surrounded by shining pyramids, Greek Temples, Islamic pavilions, crying dogs, and mausoleums with weeping angels. Metairie Cemetery is not a burial place, but a burial destination.
What's Included
  • Admission to Metairie Cemetery
  • Guidance from an expert guide
  • Insider tips for local food, music, and culture
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

The Metairie Cemetery holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and is frequently regarded as a must-visit cemetery globally. As you stroll under the protection of almost a thousand trees, you’ll witness the lavish burial chambers of Al Copeland, the founder of Popeyes, Ruth Fertel, the creator of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Anne Rice, a renowned vampire literature writer. You’ll encounter a pyramid protected by a sphinx, a tomb with Islamic elements built by a Confederate general for his daughter, the burial site of a solemn gambler shot dead, a notorious madam from Storyville who was forced to abandon her grave, and the well-known weeping angel drenched in blue. Your tour guide, Sally Asher, is fervent about uncovering the unusual, scandalous, and unspoken tales of New Orleans. An applauded author and professional photographer, Asher advocates for the importance of history not only in recording dates and facts but also in capturing the delicate convergence of truth and storytelling, including the untold and scandalous aspects. The tour covers about 2 miles and lasts approximately 2 hours.

Location
5100 Pontchartrain Blvd
Pontchartrain Boulevard
Please meet at least 10 minutes early from the start time at 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., at the Law Enforcement Memorial to the right of the funeral home. Any of the entry gates will lead to the memorial. You just need to make a right at the stop sign. If you drive, you can park in the lot.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(181 Ratings)
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Amie_c
Aug 27, 2024
Excellent experience - Glen,our tour guard was great! He was very knowledgeable about many of the people buried here and how each played a part in creating New Orleans history! He was wonderful and made the tour very enjoyable! Thanks Glen! We strongly recommend this tour for everyone!
Review provided by Viator
Vanessa_w
Aug 19, 2024
Wonderful historical tour... - Wonderful historical tour of the cemetery with an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide on cemeteries in the United States and their traditions
Review provided by Viator
Melissa_s
Jul 23, 2024
Most knowledgeable tour guide ever - My partner and I have been taking trips and tours around the city but we both agree that this one was the most informative, interesting and worth the value. Our tour guide Sally has a passion for the cemetery and its history and it shows when she explains the symbolism and tales that come with the tombs and mausoleums.. Give it a try!
Review provided by Viator
140m_lissas
Jul 23, 2024
Most knowledgeable guide ever - More than a normal guide, Sally is a litteral scholar and lecturer, who can give you SO MUCH information about the cemetery, including symbolic details and some of the pettiest stories and all the tea. By far the most knowledgeable guide I've ever had on a tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
367saraw
Jul 16, 2024
A cemetery tour to live for - Great stories, deep dives into obscure topics (answering questions from the tour group) and interesting facts based on Sally's research and local knowledge. Having an academic / historian take the group through the quirks and foibles of this cemetery was fascinating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gabriela_g
Jul 2, 2024
AMAZING - Went solo, beautiful experience. Definitely worth the money and I learned alot from the whole tour. It was so much fun!!! I will take my best friend next time for my birthday and do this again(:
Review provided by Viator
Mprakash123
Jun 24, 2024
Learned so much! - Had an absolutely amazing time learning on our tour. She was beyond knowledgable and able to answer all our questions. If it wasn't hot, we would have stayed for two more hours! We learned so much and now hope to do the other tour as well!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexandra_d
Jun 18, 2024
Fantastic cemetery tour! - This tour was amazing! Our tour guide Sally Asher with Red Sash Tours was so well informed and knew the cemetery like the back of her hand. We had the best time and this was definitely one of the most memorable experiences from our trip!
Review provided by Viator
Teddy_l
Jun 11, 2024
Great experience! Rich in history! - Great tour! The cemetery is beautiful and the history is enlightening! Sally was an excellent guide and we learned so much! Great experience and well worth your time! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Jessie_b
Jun 24, 2024
Neat cemetery tour if you want to learn about the burial process and types of tombs. - Interesting tour, learned a lot about the burial process and differences between New Orleans and other parts of US.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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