St. Louis Cemetery Tour: Unveiling New Orleans' Secrets
5.0
262 Ratings
New Orleans
Explore the secrets of New Orleans on a guided cemetery tour with local author and historian Sally Asher. Uncover fascinating stories of notable citizens buried in St. Louis Cemetery and learn about the city's burial practices and tomb types. Book now!
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 - Local author and historian Sally Asher will take you on a journey of a famous New Orleans cemetery.

It’s been written that St. Louis Cemetery #3 has so many angels that one can “almost hear the beat of their wings.” You’ll visit the graves and learn about some of the city’s notable (and notorious) citizens including the first businesswoman to have a public statute erected in her honor, the hunchbacked photographer who secretly photographed prostitutes, the woman behind the quirky castle, the famed architect whose ship went down in a hurricane with over a hundred prostitutes and circus performers, and some legendary chefs who collectively advanced the Civil Rights movement, restored horse racing in New Orleans, and (for better or worse) introduced the turducken to the U.S..

This tour takes approximately an hour and a half and covers roughly a half mile.

The tour meets in front of the cemetery on 3421 Esplanade Ave at the gate farthest to the right underneath the trees.

What's Included
  • Insider tips for local food, music, and culture.
  • Expert guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

The renowned local author and historian, Sally Asher, will guide you through a notable New Orleans cemetery, which was the subject of her book ‘Stories from the St. Louis Cemeteries of New Orleans.’ This walking expedition offers a learning opportunity into burial customs, various tomb structures, and a visit to the final resting places of some of the city’s famous and infamous people. These include a hunchbacked photographer known for covertly photographing prostitutes, the woman infamous for her eccentric castle, the well-known architect who perished with over 100 prostitutes and circus entertainers on his ship, and renowned chefs whose collective efforts contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, revived the city’s horse racing, and brought the turducken delicacy to the U.S. This engaging tour spans 1:15 minutes and covers less than a mile. Sally’s passion lies in uncovering and sharing the peculiar, shocking, and unheard tales of New Orleans, believing that history extends beyond mere dates and facts to the subtle intersection of truth and storytelling - complete with all its scandals!

Location
3421 Esplanade Ave
Esplanade Avenue
Meet at the front gates of St. Louis Cemetery #3 at 3421 Esplanade Avenue.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(262 Ratings)
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Tristan_b
Jun 12, 2024
Brilliant NOLA tour - Sally was an incredibly knowledgeable guide who has a passion for history, stories and cemeteries. A great tour experience. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Lisamarie_s
Jun 11, 2024
Good tour, great histroy! - Really enjoyed her tour, learned so much about Cemetery 3! She answered all of our questions and was so knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Gerald_e
Jun 8, 2024
Amazing Guide - Due to a *very* rainy morning, and everyone else in my tour group canceling, I ended up getting a private tour of this cemetery with the amazing guide, Susan. She has a nigh on encyclopedic knowledge of the history, people, and symbolism that are to be found in this cemetery. She loves what she does, and it shows. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Roger_b
Jun 7, 2024
Exciting tour of the dead - Our tour guide Sally, literally wrote a book on New Orleans cemeteries. Me and my son met her at the gate and jumped straight into the tour. She was kind and brought us sun umbrellas. Not much sun cover in a New Orleans cemetery. Sally was a wealth of knowledge telling us all about the people, the history of New Orleans, and more. She went into the detailed symbolism of the statues by period, modern construction, cool stories about some of the residents colorful pasts. She's writing a new book on Prohibition in New Orleans. Outstanding experience. You're not going to find a better guide.
Review provided by Viator
N193jqdavidd
Jun 4, 2024
An exceptional and informative fun tour - Sally was amazing and extremely informative. She brought the history of New Orleans cemeteries to life. Who knew that a cemetery could be so interesting. Sally explained in detail the symbolism of the statues and markings. The continuous thunderstorm in the background overhead added to the element and fun. If you are thinking of a cemetery tour then Red Sash Tour and Sally is the best choice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stacy_h
Jun 4, 2024
Very knowledgeable, ... - Very knowledgeable, wonderful tour guide. Five stars all the way! Very enjoyable. Would recommend this tour every time
Review provided by Viator
Jackthechemist
Jun 4, 2024
Great overview of a charming New Orleans feature - Sally, our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about the graveyard. This allowed us to learn a great amount in a very short time. It was interesting on many levels, with plenty of stories. Our guide was also well organised, providing some of us with umbrellas to protect us from the strong sun. Definitely recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
471tabethah
May 29, 2024
Great fun - Sally Asher was our guide she did a marvelous job. Very informative and personable. I will recommend this tour to my family and friends.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
189krystall
May 28, 2024
10/10 Highly Recommend. - Sally was extremely knowledgable about the history of New Orleans, and the cemetary. She's clearly passionate about her work and had lots of information to share based on her extensive research. I love the way she shared the history of different burial spaces and even some of the stories about the people associated with the space. My sister, who was with me on the tour, was not too keen on it to begin with, but she says she left very excited about the knowledge that she gained. Beverly Skelly is her new idol! I would definitely recommend Red Sash Tours to my friends and family who are visiting New Orleans.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_f
May 13, 2024
Fantastic tour - What a fantastic tour! The guide wrote a book about this cemetery and is extremely knowledgeable about the history, symbolism and the people interred here. She interviewed nearly everyone related to this cemetery in one way or the other and has so much first hand information. I did do a different tour of a different cemetery also and I can truly say there is no comparison. I got so much more information from this tour, and she is very respectful in the delivery. I highly recommend booking this tour over any of the big bus tours. You won’t regret it!
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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