Quickly access bookings. var Tawk_API=Tawk_API||{}, Tawk_LoadStart=new Date(); On the Ross tomb, you will see how poorly marble holds up in our humid climate, and several engraved flowers on the tomb. As you continue on this aisle, notice the Hicks tomb on the left. Visitors to the tomb often leave toys for the boys who currently live at the home (who are ages 6-15), and a small group of neighbors decorates the tomb every Christmas. Plus, traveling by pedicab creates a pleasant pace while enabling you to see more than you could on foot. Pass several broken tablets on your right, and soon on your left is a massive coping tomb. The tomb is quite impressive and although it was erected for the family of J. S. Smith, it is no wonder that the builder, Hagan, signed his name on the lower right side of the tomb. The society’s operational name today is the Waldo Burton Home for Boys, because in the 1920s, a lumber magnate, William Burton, built their large currently-used facility to honor his late son, Waldo. 1. Please try again on the. 22, another volunteer fire department. Facing the tomb with the shoe, turn left and walk toward the main aisle with the trees. See Lafayette Cemetery #1 (not open to the public) and learn about its history from outside the gates. HAUNTED AND VOODOO CEMETERY TOURS The inhabitants of this tomb were artistic, passionate people who loved everything about New Orleans, including Mardi Gras. Our tour guides are New Orleanians with strong personal connections to the history and have many impressive credentials. The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline. Alden died at the age of 84, six weeks after being struck by a truck in 1920. Lafayette Cemetery is one of the most popular historic sites in New Orleans, and it is frequently featured on area sightseeing tours. Read the closure tablet and learn how the Ferguson family lost three children in two days – Sercy, Mary, and Edwin – to yellow fever in 1878. Enjoy an educational and leisurely stroll through one of New Orleans' most gorgeous neighborhoods on this walking tour of the Garden District. 1 say their graves are being … It’s a great way to meet the many faces of New Orleans while enjoying fresh air and exercise. There is no projected re-opening date. Lafayette Cemetery No. The best ways to experience Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans' Garden District and Cemetery Biking Tour. Visit the city's oldest municipal cemetery at Lafayette #1 (outside only), and discover where so many famous movies and TV shows have been shot. In an 1873 Times Picayune article, it was reported that “21,889 persons” were laid to rest in the cemetery. Lafayette #1 Cemetery is located at 1416-1498 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA 70131 and is open seven days a week from 7am-3pm. At the following intersection, turn left. The City of New Orleans has begun repairs on 9/9/19, and has not indicated a completion date. ***Weekend tours start at 3pm in the same location on Saturdays & Sundays- "Garden District New Orleans Food & History Tour (Weekend edition)"***. Come explore New Orleans with us - safely! Your tour will conclude at Lafayette cemetery #1, one of the most visited and filmed cemeteries in New Orleans. For more of what we’ve uncovered about the secret garden, click here. Step back in time on this historic walking tour of New Orleans’ Garden District with an experienced guide. So, this tomb incorporates funerary traditions from Roman, Christian, and Hebrew cultures. Your tour will conclude at Lafayette cemetery #1, one of the most visited and filmed cemeteries in New Orleans. A New Orleans native, I work with some of my favorite places to help you drink and eat like a local! Facing Margaret’s tomb, turn left and walk toward another large McLellan Family tomb (with even more veterans markers! The Garden District is an ideal setting for relaxation, great photography, and making connections with the history and culture of New Orleans. From. 2 or 3 tombs past the tomb of the children, on the same side, notice the Freudenstein tomb’s broken flower. It also reads Mizpah on the top. The Poydras Orphan’s Rest was a home for orphan girls, established in 1817 when a ship of immigrants arrived in New Orleans with 20 orphaned children, whose parents had died during the grueling passage from Europe. This is a private tour, feel safe touring safe only with the people you are traveling with. See the elaborate above-ground tombs at Lafayette Cemetery, one of the city’s most significant ‘Cities of the Dead’. Bonus: The tour also stops at the legendary Lafayette Cemetery #1 for a lesson in above-ground burial. You will be at the Esteben and Pic tomb). This is called the Secret Garden. She fell off the tomb in the 1990s and landed in her current spot. 23 was a volunteer fire company not in Chalmette, which is a neighboring community, but right here in the Garden District. The area is filled with amazing Antebellum homes with significant historical information. Cruise through the modern-day highlights and tumultuous history of New Orleans on a private pedicab tour that takes you to sites such as Buckner Mansion and Lafayette Cemetery No. Just your group, and our guide! At the next aisle (which is the last one), turn right. Experience the best of New Orleans’ opulent Garden District. With almost 500 wall vaults the cemetery has a rich history of some of the first settlers from … The cemetery gets its name from the old city of Lafayette, now part of New Orleans. Visit streets lined with gracious, antebellum homes, and learn how the city’s Creole and American residents competed with Greek Revival architecture and English-gardens. Take a stroll through New Orleans’ history and culture on a walking tour of the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery #1 with an experienced guide. Turn right after the secret garden (you’re on the last aisle in the cemetery), and continue on this aisle till you come to a flat-topped tomb on your right and a raised graveyard ahead of you on the right. Explore the sights and stories of the elegant Garden District with your expert local guide. Lafayette Cemetery #1 is the first and oldest municipal cemetery in New Orleans. On your right is a very large society tomb of the Chalmette Fire Company. Lafayette #1 is an excellent example of the unique way we bury our departed. Search experiences that may have limited interaction with crowds. Explore the scenic Garden District, known for its oak-lined streets, lush gardens, and impressive Victorian mansions. They were pre-fabricated at an ironworks in Philadelphia and sold by Wood & Miltenberger, a local ironworks distributor who also sold gates and fences, iron furniture, coffins, and cast iron for the balconies and galleries that give New Orleans its distinctive look. A basic 1.5-hour lafayette cemetery No. Rather than wander around aimlessly, head straight to the most famous tombs and monuments, and hear stories integral to understanding the city’s culture and history. Built in 1833 and ripe with ghost stories and the graves of notable New Orleans residents, this Garden District graveyard serves as the final resting place for more than 7,000 people. As you walk along this aisle, you will become familiar with some common and interesting funerary symbols, family tombs, and the wall vaults. The urn and image of a weeping woman have both been funerary symbols since ancient times, and this statue was at one time on top of the F. Zimmerman tomb next to it. 1 tour is a two hour leisurely stroll with frequent stops through one of America's most beautiful neighborhoods, the New Orleans Garden District. Listen to in-depth commentary on the area's history and culture from your guide and take the opportunity to ask questions. When the state announced plans to close the home in 2011, displacing 85 residents and costing 135 employees their jobs, the board re-convened and leased the facility and operates it today as Hainkel Home. Walk through the neighborhood of the historic Garden District in the American Sector while being dazzled by the opulent wealth of the early settlement of the Americans! One of the things I insisted on doing before we left New Orleans was a tour of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1? Walk shady avenues lined with antebellum homes, and hear how a small riverside settlement grew into a … Families could pick different styles and sizes and “customize” their own tomb. Walking with the iron fence on your right, there will be a small statue of a weeping woman in front of you. Lafayette Cemetery #1, one of the iconic New Orleans’ above ground “cities of the dead”. My tours will get you into the neighborhoods outside of the French Quarter to taste and experience what makes New Orleans culture so unique! All three sons who survived to adulthood fought in wars – Charles and Alden in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy, and Orris (at age 63!) Smith (also with upside-down torches). This neighborhood boasted a high German population throughout the 19th century, and many of the most opulent homes in the Garden District were built with German hands. Hotel pick-up and drop-off are included. Meet your local guide and small group and start your excursion with a complimentary praline. In a recent survey, “transcribing three-quarters of all legible tablets on the property, approximately 14,000 names were tallied”. 1 which the city closed for renovations during a guided tour in New Orleans, La. You will turn away from the open space to make a right. Tours are all-weather. Look for the E.W. You can also take our GPS-enabled audio tour anytime the cemetery is open. When a closure tablet is full, the family moves it to the side of the tomb and starts a new one. Duration: 1 Hour NOLA VIRTUAL LAFAYETTE CEMETERY TOUR This “city-of-the-dead” is visually and historically alluring. Members paid dues and were assured a proper burial and a Woodmen of the World tree trunk marker. You’ll learn the burial practices and traditions that make our cemeteries unique. One person is placed in the top vault, then the second one in the vault beneath it. Meander down sun-dappled sidewalks and admire well-preserved antebellum mansions, current and former homes to famous residents including Anne Rice, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. We're creating your account. 1 is located in the heart of the Garden District. These are the same iconic tiles that spell out the street names on the corners of New Orleans streets. As you continue in this aisle, notice the name “MICHEL” spelled out in New Orleans street name tiles. We visit Lafayette Cemetery #1 twice daily as part of our Garden District tour, but if you want to further explore this treasure on your own, this guide will help you learn more about New Orleans’ oldest city-owned cemetery. It is a non-segregated, non-denominational cemetery. Established in what was known as the City of Lafayette, now the heart of the Garden District, it remains non-segregated and non-denominational. Experience many of the Garden District’s highlights on a comprehensive half-day tour. 1 is the oldest of the seven municipal, city-operated cemeteries in New Orleans. as a temporary resting place, until the required year-and-a-day period is up and the deceased can be put in the family tomb . Go down the aisle you entered between the Gessler and Rusha tombs, and continue in that direction till you reach an open space. Plan to spend about 90 minutes touring the cemetery grounds. Your ticket includes food and drinks at 3 stops, tax and tip, so you can sit back and enjoy! The cemetery is free and open to the public. It has been the most common since around 1800. This “city-of-the-dead” is visually and historically alluring. Go two rows ahead (the white Scott tomb will be at the second row), and turn right again. Baby Clara died one year later. Make the next right (at the sign that says “Square 4 Laurel Walk”). This spot, incidentally, is where a fake tomb was built for the 1999 film Double Jeopardy, starring Ashley Judd. Pass the Clerc tomb. On this Garden District walking tour, meander down tree-lined alleys and past grand antebellum homes while learning about the historic neighborhood from your guide. as an inexpensive “group tomb” for people without a family resting place. 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Click here to Book Now Book Now Click here to Learn More Learn More $ 25 It this way, generation after generation can be interred in the same small structure. This symbol is used when a married couple is interred in the same vault. Hear about the history of the stately mansions along the tree-lined streets before visiting one of the city's haunting cemeteries. Lafayette #1 is an excellent example of the unique way we bury our departed and explore their elaborate above ground tombs where many of our past mansion residents now lay at rest. The City of New Orleans has temporarily closed Lafayette Cemetery for repairs but we still do the cemetery tour from the gates. Then continue through the historic Garden District neighborhood and through the American Sector part of New Orleans, all while being dazzled by the opulent wealth of the early settlement of the Americans. Compare prices across the ticket providers below: Quite a way down on the right (7-8 tombs), notice the McKnight tomb, which has a large tree growing on it. We visit Lafayette Cemetery #1 twice daily as part of our Garden District tour, but if you want to further explore this treasure on your own, this guide will help you learn more about New Orleans’ oldest city-owned cemetery. It is free to enter and open to the public. Visiting Lafayette Cemetery No. If a boy died while in residence at the home, he would be interred in this tomb. This private Garden District walking tour with English- or Spanish-speaking guide can accommodate groups of up to 5 travelers. A lamb often adorns the tomb of someone who dies young. The urn containing the ashes of a dignitary of Rome would sit in a place of honor at his memorial service, with his toga and garland draped on it. Once formerly a part of the Livaudais Plantation, Lafayette Cemetery #1 has been used for burials sine at least 1824. Here it is. This is the only cast-iron tomb in this cemetery, although in the Canal Street cemeteries cast-iron tombs are much more commonly seen. You made it! We'll discuss geography, architecture and the folks that made our fabled city in the swamp. Lafayette #1 Cemetery Private Tour . Pedal through two centuries of New Orleans history on a combo bike tour of the French Quarter and Garden District. These are the most common tombs in New Orleans, although this was not the original method of interment. The settlers quickly learned that the only way to properly keep their dead in place was to build raised cemeteries, and this form of internment became a New Orleans tradition. See the inside of a Garden District mansion, ride a street car, visit Lafayette Cemetery No. Stroll down the leafy lanes of New Orleans' Garden District on this comprehensive walking tour. See all Lafayette Cemetery No. Although the company advertised that the tomb materials were “designed…expressly for the South,” and would not rust, this did not prove to be true and cast iron tombs are rusting all over New Orleans, including the tomb of Mr. Miltenberger himself , who rests in Cypress Grove Cemetery. On your left, go between the Gessler and Rusha tombs. Begin at the entrance to Lafayette Cemetery #1 on Washington Avenue. The cemetery is openevery day except Sunday. NEW ORLEANS, La. The cemetery is open on weekdays from morning until early afternoon and on weekends from morning until noon. Discover the elaborate crypts and monuments in one of New Orleans’ oldest and most beautiful cemeteries, hear stories about Lafayette’s most famous ‘residents,’ and trace Louisiana history through the names on the gravestones. Lafayette Cemetery is on Washington Avenue in the Garden District. Turn right between these. That cemetery, however, is in such poor shape that it is not open to the public at all. The wall of the tomb holds in dirt, the tomb goes 2-3 feet below the ground, a casket can be lowered in, and soil can cover the casket. Soon you will come to a very large tomb on your left. A few tombs past Hayes is another Koenig family tomb. See the city through the eyes of someone who truly loves what they do, who truly loves the City of New Orleans, and who truly wants you to love it too. Book your tour online today. The original closure tablet was moved to the side of the tomb many years ago when it was full, and a new one, which is now full, was added. The last coping tomb on the right in this row is the Whitely tomb. Turn left at the next opening (there will be a cast-iron fence around the D.R. 11 Reviews. Notice the Celtic cross on the Mullen tomb. CEMETERY TOUR This 2  hour walking Garden District tour is best enjoyed on foot in order to fully enjoy the exquisite examples of quintessential New Orleans architecture. The McLellan family plot features a broken column, a symbol used for soldiers who died in youth, that is a memorial to their son, Charles (pictured here), who was killed in action in the American Civil War. Walk past celebrity homes and down boulevards lined with oak trees, stopping to admire celebrity homes and historical sites. Until the mid-20th Century, it was commonly called “The Washington Cemetery.” The number of people interred in this cemetery is a subject of much debate. 2 began in 1850 and is located justnorth of here. 5 tombs after the large red granite Hagan-Henderson tomb, observe the tomb of William F. Klein, who died in the Chalmette sugar refinery explosion in 1907. The next one on your left is J.S. Further down on the left is the heartbreaking  tomb. Garden District Tour 1.5 hours | Our newest tour! When the City of Lafayette was incorporated into the city of New Orleans in 1852, it became property of the city. Lafayette Cemetery #1 is the first city-owned/operated cemetery, c. 1833. End with a guided walk through Lafayette Cemetery, featuring a remarkable collection of above-ground tombs. 1 in New Orleans Lafayette Cemetery No. On your right, you will see a newly-painted tomb (Karstendeick). **PLEASE NOTE, DUE TO REPAIRS AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE CEMETERY IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED. This excursion features the highlights of the French Quarter and uptown neighborhoods. In the Uptown Riverside corner of Lafayette Cemetery #1 in the Garden District of New Orleans, there is a sort of “VIP Section” of four almost-identical tombs that Save Our Cemeteries calls “The Secret Garden.” According to SOC, the tombs were built for childhood friends who formed a secret club called “The Quarto” and wished to remain together in death. As you walk along this aisle, you will see some common funerary symbols: -Broken flower (Philbert Bernard tomb): The broken stem represents the end of life. ** Located in Garden District Lafayette Cemetery No. The wall of interment chambers on your left are called wall vaults  (sometimes these were called “oven vaults”). Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff. As we proceed through the oak-lined streets we will take in the grandeur of historic mansions and gardens and discuss the political landscape that gave birth to the Garden District. Take the historic hop on hop off streetcar - at your own additional cost - into the neighbourhoods of New Orleans and beyond the French Quarter. The society, which is still an orphanage for boys in New Orleans today, has always been known for compassionate and dedicated superintendents, and we can see from the inscriptions that one of the superintendents is interred here with the boys. On the right you will see a tomb with a fabulous shoe on the shelf. The Garden District / Lafayette Cemetery Tour emphasizes history, architectural style, personal anecdotes, and tropical plant life. Check out national museums, historic graveyards, southern Gothic mansions and fabulous local haunts. 1, the filming location for famous movies. Read the names and dates and you’ll learn the story of Charlotte, who died at the age of 23, 2 months after giving birth to her daughter, Clara Grace. Proceed out to the main entrance. Our experienced tour guides will lead you through this amazing collection of some of the best preserved mansion homes in the Southern United States. It tells the story of Theresa J. Murray, who lost her husband and only child (William, pictured here)in May of 1864. Admire the oak avenues and manicured landscaping that give this lush locale its name, and see some of America’s finest examples of historic southern architecture, including the ornate homes of local celebrities and famous former residents. Visiting Lafayette Cemetery. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, hours and schedules of some businesses and services may be disrupted. Mizpah is a Hebrew word that connotes an emotional bond between people who are separated (in this case, by death). On your right, you will see the military marker of Raymond Joseph Parks , who was killed in World War II seventeen days before his 19th birthday. Note that the Rusha tomb has closure tablets on all four sides and lists 36 names. 1: Tours & Tickets Guided tour Glamorous Garden District Tour Small group; Duration: 2 hours; 4.9. Walking tours are back! The cemetery was established as the official cemetery for the City of Lafayette (present-day Garden District) in 1833. When you ride with Paradise Park you are riding with one of the owners ensuring that your experience is of the highest quality. Variations of these charming blue-and-white tiles have been in use on New Orleans street corners since the 1880s, and occasionally show up in our cemeteries to spell out the name of a loved one. You can get there by taking the St. Charles Streetcar to Washington Street stop. Judge Ferguson determined that the Louisiana Legislature was within its rights to discriminate by race on rail cars and the case was appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court, where the rule of “separate but equal” was established. VIRTUAL Lafayette Cemetery. Immigrants from this region were pouring into New Orleans in the 1820s and 1830s for the same reasons they moved to other American cities – famines, political problems, and religious upheaval. Coping tombs were the solution when, for religious or personal reasons, you wanted or needed to be buried in soil but you had the misfortune of dying in New Orleans, where the water table is high and in-ground coffins have been known to float to the surface during a flood. Learn about Garden District history and architecture from your guide as you walk down picture-perfect streets, past sights like the Lafayette Cemetery, and right by celebrity homes. There is no natural rock in the soil around New Orleans, so all rock has to be imported. This may take a few seconds... Something went wrong. It is still city-owned and non-denominational. Absorb the grandeur and opulence of New Orleans’ Garden District on a historic 2-hour walking tour. This casual bike ride covers a lot of ground and gives our guests a unique look into the lives of those who first settled there. We can easily say that thousands have been laid to rest here, and the cemetery holds that many stories. Look for the Earhart tomb on the right. Keeping History Alive at the Lafayette Cemetery A Self-Guided Tour Author Julie Wegher With special thanks to Lafayette history authors; Mary McCosker, Emily Haas, Dorothy Gittinger Mutnick and the Alamo-Lafayette Cemetery District In cooperation with San Francisco Bay Area Girl […] We recently gave a tour of the Lafayette Cemetery, and filmed it. Soon after you pass the Sewell tomb, the recently-bricked Koenig tomb will be on the left. Society for the Relief of Destitute Orphan Boys tomb: The society was established in 1822 to care for boys who had been orphaned or whose families could otherwise not care for them. We can really thank the Koenigs for enhancing our cemetery tour, as this one illustrates how many family members can go in the same tomb (38) and how long the same tomb can be used (1855-2013 so far). Come explore New Orleans with us - safely! (WVUE) - Families whose loved ones are buried in New Orleans’ famous Lafayette Cemetery No. The upside-down torch is a common classic funerary symbol, equating the ending of a life with the extinguishing of the fire. Charles was originally laid to rest in Virginia, and after the war his family had his remains brought here. Here they rest together forever. Learn about the best things to do in New Orleans on this fun and informative Private Journey. 1 experiences on Viator. Click here to choose the best tour to learn about the below sea level city! Continue till you get into the tree-lined aisle, then turn left. The McLellans, who were from Maine, came to New Orleans because the father was a ship chandler (supplier). The fire engine on the pediment is the horse-drawn variety, with one end of the hose to be placed in a well, pumped through the engine, and sprayed out the other end. End your tour with a visit to the historic Lafayette Cemetery. Many parts of the city of New Orleans sit below sea level, so early settlers to the area had trouble with the bodies of their recently interned washing away during the summer rains. Turn right when you reach the middle, tree-lined aisle. When you get to the tree-lined aisle, turn left. His daughters Rachel and Rebecca and his grandson Geronimo join him here and family and friends bring the shoes. Before you get to the larger aisle, you’ll see a cement tree trunk on your left and a white tomb (Family Tomb of Robert Ross) on your right.