New Orleans is a city surrounded by water and built below sea level. This is why our departed spend eternity entombed above ground. Here, graves are family affairs, with remains settling over time to make room for the next generation to move in to what we call the Cities of the Dead. Ornate and historic, funky and other worldly, New Orleans cemeteries are home to everyone from music hit makers to voodoo queens. Tour companies will show you who’s who and explain the history and traditions. Pay homage to fallen yellow fever victims at St. Louis No.1 on Basin Street, the city’s oldest boneyard or visit some of the newer, just as elaborate places.
Here is a list of companies that offer cemetery tours: