Things to do nearLafayette Cemetery No. 1

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 opened in 1833, making it one of the oldest municipal cemeteries in New Orleans. It was laid out in a grid pattern by the City of Lafayette, an independent municipality that was later annexed by New Orleans. The cemetery served the growing Garden District population, and its early records reflect waves of European immigration that defined the area.

The above-ground tombs are the cemetery's defining feature, a practical response to the city's high water table. Brick and plaster vaults line the main alleys, many bearing family names still recognized in New Orleans today. Elaborate ironwork, faded inscriptions, and carved stone details reward a slow and attentive walk.

Film crews have long been drawn here, and the cemetery appeared in the Anne Rice adaptation Interview with the Vampire, lending it a cultural presence beyond its historic significance. Anne Rice herself is interred here, drawing literary visitors from around the world.

The atmosphere is contemplative rather than somber. Locals walk dogs along the perimeter, and tour groups gather near the entrance most mornings. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is a genuinely layered place where architecture, history, and New Orleans character converge in a single city block.