Hotels near St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

No New Orleans Halloween trip feels complete without a walk through one of the city's "Cities of the Dead", and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest surviving one. Founded in 1789, it holds above-ground tombs packed along narrow aisles, a design shaped by the city's high water table. Its most visited grave belongs to Marie Laveau, the 19th-century Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, whose tomb is still marked by offerings. Homer Plessy, the plaintiff in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson civil rights case, is also buried here.

The important detail: you cannot wander in on your own. The cemetery is an active burial site managed by New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and access is limited to its official guided tour and to families holding a valid pass. Independent ghost-tour companies that promise entry are not authorised. The official tour checks in at Basin St. Station, 501 Basin Street, across the road from the cemetery gate, and lasts about 55 minutes with a maximum of 20 guests per group.

Day tours run daily and depart every 15 minutes, priced from $29 (about €25) for adults aged 13 and over, $22 (about €19) for children aged 3 to 12, and free for children 2 and under. On select nights there is also a night tour from $46 (about €40), which is the version to book for Halloween week. Tours run rain or shine, though lightning or extreme heat can cancel a departure, with a refund or a new slot offered. Because each group is capped at 20, late-October slots sell out, so reserve before you arrive.

Pro Tip: Book a Saturday departure between 4:30pm and 7:30pm, when the official operator knocks 10% off Saturday tours. A 4:30pm slot on 31 October finishes before 5:30pm, leaving time to change into costume before Frenchmen Street.