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Step into New Orleans’ historic cemeteries with Red Sash Tours and savor beignets before uncovering local legends and iconic tombs on a unique walking tour rich with stories and symbolism.
Step into New Orleans’ historic cemeteries with Red Sash Tours and savor beignets before uncovering local legends and iconic tombs on a unique walking tour rich with stories and symbolism.
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Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Red Sash Tours · New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans’ cemeteries hold stories as vibrant and textured as the city itself. Red Sash Tours offers an engaging departure from typical sightseeing with its “Beignets and Burials” walking tour, a curated journey into some of the Crescent City’s most iconic resting places. Starting at 5101 Canal Blvd, the day begins with the ritual combination of New Orleans staples—beignets and coffee—at Morning Call. Here, tour leader and cemetery expert Sally Asher sets the tone, intertwining the city’s layered social history with its unique funerary traditions.
This 2.5-hour, roughly one-mile walk ventures through a collection of six historic cemeteries, each with distinct architectural and cultural character. Greenwood Cemetery, established in 1852, stands out for its extensive iron tombs and monuments reflecting 19th-century funerary art, and houses the remains of well-known local figures including a Pulitzer-winning author and colorful entertainers. Cypress Grove Cemetery, dating to 1838, holds deep significance as New Orleans' first cemetery dedicated to volunteer firefighters and includes sobering memorials such as the Hurricane Katrina Memorial near former burial grounds for the indigent.
The tour also covers St. Patrick’s Cemeteries No. 1 and 2, and the Odd Fellows Rest with its emblematic iron gate symbols. These visits offer insights into the symbolism woven into tomb designs and the city’s cultural fabric. Red Sash Tours is unique in being the only authorized company granted access to tours in Greenwood and Cypress Grove, underscoring their expertise and respect for these sacred spaces.
Accessible by streetcar or car, the tour balances storytelling, history, and urban outdoors, providing an immersive way to understand the city’s relationship with death, memory, and celebration. For visitors seeking a thoughtful connection to New Orleans beyond the usual paths, the Beignets and Burials tour offers a compelling, authentic experience that reveals the city’s enduring spirit.
easy.
2–3 hours.
Suitable for most fitness levels; involves walking about one mile on paved and gravel paths with some uneven terrain.
Yes, children are welcome, with free admission under six years old (excluding beignets and drinks). The tour pace is moderate and informative.
The tour starts at Morning Call, 5101 Canal Blvd, easily reachable by streetcar, bus, car, or Uber.
Yes, the price includes two beignets and a beverage at Morning Call before the walking tour begins.
Guests are notified by 8 pm the night before if minimum reservations are not met and the tour will be cancelled.
The tour covers some uneven terrain and approximately one mile of walking, so mobility challenges should be considered before booking.
Photography is encouraged; the cemeteries offer rich visual subjects showcasing historic tombs and monuments.
New Orleans cemeteries serve as above-ground resting places due to the city’s high water table, representing unique burial traditions dating back to the 19th century.
Red Sash Tours promotes respectful visitation to preserve fragile tombs and monuments, supporting ongoing care for these historic sites.
Red Sash Tours is a New Orleans-based tour company that specializes in guided cemetery and historic walking tours. Led by local award-winning author and historian Sally Asher, Red Sash Tours offers focused experiences that explore St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, Metairie Cemetery, Greenwood, and Cypress Grove as described in its tour listings. Tours include "Angels and Architecture," which highlights angelic statuary and notable interments; "Metairie Cemetery: Mausoleums and Millionaires," showcasing marble art and diverse architectural styles; "Beignets and Burials," which begins with beignets and coffee at Morning Call before visiting iconic graves; and dedicated walking tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 and Metairie Cemetery with in-depth narration. The company emphasizes factual storytelling, burial practices, and the social history connected to New Orleans' cemeteries, including figures such as Al Copeland, Ruth Fertel, and author Anne Rice. Guides combine historical research, photography, and narrative to contextualize monument styles, mausoleum craftsmanship, and local cultural history. Tour lengths vary from a roughly 1 hour 15 minute walking tour under a mile to an approximately two mile, two hour Metairie Cemetery tour. Red Sash Tours operates with respect for cemetery regulations and local customs, focusing on preservation-minded interpretation. The presence of an award-winning local author and historian as guide and published work on the St. Louis cemeteries supports credibility. Visitors seeking detailed, narrated cemetery tours in New Orleans will find focused itineraries and expert local interpretation with Red Sash Tours. Booking information and schedules are available through Red Sash Tours' reservation channels online today.
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