New Orleans Garden District: Anne Rice House & Cemetery Walking Tour

Walking past the homes where Anne Rice and Sandra Bullock lived, in the neighborhood that built New Orleans wealth

You walk through New Orleans' Garden District with a local guide, passing the homes of Anne Rice, Sandra Bullock, and other notable residents while learning about the neighborhood's history as the American Sector. The tour includes exterior views of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and the Coven House from American Horror Story, all in a small group over roughly two hours with no separate transportation needed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Garden District1h 30m
2. Lafayette Cemetery No. 120m

Garden District and Cemetery Tour

• Learn history of Garden District homes
• See Buckner Mansion and Anne Rice House
• View McGehee School for Girls
• Visit Colonel Short's Villa and Dolan House
• See Benjamin Button House
• Learn about Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
• View cemetery from outside (no entry)

The experience

Someone points to a wrought-iron gate, then traces a finger along the carved details of a Greek Revival porch. It's your guide, and you're standing in front of the Anne Rice House in New Orleans' Garden District, a neighborhood that once was the American Sector: the part of the city where wealthy merchants and plantation owners built their lives separate from the French Quarter. The walking tour moves through these streets slowly, stopping at the Buckner Mansion, Colonel Short's Villa, the McGehee School for Girls, and the Benjamin Button House, each one a story about who lived there and why the architecture matters. You're in a small group, which means you actually hear what's being said instead of straining over someone's shoulder.

The Garden District tour includes a stop at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, the oldest city-owned cemetery in New Orleans. Your guide explains the burial practices (why the tombs are built the way they are, how the cemetery was founded), but you're standing outside the gates. The cemetery itself is closed to the public, so you're learning from the perimeter. That detail matters if you were imagining walking through rows of above-ground tombs. What you do get is the history and context, which sometimes matters more than the photograph. After that, the group moves toward Magazine Street and the Coven House, the building used for American Horror Story filming, which sits in this same neighborhood and carries its own kind of fame.

The whole thing takes around two hours on foot. It's wheelchair accessible, and the guide is local. Someone who knows which houses have stories and which ones are just pretty. You don't arrange transportation separately. The tour is the walking itself, and the neighborhood is compact enough that you're not covering miles. Weather doesn't stop it, so bring a jacket if it's cool, sunscreen if it's not.

What’s included

• Your tour includes a local guide leading you through the Garden District's historic homes and streets, exterior views of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 with historical context about New Orleans burial practices, and a stop at the Coven House from American Horror Story. The small-group format and two-hour duration are built in.
• you don't arrange separate transportation.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to16h before

AgesAdult (13 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Unique NOLA

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the Garden District's architecture and celebrity homes explained by someone who knows the neighborhood, without spending half the day or figuring out which houses matter: the guide and the small group size handle both.

Traveler reviews

4.88★★★★★★★★★★

109 verified traveler reviews

5 ★102

4 ★4

3 ★1

2 ★1

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6): free.

Is entry to Lafayette Cemetery included?

No. The cemetery is closed to the public, so the tour covers its history and burial practices from outside the gates.

How long is the Garden District walking tour?

Around two hours, covering the main historic homes and attractions on foot.

What homes do you see on the tour?

The Buckner Mansion, Anne Rice House, McGehee School for Girls, Colonel Short's Villa, Dolan House, and Benjamin Button House, plus the Coven House from American Horror Story.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and strollers are welcome.

Do you need to arrange your own transportation?

No. The tour is a walking tour through the neighborhood itself, with no separate transport required.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

Yes, it operates in all weather. Dress appropriately for the conditions.

How many people are in the group?

It's a small-group tour, which keeps the experience more intimate than larger groups.