New Orleans: Metairie Cemetery Walking Tour & Local Stories

Summary

Walk among Metairie Cemetery’s ornate tombs and hear the city’s untold stories in New Orleans

You’ll walk beneath live oaks and past marble statues on this Metairie Cemetery walking tour in New Orleans. With stories from your local guide, you’ll meet musicians, mayors, Carnival royalty—even Anne Rice—through their resting places. Expect laughter, quiet moments, and details you won’t find in any book. It’s history that feels strangely alive.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Guided walk through Metairie Cemetery

• Meet licensed tour guide
• Explore grand monuments and temples
• Learn about influential citizens
• Discover stories of governors and mayors
• See tombs of musicians and writers
• Complete 90-minute historic cemetery walk

Top questions

How long is the Metairie Cemetery walking tour?

The guided cemetery tour lasts approximately 2 hours.

Is the Metairie Cemetery tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible.

Are strollers or prams allowed on the tour?

Yes, infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller during the tour.

Who leads the Metairie Cemetery walking tours?

Tours are led by licensed guides from Save Our Cemeteries.

Does this tour support cemetery restoration?

Yes, Save Our Cemeteries is a non-profit directly supporting restoration and advocacy.

What famous people are buried at Metairie Cemetery?

You’ll see graves of nine Louisiana governors, seven mayors, Anne Rice, Louis Prima, Al Hirt, and many Carnival royalty.

Is service animal access allowed during the tour?

Yes, service animals are allowed on this walking tour.

What’s included

Your day includes a two-hour guided walk through Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery with an expert licensed guide from Save Our Cemeteries—the only official non-profit operator supporting restoration here. All paths are wheelchair accessible and families with strollers or service animals are welcome throughout the experience.

What’s the experience like?

Brushing my hand along the cool marble of a tomb, I heard our guide—Miss Evelyn, who wore an old Carnival pin—clear her throat before launching into a story about a jazz trumpeter buried just steps away. The air in Metairie Cemetery was thick with that humid New Orleans sweetness, and I kept catching whiffs of cut grass mixed with something older, maybe magnolia or just time itself. We’d only been walking for ten minutes but already it felt like stepping sideways out of the city and into some strange, peaceful parade.

I didn’t expect to laugh so much on a cemetery tour, but Miss Evelyn had this way of making every monument feel like it belonged to someone you might’ve met at a bar on Magazine Street. She pointed out the grave of Anne Rice—someone left a single black rose there—and then waved us over to a row of governors’ tombs, all lined up like they were still waiting for a second round of applause. There were peacocks carved in stone and angels with chipped wings; sometimes she’d pause and let us listen to the wind rattling through the cypress trees. That silence sticks with me.

The whole thing lasted about two hours but honestly I lost track after we reached the old Carnival kings’ section (I tried to pronounce one krewe name and got it so wrong that even Miss Evelyn snorted). It’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of New Orleans here—so much space and quiet—but then you spot beads tangled in ironwork or hear distant streetcars clanging beyond the gates. Our group was small enough that everyone got to ask questions, which made it feel more like wandering with friends than following a script. By the end, I found myself lingering behind just to read one more inscription.