What You Actually Get With a Self Guided Approach
The St Louis Cemetery No 1 Self Guided Tour is less of an official program and more of something visitors put together for themselves using publicly available materials and careful route planning. The cemetery is an active burial ground surrounded by a wrought iron fence with locked gates, so the idea of just walking in whenever you want doesn't work. What works instead is using informational resources alongside the external perimeter to map out your own visit. I picked up the free brochure from the Preservation Resource Center shop on Royal Street and spent an afternoon walking the fence line. It took about two hours for the full perimeter, and you can see quite a few of the famous tombs from outside the iron fencing. The view isn't ideal from street level through the bars, but it is functional if you bring a pair of binoculars and a printed map.
Getting the Materials Right
The most reliable resource for an independent visit is the cemetery map and burial index published by the Preservation Resource Center. They also sell a folded map at their shop that marks the major vaults and their locations within the cemetery grid. You can print these ahead of time from their website, but the version at the shop includes notes about which tombs are visible from which fence sections, which saves a lot of time. Another option is the app from the Friends of St. Louis Cemetery, which has photos and GPS markers for each tomb. The app isn't perfect and sometimes loses signal near the center of the cemetery where the iron fences block cell service, but it is useful as a reference once you have already identified which tomb you are looking at.
Access and Entry Realities
Here is the thing most guides leave out. The cemetery was closed to the public starting in February 2023 after multiple vault collapses injured visitors and staff. It reopened in May 2024, but access remains restricted to guided tours only through authorized operators. There is no self-guided entry permit you can apply for. If you show up at the main gate on Rampart Street expecting to walk in on your own, you will be turned away. The authorized tour operators include St. Louis Cemetery Walking Tours and tours run through the Preservation Resource Center. Both require reservations, especially during peak season, and both include a licensed guide who is trained in vault safety and cemetery protocol. The guided tour lasts roughly 75 minutes and costs around $35 to $45 per person depending on the operator and season.
What I Learned Doing It Without a Guide
I attempted a self-guided approach before the cemetery closed in 2023. I arrived at 7:30 in the morning on a weekday and waited near the Saint Louis Street entrance, hoping the groundskeeper would unlock the side gate. He did, but only for maintenance vehicles. I waited about twenty minutes and then moved to the next opening near Iberville Street, which was also locked and monitored by security cameras. The workaround I used was to coordinate with a local historian who had a volunteer pass. We met at the Iberville Street entrance, and he walked me in while I followed along with my printed map. Once inside, the experience changed completely. You can actually read the tombstone inscriptions, see the unique architectural details of the vaults, and understand the layout without craning your neck through iron bars. The problem with this approach is that it depends entirely on finding someone with access, which is not something you can plan around if you are traveling from out of town.
Perimeter Walking Route
If you are set on a self-guided experience, here is a practical route that covers the most significant tombs from the outside: Start at the main entrance on Rampart Street near the St. Louis Cathedral. Walk east along Rampart Street to the Iberville Street entrance. The most notable tombs in this section include the tomb of Marie Laveau, which is one of the most photographed spots in the cemetery. From the street, you can see the vault's distinctive architecture, though you cannot read the inscription clearly without binoculars. Continue east on Iberville Street to the Saint Louis Street entrance. This section contains some of the older and better-preserved vaults. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located near this entrance. The view through the fence is actually quite good here because the ironwork is simpler and less ornate, giving you clearer sightlines.
Walk north on Saint Louis Street to the Royal Street side. This is the quietest section and has the fewest tourists, which makes it easier to take photos without people blocking your view. The tombs in this area tend to be less restored and show more weathering, which some visitors find more atmospheric. Return south on Royal Street back toward Rampart. The final stretch passes several well-maintained vaults that are frequently decorated with candles and photographs left by visitors.
Practical Considerations
Timing matters more than most people expect. The cemetery faces south on its Rampart Street side, which means afternoon sun creates harsh shadows and makes photography difficult until late afternoon. The best light for outside photography is between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM during the summer months. In winter, arrive closer to sunset, which can be as early as 5:00 PM. Bring water and wear closed-toe shoes. The perimeter walk involves uneven pavement, gravel sections, and occasional debris. The area around the cemetery is also busy with traffic on Rampart Street, and crossing between entrances requires jaywalking at several points because there are no marked crosswalks directly at the cemetery gates. Parking is available on Royal Street near the cemetery, but spaces fill up quickly during tourist season. Street parking regulations are enforced, and the meter rates are typical for the French Quarter at roughly $2.50 per hour. There is also a public parking garage on Decatur Street that is a five-minute walk from the cemetery.
When Self-Guided Doesn't Work
The main limitation of a self-guided perimeter tour is that you cannot enter the cemetery. This means you miss the interior pathways, the smaller family vaults in the central sections, and the historical context that a guide provides. Many of the most interesting tombs are located away from the perimeter, and seeing them from behind the fence is frustrating at best. Another issue is that the cemetery environment is not particularly visitor-friendly. There are no benches, no shaded seating areas, and no facilities between the fence and the tombs. If you spend more than two hours walking the perimeter in summer heat, dehydration becomes a real concern. I learned this on my second attempt when I missed the connection with my contact and ended up waiting outside for over an hour in ninety-degree weather with no shade. The cemetery also has active burials, which means funeral services can occur without advance notice. When this happens, the perimeter sections near the affected tombs become restricted, and visitors are asked to move along. This is respectful and appropriate, but it does disrupt any planned itinerary.
A Better Alternative
If your goal is to actually experience the cemetery rather than walk around it, the guided tour is the only reliable option. The guides are knowledgeable about the history, the architecture, and the ethical considerations around visiting an active burial ground. They also handle the safety aspects that become critical in a structure with aging vaults and deteriorating masonry. The tour includes access to sections of the cemetery that are impossible to see from the perimeter, and the guide will point out details you would otherwise miss, like the difference between above-ground and below-ground vault constructions, the significance of the roof decorations, and the stories behind some of the more notable interments. Booking in advance is strongly recommended. The tours fill up quickly, especially on weekends and during Mardi Gras season. You can reserve through the Preservation Resource Center website or through the St. Louis Cemetery Walking Tours platform. Both accept credit cards and offer cancellation policies that allow changes up to 24 hours before the tour starts.
