St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Is One Of Louisiana's Spookiest Cemeteries
By Jackie Ann|Published August 24, 2020
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Jackie Ann
Author
Louisiana native and LSU Alum (Geaux Tigers!), Jackie has lived in Louisiana for over three decades and currently lives in New Orleans. She's been writing for OnlyInYourState since 2016 and can often be found with a coffee at her side, dreaming of her next adventure.
Hauntingly beautiful and full of history, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, and one of the most well-known cemeteries in Louisiana. It also happens to be one of Louisiana’s spookiest cemeteries, and when you visit, you might just have a paranormal encounter. Are you brave enough to venture into this historic and haunted landmark in the Big Easy?
Established in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most popular cemetery in New Orleans.
It was built to replace the St. Peter Cemetery and serve as the main burial ground for the city when New Orleans was redesigned after the Great Fire of 1788.
As you walk through the towering crypts, it’s easy to see why New Orleans cemeteries earned the nickname ‘the Cities of the Dead’ by Mark Twain.
An endless sea of crumbling tombs, fallen bricks, and chipped statues add up for one of the most hauntingly beautiful experiences you can have in the Crescent City.
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Eerily beautiful, the crumbling concrete cemetery is the final resting place for many of New Orleans' most notable figures.
Etienne de Bore, the first mayor of New Orleans, Ernest Morial, the first African-American mayor of New Orleans, and Homer Plessy, the plaintiff from the historic Plessy vs. Ferguson case are just a few of the historic figures that have been laid to rest here.
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As you walk through, keep an eye out for one of the most unique crypts in the cemetery.
You can’t miss it. This bright and shiny pyramid sticks out like a sore thumb among all of the dilapidated tombs nearby. Wondering who it belongs to? Well, that would be the future final resting place of one Nicholas Cage, who purchased the plot a few years back.
You’ll find her tomb near Cage’s tomb. Those who have seen her report that she is wearing a red and white turban on her head with vibrantly colored clothes. Encounters with the Voodoo Queen range from a simple sighting to hearing voices, feeling unexplainably sick, or feeling touched.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking ghost story comes from the spirit of Henry Vignes.
Henry was a sailor during the 19th century who had made his home in New Orleans. Before he left for a voyage, he asked his landlord to hang on to some important paperwork in case he died, and in those papers were his family tomb paperwork. Unfortunately, while Henry was away at sea, the landlord sold Henry’s family tomb, and Henry was never able to get it back. When he died, he had nowhere to be buried, so he was buried in an unmarked grave in the pauper’s section of the cemetery. Many people have reported seeing the ghost of Henry wandering the grounds, and even asking people if they know where the Vignes tomb is.
Due to years of vandalism in the past, you won’t be able to visit the cemetery without a licensed tour guide. There are several tour companies in New Orleans that would love to show you around, like French Quarter Phantoms or Free Tours By Foot.
Have you ever visited St. Louis Cemetery No. 1? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
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