Are you a believer in the paranormal? Louisiana sure does have its fair share of ghost stories, ranging from haunted swamps to abandoned jail houses and everything in between. While there are many haunted cemeteries across the country, few come close to the eerie vibes you’ll get when you enter St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, one of the most haunted cemeteries in Louisiana.
You’ll find St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, just on the outskirts of the French Quarter.
It was opened in 1789 and is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans that’s still around today.
First things first: you’ll need a tour guide to enter the cemetery.
You can’t just stroll through on your own, you’ll need a licensed tour guide. Tours are pretty frequent and operate multiple times a day, so you shouldn’t run into any issues scheduling a time that works for you.
New Orleans cemeteries are much different than other cemeteries.
Since New Orleans lies eight feet below sea level, the dead are buried in above-ground tombs, and it instantly adds to the hauntingly beautiful cemetery. Even on a beautiful day, it’s easy to feel a little claustrophobic walking between each tomb.
Even though the cemetery is only one square block, it’s the final resting place for thousands of people.
You’ll come across many fallen soldiers from the Battle of New Orleans and the Civil War, as well as the tombstones of many notable New Orleanians like Bernard de Marigny (founder of Mandeville, Louisiana), Homer Plessy, and even the Queen of Voodoo herself, Marie Laveau.
Nicholas Cage even purchased a plot and built a rather interesting tomb for himself.
It’s hard to miss this pyramid in a sea of crumbling bricks and marble.
As you stroll through the sacred space, you might get the feeling that you're being watched...
Countless visitors have experienced the inexplicable here, leading many to believe the cemetery is haunted.
But who is haunting St. Louis Cemetery No. 1?
Paranormal investigators believe there are multiple spirits here, including Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau (her tomb is pictured above). Many people have reported seeing her wander through the tombs and sometimes even scratching people. She's often seen wearing a turban with brightly colored clothes and vanishes right before your eyes.
Laveau isn't the only spirit believed to still stroll the grounds, and the ghost of Henry Vignes is another prevalent sighting here.
Sailor Henry Vignes returned home to discover that his landlord had sold Henry’s family tomb while he was away at sea. He was not able to ever get his plot back, and when he died, he was buried in an unmarked grave in the pauper’s section of the cemetery.
The ghost of Henry Vignes is often described as a taller gentleman with blue eyes. He’s been known to ask if anyone knows where the Vignes tomb is.
As you wander through the endless labyrinth of tombs, don't be so quick to shrug off that feeling that you're being watched or that feeling like someone just touched you.
It might just be a spirit from the other side.
There are plenty of haunted places in Louisiana if you want to tap into your paranormal side. Have you ever spent the night at The Myrtles? It's one of the most haunted places in the country!
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