Greenwood Cemetery was founded in 1852 by the Fireman’s Charitable and Benevolent Association. It was the first above-ground cemetery in New Orleans built without wall vaults, instead being enclosed by an iron fence. It has nearly 20,000 grave lots and hosts the largest collection of iron tombs in New Orleans.

On this tour you will learn about the surprising Marie Laveau connection, the history of the mysterious elk, the first society tomb in the city, and the birth of the New Orleans fire department. You will see various tomb styles including Neo-Gothic, Egyptian, Baroque, Gothic, tumulus, a one-of-a-kind folk art tomb, and unusual symbolism not found elsewhere in the city.

You will visit the graves of former mayors, tugboat captains, the family of the most powerful madam in Storyville, a Pulitzer-prize winning writer, the man who created a spice empire, as well as learn of the tomb haunted by a graveyard suicide, and another by an attempted murder-suicide.

This tour takes approximately an hour and covers just under a mile in walking distance.

An extended version of the tour is also available and takes approximately 1.5 hours and covers over a mile in walking distance.