NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in the Lower Garden District opened its gates Thursday (Oct. 1) for the first time in seven years. Tours restarted Oct. 1 after renovations to walkways, improved maintenance and additional preservation work, according to Sara Lowenberg, director of Save Our Cemeteries at the Preservation Resource Center.
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Lowenberg said, “We’re able to invite people into the space for the first time in 7 years on small, historically grounded, thoughtful, guided tours.”
She said the cemetery closed to the public in 2019 because of concerns about vandalism, restoration needs and overcrowding from large tours.
Now, she said, the tours focus on the cemetery’s history and are limited to six sessions per day, with groups of 16 or fewer people. The cemetery also offers accommodations for people with loved ones buried inside the historic New Orleans cemetery.
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An 1866 society tomb with 20 vaults was part of that restoration effort. Lowenberg said the vault will be put back into use, offering burials for people in need.
For more information about the cemetery or to book a tour, visit prcno.org.
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