Best Cemetery Tour in New Orleans with NOLA Ghost Riders

Wandering through a cemetery in New Orleans is a popular activity. There’s something unique about walking between above-ground tombs. Most cemeteries I’ve been to bury the dead six feet underground. Touring the cemeteries during the day is one thing, but a nighttime cemetery tour in New Orleans is much more interesting – and creepy.

During a work conference in the Big Easy, I arranged for a group of about 15 people to take a nighttime cemetery tour in New Orleans. The tour was easy to book, and our guide was amazing! Tour guides can make or break a tour in any city, and our guide did not disappoint.

If you’re looking for something fun to do in New Orleans, here’s a rundown on what you can expect on a nighttime cemetery tour in New Orleans.

How to Book Your Nighttime Cemetery Tour in New Orleans

The best way to book your nighttime cemetery tour in New Orleans is to do so online in advance of your visit. The sooner you can book, the better. But if you failed to plan in advance and still want to take the tour, visit the website and see what times are available.

There are two primary times available daily: 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. There’s a 5 p.m. option, but you have to call in and see if that’s an option for you on that day.

Tour prices are $45 per adult and $30 per child, ages 6 to 12. If you have multiple members in your group that are making separate reservations, make sure you call their office to ensure you’re put on the same tour bus.

As you complete the booking process, you’ll get an email with additional details about your tour. This includes the note you’ll want to be aware of before you officially book.

While we want you to enoy the benefits of BYOB, we also encourage you to drink responsibly. Please be respectful of others on the tour. If you are being disruptive, you will be asked to leave the tour. Thank you

I mention this so parents know that some people may choose to bring alcohol on the tour. During our tour, there was one couple who had a little too much to drink before the tour. They brought some additional drinks with them on the bus as well. They became disruptive on the bus and continued during our first cemetery stop. The couple finally made the decision to leave the tour after our guide asked them repeatedly to let him do his job. We were all relieved when they left.

So please, DON’T BE THAT PERSON WHO DISRUPTS THE WHOLE TOUR.

Directions to the Meeting Spot and What to Bring

In the email from NOLA Ghost Riders, you see the address for the meeting spot and a note to arrive 30 minutes before the start of your tour. The address is to Voodoo Tavern & Poboys, located at 1140 Decatur Street in New Orleans. It’s an easy walk from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street or Canal Street. Feel free to grab dinner at any one of these great restaurants in New Orleans before your 8 p.m. tour.

When you arrive, check in at the stand near the door and they’ll let you know which group you belong to. While you wait, you’re welcome to grab a drink from the tavern. You can bring drinks on the bus with you, but they don’t allow you to bring them into the cemetery. You’ll want to finish it up before the first stop or make sure it’s in a sealed container so you can leave it on the bus.

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I always wonder what I should and shouldn’t bring with me on tours like this. Since the tours are late, keep an eye on the weather and make sure you bring a jacket for once the sun sets. If you determine you don’t need the jacket, you can leave it on the bus.

I brought my Canon 6D camera as well as my iPhone 14 camera. Both of them served their purpose, especially with the low light of the night. I was really glad I brought my DSLR camera for some of the night shots. If you bring a DSLR, don’t pack your tripod. It’s a cemetery tour, not a photo tour.

You definitely want to have your cell phone with you, as part of the tour involves using an app on your phone to sense the presence of ghosts. I also encourage you to bring cash for the food stop and to tip your tour guide.

What to Expect during the NOLA Ghost Riders Cemetery Tour

As the start of your tour time arrives, listen for the person at the check-in stand to shout your group name. Then follow the guide to the bus. Once everyone’s on the bus, the guide will introduce themselves and you’ll hit the road.

The tour includes three different stops during the roughly two-hour tour.

While on the Bus

As we got on the bus, I kept hoping our tour guide was amazing. I’ve been on some guided tours where the tour guide was un-fun. The tour guide really does make all the difference. I’m happy to say that the moment the bus door closed, we knew we had an amazing guide.

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Throughout the tour, he kept us entertained and informed. We ended up getting stuck behind a slow-moving horse-pulled carriage on one of the streets, and he spent the time cracking jokes about it instead of getting frustrated. He shared with us the history of the area and lots of fun facts as we made our way to the first stop of the tour.

Stop #1 – Cemetery

New Orleans has more than 40 cemeteries scattered throughout the city. Your tour begins by heading to one of those cemeteries to wander and learn about the burial process for above-ground tombs. Our tour stopped at the Masonic Temple Cemetery #1.

When you first enter the cemetery, you’ll want to follow the guide so he can give you the tour. But after a brief lesson on what you’re seeing in the cemetery, you can wander around and explore at your own pace – for about 10-15 minutes.

This is an opportunity to see which tombs have keyholes, what the names are on the tombs and the various sizes and styles. In my hometown, people are buried six feet under. But if I was able to design an above ground tomb, what would I have incorporated in the design?

When you’re ready to leave, the tour guide will round you up and let you in on a little protective secret about the proper way to exit the cemetery. Exiting the cemetery while walking backwards will confuse the spirits – they can’t tell whether you’re coming or going, so they don’t follow you home. So be sure and walk backwards as you exit the gate of the cemetery. 😉

Stop #2 – Morning Call Coffee Place for a Quick Snack

After exploring the cemetery, there’s nothing wrong with an evening snack or drink. Luckily, that’s the next stop on the tour – Morning Call Coffee Place. Just note that they only accept cash. So hopefully you have some with you on the tour.

As is typically consumed in New Orleans, you can snag a bag of beignets doused in powdered sugar. Just note, when you order beignets, you get three. One member of our tour ordered three beignets, and got nine of them in three orders. Oops.

Beyond the beignets, they have coffee, hot chocolate and sodas. So if you need a little refresher, you can get that, too. I opted to try the Mango Freeze, which was a mango sorbet that was delicious.

Our tour guide highly recommended the Etouffee, but I wasn’t in the mood for a meal while on the 15-20 minute stop. But if you want more of a meal, you can try that or the jambalaya, red beans, gumbo and a few other choices.

You can also use this stop as a bathroom break if needed, then board the bus and head to the next stop along the way.

Stop #3 – Charity Hospital Cemetery

As you approach stop #3, the guide will tell you about an app you can download if you want to test for the presence of spirits while at the cemetery. Yep, there’s an app for that. Once you enter the cemetery, the guide will tell you a little more about the history of this particular cemetery as well as its association with Hurricane Katrina.

After the history lesson – which was humbling – the guide will demonstrate how Spirit Sticks work. In short, it’s two wires of sorts you hold – one in each hand. You address the spirits nearby and ask a question – Will the Yankees win the pennant this year? Cross for Yes. If the wires cross, then I guess the Yankees will win the pennant. If not, then you may want to hold of any bets for the year.

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Once the demonstration is finished, he’ll hand out a few spirit sticks and let some of the group try them out. It was fun to see what questions the people would ask and how they’d react to the responses they were getting.

While here, be sure and check out the Hurricane Katrina Memorial. It’s an opportunity to reflect on just how impacted the area was from the storm. For some people, time is almost measured as pre and post Hurricane Katrina.

Returning to Where you Started

After some exploration of the area, you’ll board the bus and make your way back to the starting point. As you disembark from the bus, be sure and tip your tour guide. They put a lot of time and energy (especially if they’re great tour guides) to making your experience fun, so a tip can go a long way.

The Details

Address: Voodoo Tavern & Poboy’s 1140 Decatur St. New Orleans, LA.

Cost: $45 for adults (age 13+) and $30 for children (ages 6-12).

Hours: There are three tour times available: 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Website: https://nolaghostriders.com/

Phone: (504) 522-3200

Disclosure: I received one complimentary admission to the NOLA Ghost Rider Nighttime Cemetery Tour for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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