Beignets and Burials: Walking Tour of Some of New Orleans Iconic Cemeteries

Start your morning off with beignets and coffee at the famed Morning Call restaurant while learning about the general history of cemeteries in New Orleans. Next, we venture into Greenwood Cemetery (1852), home of the largest assemblage of iron tombs in the city, unique monuments and funerary symbols, as well as local and national celebrities, such as a Pulitzer-prize winning writer and the man who spiced up New Orleans. Afterward, journey into Cypress Grove (1838), the first cemetery built to honor New Orleans volunteer firemen and their families. Learn the connection between Tabasco sauce and nutria, the large, orange-toothed, semi-aquatic rodent. Get exclusive access into the large society tomb built for the temporary burial of Chinese citizens, and view many original tombs crafted in granite, marble, and cast-iron that hold some of New Orleans’ earliest prominent citizens. We then visit the Hurricane Katrina Memorial located in the spot where Charity Hospital used to bury the poor and indigent. The tour ends back at the Morning Call.

This exclusive comprehensive is written and researched by writer and cemetery expert Sally Asher.

The tour is primarily led by Geoff Polson, a death care professional with a 25-year resume which includes being a former funeral director and running his own crime-scene cleaning business. He has been leading cemetery tours since 2019, and when he’s not giving tours, he is leading investigations and theatre discussions on the paranormal. Geoff will cover everything from burial traditions, symbolism, types of tombs, and offer an in-depth overview of many different cemeteries in New Orleans. Ask him anything!

Red Sash Tours is the only private tour company allowed to give tours in Greenwood Cemetery and the only company allowed in Cypress Grove.

The tour starts and ends at the Morning Call, 5101 Canal Blvd. It is easily accessible by streetcar, automobile, bus, or uber.

Children six and under are free but must purchase any beignets or drink separately. Children six to twelve are $25. Adults are $50. Price includes one beignet and choice of beverage and a walking tour of four different cemeteries.

Minimum of four guests required, if this requirement is not met, guests will be notified by 8pm the night before that the tour will be cancelled. The tour will run approximately 2 hours and will roughly cover the distance of a mile.