Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2

The second-oldest cemetery in New Orleans, this aptly named necropolis was built in response to rampant disease.

Beginning in 1823, following the trends of other urban centers, New Orleans began moving its burial places out of the center of the city and into the outskirts of town in hopes of controlling outbreaks of contagious disease. Dating to the early 19th Century, Saint Louis Cemetery #2 is located just a few blocks from Saint Louis Cemetery #1, the city’s oldest cemetery.

Saint Louis Cemetery #2 is the hallowed final resting place of such diverse personalities as privateer Dominique You, potential Catholic Saint Henriette DeLille, and a host of noteworthy New Orleans Jazz musicians.

Both Saint Louis cemeteries were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Known for their distinctive above ground burials and particularly lovely monuments, New Orleans’ historic cemeteries are all worth exploring, including Saint Louis Cemetery #1 (home to the tomb of “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau), the Garden District’s Lafayette Cemetery, and the racetrack-shaped Metairie Cemetery.