Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in the Garden District is not St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in the French Quarter. That distinction matters for groups.
St. Louis requires a tour guide, limits group size, and is managed by the Archdiocese with specific rules around access. Lafayette is open to the public without required guides, allows self-paced visits, and has a character that’s quieter, more residential, and more genuinely suited to a group that wants to spend time there rather than march through.
Combined with a Magazine Street sourcing run and the Garden District walk that surrounds it, Lafayette Cemetery makes an exceptional mid-trip morning for groups who want something off the beaten track — not a tour, not a conventional park day, but a combination of the two that produces one of the more distinctive mornings available in this city.
Quick Checklist
- Check Lafayette Cemetery’s current hours before the trip (generally open morning to early afternoon, hours shift seasonally)
- Do the Magazine Street sourcing run before entering the cemetery, not after — you want to have the picnic food ready when you’re inside or at a nearby green space
- Keep the group to a reasonable size for cemetery navigation: a group of 20 moving as a single unit is too wide for the narrow paths; plan to spread out
- No food or drink inside the cemetery itself — use Coliseum Square (a half-block away) or the neutral ground along Washington Avenue for the actual picnic
- Bring a picnic blanket or reusable bags with something to sit on — neither the cemetery nor Coliseum Square has public furniture
- Designate a meeting point in the neighborhood in case the group disperses
- Morning timing: arrive at the cemetery before 10am for the best experience — light is good, the neighborhood is quieter, and the midday heat hasn’t arrived
What Lafayette Cemetery Actually Is
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 was established in 1833, making it one of the older cemeteries in the city. It’s situated in the middle of the Garden District at Washington Avenue and Prytania Street — literally surrounded by the neighborhood’s mansion blocks on all sides. It is an active cemetery with burials still occurring.
The above-ground burial architecture is the defining feature. New Orleans cemeteries bury above ground because the water table makes underground burial impractical in much of the city. The above-ground tombs range from simple brick vaults to elaborate multi-family tomb structures with inscriptions that span generations. Walking through Lafayette is walking through 190 years of Garden District family history — the Irish and German immigrant families who built the neighborhood, the yellow fever epidemic tombs where multiple family members died within days of each other, the Society tombs maintained by fraternal organizations.
There are also tree canopies throughout the cemetery that make the interior temperature significantly cooler than the street outside. On a warm New Orleans morning, the canopy effect is real and it makes the cemetery more comfortable for group lingering than the open street.
What Lafayette Allows
Lafayette Cemetery is publicly accessible and self-guided visits are the norm. There is no required tour guide, no admission fee (though donations to preservation organizations are appropriate), and no enforced time limit during open hours.
What the cemetery does expect:
- Respectful behavior around active burials
- No touching or climbing on the tombs
- Quiet voices — not because there’s a rule, but because the space calls for it
- Photography is permitted for personal use; commercial photography may require permission from preservation organizations
- No food or drink consumed inside the cemetery itself
What this means for a group: you can spend 30-60 minutes walking the cemetery’s paths, looking at the architecture, reading the inscriptions, splitting up and reconvening — without a guide, without a schedule, without paying for access. Then you leave through the gates and walk half a block to Coliseum Square for the actual picnic.
The Garden District Morning Walk
The walk to and from Lafayette Cemetery is part of the experience. The Garden District is one of the most architecturally remarkable neighborhoods in the country, and it’s at its best in the morning: cooler temperatures, lower foot traffic, the light hitting the Greek Revival facades at an angle that photographs better than the harsh midday sun.
A structure for the morning walk:
Start: The group meets at the villa and takes the St. Charles Streetcar or rideshares to the Garden District. The streetcar from the Lower Garden District or Uptown is the preferred option — it runs along the edge of the neighborhood and the ride is part of the experience.
Arrive at Magazine Street: Before heading to the cemetery, do the picnic sourcing run on Magazine Street near the Garden District section (between Louisiana and Washington Avenues). This stretch has specialty food shops, bakeries, and deli options that provide better picnic food than a generic grocery run. More on sourcing below.
Walk toward the cemetery: The walk from Magazine to Lafayette Cemetery on Washington Avenue passes some of the neighborhood’s most significant mansions. The distance is less than half a mile and requires no narration — the architecture is visible from the street and the group can walk at its own pace, stopping where people want to stop.
Lafayette Cemetery: 30-60 minutes inside. Let people disperse into the paths rather than moving as a group. Some people will want to read every inscription; some will do one pass and be ready for the picnic. Both are fine. Name a meet-up time at the main Washington Avenue gate.
Coliseum Square: Half a block from the Lafayette Cemetery entrance. A proper neighborhood square with grass and trees, good for a group of 20-30 to spread out and eat. The square is residential and quiet in the morning — this is not a tourist destination, just a park, and the experience is better for it.
Magazine Street Sourcing for the Picnic
Magazine Street near the Garden District has the best density of specialty food sourcing in the city for a group that wants a proper outdoor picnic rather than a grocery store run.
What to source and where:
Bread: The bakeries on this stretch of Magazine have good French bread and sandwich loaves. For a group, buy multiple loaves and let people tear pieces. French bread from a good bakery beats pre-cut sandwich bread for a picnic format.
Cheese and charcuterie: A few specialty shops in this corridor carry good local cheese selections (Louisiana soft cheeses, regional varieties) alongside cured meats. This is the core of the picnic spread — build it around cheese, meat, and bread before adding other elements.
Prepared food: Some shops have prepared salads, house-made dips, and spreads that work well for a group picnic without requiring utensils. A roasted vegetable spread, a hummus option, a local-style remoulade — these add variety without complexity.
Pastry: Buy pastry at the bakery for dessert. King cake if you’re in the season; other pastry year-round.
Fruit: Easier to source and carry than most things. Buy whole fruit (grapes, strawberries, stone fruit depending on season) rather than pre-cut — it travels better from the shop to the park.
Drinks: Pick up drinks at the last stop before heading to the cemetery. Glass bottles are heavier; canned sparkling water, juice, and beer (for the park portion) are easier to carry. New Orleans doesn’t restrict open containers in outdoor public spaces the way most cities do, which is relevant for the Coliseum Square portion.
Carrying logistics for a group of 20: You’re shopping for a picnic for 20 people on foot, which means multiple people carrying bags across half a mile. Break into buying sub-groups at different shops — one group handles bread and cheese, another handles drinks and fruit — and meet at the cemetery entrance.
| Item | Quantity for 20 people | Source |
|---|---|---|
| French bread | 4-5 loaves | Bakery |
| Cheese (2-3 varieties) | 2-3 lbs total | Specialty shop |
| Charcuterie | 1.5-2 lbs | Specialty shop |
| Prepared spread/dip | 2-3 containers | Deli |
| Fruit | 4-5 lbs | Grocery or specialty |
| Pastry | 20+ pieces | Bakery |
| Drinks (mixed) | 20-25 units | Corner shop or grocery |
| Napkins/plates/utensils | Biodegradable sets | Grocery or bring from villa |
Coliseum Square: The Picnic Location
Coliseum Square is the right outdoor destination for the picnic portion of this morning. It’s a proper neighborhood park — oak trees, grass, a fountain in the center — that happens to be directly adjacent to Lafayette Cemetery.
The park is used by the neighborhood: dog walkers, people reading, occasional neighborhood gatherings. A group of 20 with a picnic spread can set up in the grass without being disruptive or out of place. The scale of the park accommodates it.
Setup:
- Arrive at the park with the food before anyone’s hungry (the cemetery walk is the appetizer; arrive at Coliseum Square ready to eat)
- Find a section of grass in partial shade if possible — the full sun in New Orleans can be punishing, even in the morning
- Lay blankets or use whatever you brought for sitting
- Spread the food centrally so people can serve themselves
The picnic itself runs 45-90 minutes naturally. People eat, people talk, people look at the neighborhood around them. It’s a genuinely good format for a group mid-trip morning: low cost, no coordination beyond the setup, a natural end time when the food runs out.
The Right Framing for Different Groups
Not all groups approach a cemetery picnic the same way. The framing matters.
For culturally curious groups: “We’re spending the morning in the Garden District — some of the most significant architecture in the country, followed by one of the oldest cemeteries in the city, followed by a picnic in a neighborhood square.” This is a cultural morning, not a gimmick.
For groups that want activity without intensity: “It’s a morning walk, some interesting history, and then we eat outside. Very low-key, very New Orleans.” The cemetery doesn’t need to be the centerpiece if it’s not what the group connects with. The walk and the picnic are the activity; the cemetery is a stop along the way.
For groups where some members are uncomfortable with cemeteries: This is worth a quick check-in before planning. Some people — genuinely, not dramatically — don’t want to spend time in cemeteries for personal or cultural reasons. The Garden District walk and the Magazine Street sourcing run and the Coliseum Square picnic work perfectly well without entering the cemetery at all. The cemetery is an option, not a requirement.
For groups where someone thinks it’s morbid or weird: Acknowledge it, don’t argue it. Lafayette Cemetery is one of the most beautiful and historically significant outdoor spaces in New Orleans. The above-ground architecture is genuinely interesting and the canopy is stunning in the morning light. But if the room’s energy is resistant, the morning still works without it.
Lafayette Cemetery vs. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Groups often ask about the comparison. Here’s the honest version:
| Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 | St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Garden District (Washington Ave & Prytania) | French Quarter (Basin Street) |
| Access | Free, self-guided, no tour required | Guided tours required; no independent access |
| Tour requirement | None | Required (for visitors) |
| Group logistics | Manageable for self-guided groups of 20 | Requires coordinating with tour providers |
| Character | Quieter, residential, tree-shaded | More concentrated French Quarter energy, denser tombs |
| Famous residents | Garden District families, yellow fever victims | Marie Laveau, Homer Plessy |
| Photography | Personal use permitted | Check current tour rules |
| Best for groups | Yes — self-paced, accessible, neighborhood context | Yes, but logistics more complex |
The choice depends on whether your group wants a guided experience (St. Louis) or self-directed time (Lafayette). For a picnic-oriented morning, Lafayette is clearly the right call.
Pro Tips
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Go before 10am. The Garden District gets warm fast in summer and busy with tour groups by mid-morning. An early start gives the group the best of the neighborhood before both factors arrive.
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Don’t try to keep the group together inside the cemetery. The paths in Lafayette are narrow and the natural pace varies widely. Let people explore at their own speed and name a clear exit time and meeting point. This is one of those activities where dispersal improves the individual experience.
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Bring more blankets than you think you need. Twenty people sitting on grass without enough ground cover means some people are on damp soil. Three large blankets for a group of 20 is the minimum; five is comfortable.
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The picnic works better with two sharp knives and a cutting board. Cheese and charcuterie require prep. Everything pre-sliced at the shop costs more and comes in quantities that don’t scale well. Bring basic supplies from the villa.
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Source drinks last, in small amounts. Full picnic bags with glass bottles are heavier than they need to be. Buy drinks from the nearest shop to Coliseum Square rather than carrying them from Magazine Street.
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The Magazine Street walk back has good gelato and coffee options. After the picnic, the walk back along Magazine toward the Streetcar passes cafés and gelato shops that work as the natural end of the morning. This is the moment that turns a good morning into a great one.
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Budget timing conservatively. The sourcing run takes longer than expected (always), the cemetery is easy to linger in (it’s that kind of place), and the picnic extends when people are comfortable. Budget three to three-and-a-half hours for the full morning rather than two.
Historical Context Worth Knowing
Yellow fever killed tens of thousands of New Orleans residents throughout the 19th century. Lafayette Cemetery has tombs from epidemic years — particularly 1853, when a single epidemic killed one in eight New Orleans residents in a matter of months. The Society tombs in Lafayette Cemetery — organizations that maintained burial plots for their members — were specifically created to handle mass death in a city that experienced it repeatedly. Reading these inscriptions is a different experience from reading a conventional cemetery’s headstones.
The Garden District itself was built by Americans (as opposed to the Creole French Quarter) who settled upriver from the old city after Louisiana statehood. The mansions were built largely by the merchant and planter class in the antebellum period — the context of their construction is complicated in the ways most antebellum Southern wealth is complicated. The architecture is beautiful; the history it was built on is not simply beautiful. A group morning that includes a few sentences of honest context from someone who has read a little about it is better than a morning that treats the mansions as purely aesthetic.
Large Group Accommodation in the Garden District Area
Both the Garden District and adjacent neighborhoods are the right base for this morning. The Lower Garden District is particularly well positioned for this route.
Castleday Retreats
Three private villas in the Bywater — The Herald, The Cocodrie, and The Florentine — each with 12 bedrooms, 17 real beds, and 8 baths, accommodating 14 to 30 guests. From the Bywater, the Magazine Street corridor and the Garden District are accessible by the St. Charles Streetcar or a short rideshare.
The private pool and common areas at Castleday are where the group lands when it comes home from the cemetery morning: lunch out of the left-over picnic supplies, pool for the afternoon, the kind of slow mid-day recovery that keeps a multi-day trip feeling manageable. The Florentine is ADA-accessible. 4.98 average rating across 99 reviews.
The Syd
Multiple villas in the Lower Garden District, up to 22 guests per villa, with a shared heated pool, hot tub, sauna, and outdoor kitchen. Artist-designed rooms throughout. One block from the St. Charles Streetcar.
The Syd’s location is particularly well-suited to the Garden District morning walk. Magazine Street is close. The Streetcar to the Garden District or Lafayette Cemetery is one block away. A group leaving The Syd at 8am for a Garden District morning is back at the villa by noon with the pool available for the afternoon recovery window. The outdoor kitchen means anything from the picnic run that didn’t get eaten becomes the start of a villa lunch.
See Where to Stay
See where to stay for large groups →
A neighborhood morning like this one — cemetery, walk, picnic, Magazine Street — is the kind of experience that doesn’t require a tour company or a reservation. It requires a base close enough to walk or streetcar to, and the space to come back to when it’s done.