NEW ORLEANS — Sept. 21, 2026 — Guided public tours will return to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in October through a partnership between the City of New Orleans and the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans (PRC). Following a public bid process, the City selected PRC as the sole tour operator for the Garden District cemetery, which has been closed to public tours since 2019. Guests can begin booking tours immediately by clicking here.
Under the revenue-sharing agreement, the City will receive a share of tour revenue. PRC will also dedicate a portion of its proceeds exclusively to restoration and preservation at City-owned cemeteries, including Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.
The program will operate in coordination with the City’s Department of Property Management, Division of Cemeteries. Family visits, funerals, maintenance and cemetery operations will take priority over tours. PRC will also work with tomb owners, neighbors and local businesses as guided access resumes.
“This selection is more than reopening the gate. It’s a major opportunity to demonstrate a better model for cultural tourism — one that protects an irreplaceable historic place, respects the families connected to it and reinvests visitor interest in preservation,” said Kristin Gisleson Palmer, PRC’s Executive Director.
“Cemeteries in New Orleans are unique, sacred and a major part of the city’s rich history. Reopening Lafayette Cemetery #1 to tours gives residents and visitors the opportunity to experience and learn from that history, while ensuring we continue to treat this sacred space with the care and respect it deserves. By working together with our preservation partners and the families connected to the cemetery, we can protect this historic place while preserving an important piece of New Orleans for generations to come,” said New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno.
Save Our Cemeteries, now a PRC department, has restored more than 50 family and society tombs within Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. This summer, PRC funded the full restoration of the German Presbyterian Society Tomb, a 20-vault Gothic Revival tomb built in 1866. The completed project enables the Presbytery of South Louisiana, which owns and maintains the tomb, to reopen it for burials for families in need.
“This is an active burial ground and a sacred place of memory for families and communities, and that must come first,” said Sara Lowenburg, Director of Save Our Cemeteries. “Through small, historically grounded tours, visitors can better understand the people, architecture and traditions that shaped New Orleans, while PRC’s share of tour proceeds directly supports restoration and preservation in Lafayette No. 1 and other City-owned cemeteries.”
PRC’s tour plan calls for 75- to 90-minute visits, with no more than 16 guests per group and a seasonal schedule seven days a week, subject to cemetery operations and closures. Guides will use historically vetted interpretation and reroute or pause tours to respect families. The program will not include ghost tours or sensational, supernatural or entertainment-focused content.
Save Our Cemeteries brings more than 50 years of preservation experience and has restored more than 50 family and society tombs within Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Its work at the cemetery includes the German Presbyterian Society Tomb. PRC also partners with World Monuments Fund on Bridge to Crafts Careers, which provides paid, hands-on training in traditional building trades through cemetery restoration.
“Our team has nearly 40 years of combined tour guide experience in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and a deep desire to see tourism conducted in a thoughtful and sustainable manner,” said Russell Blanchard, Tour and Travel Program Manager.
PRC’s plan also includes up to 10 complimentary tours annually for New Orleans public-school groups, with discounted opportunities for educational groups, veterans’ groups and local nonprofit organizations.
Volunteer cleanup day: Saturday, Oct. 17
PRC will invite community members to help tend to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 at a volunteer cleanup day on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Media are invited to cover the day; contact Clint Durrett to coordinate attendance and filming. Learn more and register at the link below.
Media availability
Representatives from PRC’s Save Our Cemeteries and Tours departments are available for interviews about the City partnership, the return of guided tours and cemetery preservation. For interviews, photography or restoration-footage requests, and volunteer-day coverage arrangements, contact Clint Durrett at 504-636-3070 or [email protected].
Photo by Russell Blanchard | PRC
Photo by Russell Blanchard | PRC
Photo by Russell Blanchard | PRC
Photo by Russell Blanchard | PRC
Photo by Russell Blanchard | PRC
