You Might Just Spot A Ghost At The Oldest Cemetery In New Orleans

It also one of the most visited cemeteries in the country. It opened in 1789 and replaced St. Peter Cemetery, which is no longer around.

Etienne de Bore, the first mayor of New Orleans, Homer Plessy, from the historic Plessy v. Ferguson civil rights case are found in the cemetery. It’s believed that the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is buried here as well. Famous actor Nicolas Cage even purchased a plot here, which is pictured above.

Tours are offered every hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sundays. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and cost $20/person. There are also several ghost tours that would be happy to take you through the cemetery, explaining the paranormal side of the area.

With more than 700 tombs and 100,000 buried, it comes as no surprise that the city's oldest cemetery may have some paranormal activity associated with it.

Henry Vignes was a sailor in the 1800s. When he wasn’t at sea, he lived in a boarding house in New Orleans. With no family nearby, he asked the owner of the boarding house to hold on to some paperwork for him. The paperwork was actually his family tomb information, and the owner of the boarding house sold them while Henry was away at sea. Sadly, when he returned to New Orleans and discovered what his landlord had done, it was too late — he wasn’t able to get his family tomb back. He died shortly after, but since he had no family tomb nor did he leave any money, he was buried in an unmarked grave in the pauper’s section of the cemetery.

Many have claimed to have seen Henry wandering the grounds. Some tourists have even claimed that he has spoken to them, asking if they know where the Vines tomb is located.

So, the next time you find yourself looking for something unique to do, sign up for a tour and maybe you'll find yourself face to face with the Voodoo Queen herself.