Cemetery and Ghost BYOB Bus Tour in New Orleans

New Orleans gets its spooky reputation honestly, and this tour takes you beyond the French Quarter to see the city’s above-ground tombs after dark. You’ll walk through Masonic Temple Cemetery #2, hear about local burial customs, and visit other sites that may include Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field, Odd Fellows Rest, and the Hurricane Katrina Memorial.

I like two things in particular: the ride lets you reach quieter parts of the city without arranging a taxi, and the best guides, including Henry, Roy, and Ray, mix cemetery history with humor and personal ghost stories. The tradeoff is that the tour can feel more like a BYOB party bus with cemetery stops than a serious ghost investigation, especially when music is loud or the guide keeps the stories short.

Key points to know before booking

• After-dark cemetery access: This is built around entering a cemetery at night, an unusual option in New Orleans.
• Masonic tombs: The first cemetery has compact rows of above-ground tombs and a distinctive triangular layout tied to Masonic symbols.
• Guide makes the difference: Henry, Roy, and Ray receive especially warm praise for being funny, engaging, and informative.
• BYOB format: Bring your own drink if you wish, but alcohol is not included and disruptive behavior is not tolerated.
• City Park interlude: The route passes through the huge historic park and may stop at Morning Call Cafe for beignets, coffee, and a bathroom break.
• Not Marie Laveau’s tomb: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is not part of this tour, so book a different outing if that is your main goal.

What this New Orleans ghost tour really offers

At $30 per person for about two hours, this is an inexpensive way to see parts of New Orleans that many visitors skip. You get transportation, a driver-guide, live commentary, cemetery admission, and pickup and return at the French Quarter meeting point.

The price is good if you want a light evening activity with a little history, a little ghost hunting, and a social BYOB setting. It is less convincing value if you expect a tightly scripted paranormal program with long talks at every stop. The experience depends heavily on the guide and on the mood of the group.

I would think of it as a short historical night ride with ghost-tour flavor, not a formal study of New Orleans cemeteries. The strongest guides turn that simple format into a memorable evening. A weaker guide can leave you wandering around tombs with only a few facts to connect the stops.

Meeting at Voodoo Tavern in the French Quarter

The tour begins at Voodoo Tavern and PoBoys, 1140 Decatur Street, roughly 30 minutes before departure. That gives you a practical place to get oriented, use the nearby French Quarter, and buy a drink to bring aboard if you want to make use of the BYOB policy.

I recommend arriving early. The meeting point is in the heart of the French Quarter, where parking is limited and traffic can slow you down. Walking, public transportation, or a rideshare is usually easier than driving. Some visitors have found the pickup area less comfortable during road construction, so do not arrive at the last minute and expect to sort out the location from the curb.

The tavern can also serve as a useful pre-tour stop for food and drinks. Your purchase is separate from the tour price, and drinks are not provided. Keep your alcohol under control: the operator says disruptive behavior can result in removal from the tour.

The bus can hold up to 56 people. That is a fairly large group for a cemetery walk, though actual group size may be smaller. If seating matters to you, board promptly. One account describes an overbooked departure where a member of a party of five could not go, and another warns that arriving late can leave you with poor seating or other complications.

Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 after nightfall

The main stop is Masonic Temple Cemetery #2, founded in 1865 by the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana Free and Accepted Masons. It feels different from the Catholic cemeteries most often shown in New Orleans photographs.

Its layout is one of the more interesting details. The cemetery occupies two oddly shaped city blocks with Conti Street cutting between them. Its triangular form and angular paths echo the Masonic square and compass. Cast-iron fences enclose the two sections, and oak-lined edges frame rows of compact tombs.

Look closely at the arrangement. Masonic lodge members pooled money to build large communal tombs, so the cemetery contains elaborate structures that served groups rather than only individual families. This makes the place useful for understanding how burial could reflect membership, mutual aid, and social organizations.

The walk lasts about 30 minutes, and the ground is mostly flat. You will need to manage steps on and off the bus, and the tour is not wheelchair accessible. Comfortable shoes are a sensible choice, particularly if the walkways are damp or uneven.

Do not expect total darkness. Some tour departures have found the cemetery well lit, which makes it easier to see the tombs but reduces the horror-movie effect. That is not necessarily a flaw. You can appreciate the architecture and burial customs more easily when you can see where you are walking.

The guide may point out selected tombs, explain local burial practices, and give you time to look around on your own. The quality of this part rises sharply with the guide. Roy has been praised for using ghost-hunting tools and keeping the group involved. Henry is especially good at combining information with jokes and well-chosen music on the bus. Ray has also earned strong praise for his energy and personal attention.

Still, you should set your expectations correctly. Some guides have given only a short introduction before asking the group to explore independently. If you want a full story at every tomb, you may find the cemetery portion thin.

Other cemeteries and the question of Marie Laveau

The route can include more than Masonic Temple Cemetery #2. The tour typically visits Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field and may include Odd Fellows Rest, a cemetery associated with a little-known fraternal society.

These locations add useful variety. One cemetery may focus on elaborate tombs, while another may contain more columbariums than traditional-looking grave markers. That variety helps you see that New Orleans burial grounds are not all the same, even if the above-ground style links them.

The tour does not visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where Marie Laveau’s tomb is located. This is an important distinction. If your main reason for booking is the famous voodoo queen’s resting place, choose an experience that specifically includes St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 instead.

At the sites included here, the interest comes from the combination of structure, custom, and atmosphere. The cemeteries may be beautiful rather than frightening. You might hear about prominent people, local burial traditions, paranormal activity, and unusual final resting places. The strongest guides build those details into a clear story. Others rely more on music, jokes, and the setting itself.

The bus ride, music, and BYOB mood

The bus is not just transport. It is a large part of the evening’s personality. You may hear music during the ride, and some guides use clever song choices to set the mood. That can make the journey between stops feel lively rather than empty.

The same feature can work against you. Several accounts describe loud music, including hip-hop, and one person sitting at the back found the volume uncomfortable enough to trigger tinnitus. If you are sensitive to noise, ask about seating or choose a position away from the speakers when possible. The operator does not promise a quiet historical ride.

This is also where the BYOB format shapes the experience. A drink can make the bus feel sociable, and many people enjoy that relaxed setup. But it also means the tone may lean toward a party ride. One account described the outing as closer to a booze cruise than a scary ghost tour, while another praised the group for following the rules and behaving well.

I would not bring alcohol expecting it to compensate for a slow guide or limited storytelling. Bring it only if you already like a casual social atmosphere. If you want a sober, hushed walk among tombs, this may not be your best choice.

City Park and Morning Call Cafe

The route passes through City Park, a 1,300-acre public park that has been part of New Orleans life since 1854. It is one of the oldest urban parks in the country, with historic oaks and moss-covered canopies that have framed dances, concerts, and old-fashioned duels.

At night, the park changes the rhythm of the tour. You leave the close rows of tombs and move into a broader, quieter setting. The stop may include a break at Morning Call Cafe, where you can buy coffee and beignets.

This is a useful pause for several reasons. Two hours on a bus and on foot is long enough for people to want a bathroom, a snack, or a chance to reset. The food is not included, so bring money or a payment method for your purchase. The cafe stop may also be the most practical part of the evening for families.

Do not treat City Park as a major sightseeing stop. The park is part of the ride and atmosphere, not a full guided visit. If you are hoping to explore its museums, gardens, or other attractions, plan a separate daytime visit.

The Hurricane Katrina Memorial

The tour ends its sightseeing sequence at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, a quiet and more serious stop. The memorial honors 85 unclaimed victims of the 2005 levee failures.

This part gives the evening a needed change of tone. Ghost tours can turn death into entertainment, but the Katrina Memorial points toward real loss and the lasting effects of the disaster. A good guide treats it with care and gives you space to pay your respects.

The memorial may not satisfy someone looking only for scares, but I consider it one of the more meaningful parts of the route. It connects New Orleans cemetery customs with the city’s modern history and reminds you that burial grounds are not simply spooky backdrops.

The tour may also include information about Odd Fellows Rest near this part of the route. Since stops can vary, listen carefully to your guide’s explanation of what you are seeing rather than assuming every departure follows the exact same sequence.

Ghost stories, EMF readers, and the real scare factor

The tour offers ghost stories and may provide EMF readers or other simple ghost-hunting tools. If you enjoy taking photographs, bring your phone or camera and check your pictures later for orbs or other odd shapes.

Keep a healthy sense of humor about paranormal evidence. A strange light in a photo can be a reflection, dust, or a camera effect. The fun is in looking and comparing what you find, not in treating every blurry spot as proof.

The atmosphere is more spooky than terrifying. You walk among tombs after dark, hear stories about paranormal activity, and move through quiet parts of the city. But the music, BYOB setup, lighting, and group chatter can weaken the tension.

For me, the history is the better reason to book. New Orleans’s burial practices are unusual, and the guide can explain why above-ground tombs became such a defining feature of the city. The ghost stories add flavor. They should not be your only reason for going.

Guides can make or break the night

The clearest pattern in the experience is the importance of the driver-guide. Henry is frequently praised for being informative, funny, and entertaining. Roy is described as personable, interactive, and especially good at explaining the sites while helping with ghost-hunting tools. Ray is remembered for making the whole outing feel special, even for people who booked at the last minute.

Marcus has been described as friendly and funny, though some people found the tour less scary than expected. Kendall is associated with one account of a group being left behind at a stop, so keep track of your group and confirm the return time before wandering off.

You cannot normally choose your guide when booking. That uncertainty is worth considering. With a strong guide, the bus jokes, cemetery facts, and ghost stories can work together. With a weaker presentation, you may get a few minutes of history, a stop at a bar, loud music, and a lot of free time.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I think this tour fits you best if you want a low-cost evening outing with several elements mixed together:

• A first visit to New Orleans with limited time
• An interest in cemetery design and local burial customs
• A social BYOB ride rather than a quiet lecture
• A family outing with children age 6 or older who can handle morbid stories
• A way to reach City Park and cemetery areas beyond the French Quarter
• A casual ghost hunt where the fun matters more than hard evidence

It is less suitable if you want Marie Laveau’s tomb, a long walking tour, a serious paranormal investigation, or a consistently quiet ride. Children are allowed from age 6, but the subject matter includes death, unclaimed victims, and frightening tales, so use your judgment.

Most people can manage the walking because the route is mostly flat, but you must be able to climb a few bus steps. Service animals are allowed. The bus itself is not wheelchair accessible.

Booking advice and final verdict

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Within 24 hours, you normally receive no refund, and the operator may cancel for poor weather or too few bookings, offering another date or a full refund.

Book this tour if you want the novelty of entering a New Orleans cemetery after dark and you enjoy a loose, social atmosphere. Arrive at least 30 minutes early, eat before departure or plan for the Morning Call Cafe stop, bring only a modest amount of alcohol, and sit away from loud speakers if you have hearing sensitivity.

I would give it a cautious recommendation at $30. The cemetery access, transportation, and unusual burial history make the price reasonable. Just do not buy it expecting a polished, relentlessly scary production. Your best night will come with a strong guide, a respectful group, and realistic expectations about the balance between history, ghost stories, music, and BYOB fun.

FAQ

Where does the Cemetery and Ghost BYOB Bus Tour begin?

The tour begins at Voodoo Tavern and PoBoys, located at 1140 Decatur Street in the French Quarter. It ends back at the same meeting point.

How early should I arrive?

Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. If you drive, allow extra time for traffic and limited parking near the French Quarter location.

Which cemeteries does the tour visit?

The tour typically visits Masonic Temple Cemetery #2, Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field, and other sites. It may also include Odd Fellows Rest and the Hurricane Katrina Memorial area.

Does the tour visit Marie Laveau’s tomb?

No. Marie Laveau’s tomb is in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, which is not included on this tour.

Are drinks included?

No. The tour is BYOB, so you may bring your own drinks. Alcohol is not included, and you must drink responsibly and avoid disruptive behavior.

Is the tour suitable for children?

The tour is limited to people age 6 and older. It includes morbid subjects and frightening stories, so younger children may need extra discretion.

Is the bus wheelchair accessible?

No. The bus is not wheelchair accessible, and all participants must be able to walk and manage a few steps to board and leave the bus.