New Orleans Cemetery and Paranormal Investigation Bus Tour

New Orleans buries its dead above ground, and this night bus tour gives you a quick look at the city’s tombs, cemetery customs, and ghost lore without asking you to walk across town. You may visit Masonic Temple Cemetery #2, Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field, St. Louis Cemetery #3, Holt Cemetery, Odd Fellows Rest, and the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, though the exact mix can vary.

I like the way the tour pairs real New Orleans history with paranormal play. The Masonic cemetery’s group tombs and unusual triangular layout are worth seeing even if you do not believe in ghosts. I also like the Katrina memorial stop, where the tone turns from spooky entertainment to a reminder of the city’s very real losses. The main concern is consistency: some outings have included only one or two cemeteries, long drives, a restroom or café stop, and limited commentary on the bus.

Key points to know before you book

• Masonic tombs offer the strongest architectural stop: Communal lodge tombs, iron fences, oak-lined paths, and a triangular plan give this cemetery a character different from New Orleans Catholic burial grounds.
• The route is not always the same: Planned sites can include several cemeteries, City Park, Odd Fellows Rest, and the Katrina Memorial, but the time spent at each location may vary.
• Guides shape the experience: Roy, Kendall, Henry, and Trish have earned especially strong praise for humor, storytelling, local knowledge, and a welcoming manner.
• Paranormal tools are part of the fun: You may use EMF readers and other devices, though the guide may not provide detailed instructions for every app or tool.
• Expect a small-group bus, not a private tour: The maximum is 24 people, with pickup and return at Voodoo Tavern and PoBoys on Decatur Street.
• This suits curious families and casual ghost hunters: Children age 6 and older may attend, but some stories involve death, disaster, and frightening subjects.

A quick ride into New Orleans after dark

The tour begins at Voodoo Tavern and PoBoys, at 1140 Decatur Street in the French Quarter. You should arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. The location is easy to reach by foot or public transportation, while nearby parking is limited and paid. A rideshare may be simpler than driving into the Quarter.

The bus carries no more than 24 people, which is small enough for a guide to address the group but large enough that the cemetery can feel social rather than eerie and solitary. The experience lasts about two hours and returns to the same meeting point.

The bus ride matters more than you might expect. New Orleans cemeteries are spread across different parts of the city, so the vehicle lets you see several areas without arranging taxis or spending your evening navigating unfamiliar streets. The tradeoff is clear: every minute spent driving is a minute you are not standing beside a tomb.

The official plan describes live commentary on board, but the amount of narration can depend heavily on the guide and the night. Some outings have featured stories, music, and personal accounts. Others have felt quiet between stops, with music replacing much of the explanation. If you want a tightly scripted history tour, this may feel loose. If you enjoy a guide who adjusts the evening to the group, that flexibility can work in your favor.

City Park’s oaks and the city beyond the French Quarter

City Park is listed as part of the route, and it offers a useful change of mood. This 1,300-acre park dates to 1854 and is one of the country’s older urban parks. Its large oaks and hanging moss have long provided a setting for dances, concerts, and even formal duels.

The park is not simply a spooky backdrop. It helps you see how much of New Orleans lies beyond the French Quarter’s bars, balconies, and narrow streets. If your bus pauses here, you may get more of a scenic orientation than a formal stop. Do not expect a long park walk within a two-hour tour.

The precise sequence can change. Some descriptions focus on cemetery visits, while others include City Park, a café or beignet stop, and a large tree associated with paranormal stories. That variation is worth keeping in mind when you compare this outing with a walking cemetery tour. Ask at the meeting point which stops are planned that night.

Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 and its unusual design

Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 is one of the most distinctive places on the route. Founded in 1865 by the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana Free and Accepted Masons, it reflects Masonic traditions rather than the Catholic customs found in many of New Orleans’ better-known cemeteries.

The cemetery occupies two oddly shaped city blocks and has a triangular plan. Conti Street cuts through the property, while the internal paths echo the Masonic square and compass symbol. Cast-iron fences divide the two sections, and oak paths line the northern and western edges.

The tombs are packed into orderly rows. The most unusual feature is the number of large communal tombs. Lodge members pooled money to create shared structures, so the cemetery has a different look from a field of individual family tombs. You are seeing both burial practice and social organization in the stonework.

The scheduled visit here is about 30 minutes, with admission included. That is enough time for a guided introduction and some photographs, but not enough for a slow examination of every tomb. At night, bring patience and comfortable shoes. The lighting may make the atmosphere more dramatic, but it can also make inscriptions and architectural details harder to see.

This is likely the best stop for visitors who want more than a ghost story. The Masonic setting gives the guide a chance to explain how New Orleans burial customs, religious groups, fraternal orders, and urban space fit together.

Charity Hospital, Holt, St. Louis, and other possible stops

The tour can include Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field, St. Louis Cemetery #3, Holt Cemetery, and other burial grounds. These sites do not all tell the same story.

A pauper’s field brings attention to people who did not have the money or family connections for elaborate tombs. Holt Cemetery offers another perspective on New Orleans burial practices and social history. St. Louis Cemetery #3 provides a Catholic cemetery setting, which helps you compare it with the Masonic grounds.

The tour does not visit the tomb of Marie Laveau. Her tomb is in St. Louis Cemetery #1, which is not part of this experience. If Marie Laveau is your main reason for booking, choose a tour specifically designed around St. Louis Cemetery #1 instead.

The route may also include Odd Fellows Rest, associated with a little-known fraternal society. The contrast with the Masonic cemetery is useful, since New Orleans has long had many clubs, lodges, religious groups, and burial societies. You may not spend long inside every location, but the variety can give you a broader picture of the city’s cemeteries.

Here is the important practical point: do not assume that every advertised location receives equal time. Some outings have spent substantial time at one cemetery and driven past others. Others have visited two cemeteries and added a café break. If you need three full cemetery visits, confirm the plan before you set your expectations.

The Hurricane Katrina Memorial brings a different kind of gravity

The Katrina Memorial Cemetery is one of the most meaningful parts of the route. Your guide explains the storm’s lasting effects and gives you time to pay respects. This is not ghost fiction. It is a place connected to recent suffering, and it deserves a quieter tone than the rest of the evening.

The best guides handle this transition well. Personal accounts of life in New Orleans after Katrina can help explain the storm’s impact in a way that dates and statistics cannot. A strong guide may connect the memorial to neighborhoods, families, and the city’s continuing recovery without turning the stop into a lecture.

The mood can vary, though. Because this is a group ghost tour, not a memorial-only visit, the evening may move quickly between solemn history and lighter stories. If you prefer a carefully focused Katrina experience, arrange a separate memorial visit. Here, the memorial is one important part of a wider route.

Paranormal equipment and the limits of ghost hunting

The tour provides tools intended to help you communicate with paranormal activity, including EMF readers. These devices add a hands-on element. You are not only listening to a guide tell a ghost story; you may also watch a meter, try an app, or look for unusual movement.

Keep your expectations sensible. The equipment can make the cemetery visit more interactive, but it cannot prove that a spirit is present. One person may see a strange light or movement in a photograph, while another sees a trick of the camera or the darkness.

The guide’s instruction matters. Some outings have included an app without explaining clearly how to use it. If you are handed a device, ask what it measures, how to operate it, and what the guide considers meaningful. You will get more from the activity if you treat it as a group experiment rather than a guaranteed supernatural encounter.

A few people have found the sticks and meters especially entertaining. Others have cared more about the architecture and history. That mix is one reason the tour can work for both believers and skeptics, provided the guide gives enough context.

The guides can make or break the evening

The strongest praise goes to the guides, and the names that come up most often are Roy, Kendall, Henry, and Trish. Roy is described as funny, adaptable, and good at bringing the bus together. Kendall is praised for cemetery stories, personal paranormal accounts, and clear enthusiasm. Henry receives credit for combining local culture, history, and everyday New Orleans life. Trish is noted for setting clear rules, answering questions, and keeping the group informed.

That variety tells you what to look for. This is a personality-led experience. A lively guide can turn a short cemetery visit into a memorable night, while a rambling guide can make two hours feel long.

Safety and courtesy also matter after dark. A good guide explains how to behave in a cemetery, keeps the group together, and treats memorial sites with respect. The best outings balance comedy with care. A guide who pushes every moment toward cheap scares may not suit you if you want serious history.

There have also been reports of weak bus commentary, noise, and an uncomfortable dispute at a café stop. Those problems do not describe every departure, but they show why the guide and day-to-day operation matter so much. I would book this for a flexible evening with an open mind, not for a polished museum-style presentation.

Is $30 a fair price?

At $30 per person, the tour is inexpensive for a two-hour outing that includes transportation, a live guide, cemetery admission where required, and paranormal tools. It can be good value if you want a broad introduction to New Orleans burial customs and a few spooky stories without paying for several separate activities.

The value falls if your bus spends much of the evening in transit or at a restroom and café stop. A two-hour tour sounds substantial, but the actual cemetery time may be much shorter. If you have already visited several cemeteries during daylight, the added value may come mainly from the night setting and paranormal equipment.

I see this as an affordable sampler, not a full study of New Orleans cemeteries. You pay for convenience, a guide, and atmosphere. You are not paying for long, detailed time at every site.

Who will enjoy it most?

You are a good match if you like local stories, unusual burial customs, group activities, and a little theatrical mystery. Families with children age 6 and older can attend, though younger children may find the subjects frightening. The tour is not considered strenuous, but you need to walk on mostly flat surfaces and manage a few steps to board and leave the bus.

It is also a practical choice if long walks are difficult. One person can see several parts of the city while spending much of the evening seated. The bus is not wheelchair accessible, and every participant must be able to walk and use the steps.

Wear comfortable shoes and layered clothing. New Orleans weather can shift, and cemeteries may feel different from the warm French Quarter streets. Keep your phone charged if you want to take photographs or use an app, but do not treat every blurry image as evidence.

Should you book the New Orleans Cemetery and Paranormal Investigation Bus Tour?

Book it if you want an inexpensive, social introduction to New Orleans cemeteries with a chance to hear Katrina history and try paranormal tools. Request a guide such as Roy, Kendall, Henry, or Trish if the company allows requests, since the guide’s storytelling style has a major effect on the night.

Skip it if your priority is a precise historical tour, Marie Laveau’s tomb, or a long visit to several cemeteries. In that case, choose a specialized cemetery walk or a daytime visit. If you do book, arrive 30 minutes early and ask which cemeteries are actually on that evening’s route. That one question can tell you if the experience matches what you want.

FAQ

Which cemeteries can the tour visit?

The route typically includes Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field, Masonic Temple Cemetery #2, St. Louis Cemetery #3, Holt Cemetery, and other sites. It may also include Odd Fellows Rest and the Hurricane Katrina Memorial.

Does the tour visit Marie Laveau’s tomb?

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

Does the tour visit the Hurricane Katrina Memorial?

Yes. The guide explains Katrina’s lasting effects, and you can pay respects at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial Cemetery.

Where does the tour begin and end?

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

How early should I arrive?

Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. This gives you time to find the meeting point and handle traffic or parking if you are driving.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Yes. Children age 6 and older may participate. The tour includes morbid stories and subjects that may frighten younger children, so use your judgment.

Is the bus wheelchair accessible?

No. The bus is not wheelchair accessible. Participants must be able to walk and manage a few steps when boarding and leaving the bus.