Cemetery and Ghost BYOB Bus Tour in New Orleans

New Orleans’ above-ground cemeteries feel different after sunset. On this two-hour BYOB bus tour, you leave the French Quarter for quieter graveyards, walk among compact tombs, and hear stories about burial customs, local figures, and possible paranormal activity. You may also visit the Charity Hospital pauper’s field, Odd Fellows Rest, and the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, depending on the night’s route.

I like two things here: the chance to enter a cemetery after dark, something most city ghost tours do not offer, and the mix of history with a bit of ghost-hunting fun. Guides such as Roy and Henry have earned especially warm praise for being funny, engaging, and good at explaining New Orleans burial traditions.

The main caution is that this is not always a tightly scripted ghost investigation. Some departures feel like a lively BYOB party bus with loud music and short talks at the cemetery. If you want long, dramatic storytelling at every stop, this tour may feel thin.

Key points to know before booking

• After-dark cemetery access: Walk through Masonic Temple Cemetery #2, and on some departures additional burial grounds, after nightfall.
• BYOB format: Bring your own drinks, but keep them under control. Disruptive behavior can get you removed.
• Guides make the difference: Roy, Henry, and other guides have been praised for humor, local knowledge, and personal stories.
• A history-focused route: Expect lessons on above-ground tombs, communal lodge tombs, pauper’s fields, Katrina, and local burial customs.
• City Park and Morning Call: The route can include a stop for coffee, beignets, restrooms, and a look at one of New Orleans’ oldest city parks.
• Plan for walking and steps: The cemetery paths are mostly flat, but the bus is not wheelchair accessible and requires you to manage steps.

Why this cemetery tour feels different after dark

Most New Orleans ghost tours stay close to the French Quarter, where crowds, traffic, bars, and bright lights compete with the stories. This tour heads away from that familiar center by bus, giving you a look at quieter neighborhoods and graveyards that are less convenient to reach on foot.

The centerpiece is the chance to walk among tombs at night. New Orleans cemeteries are famous for their above-ground burial structures, shaped by local ground conditions, family traditions, and long-standing Catholic and civic customs. Here, you also get a look at a Masonic cemetery, whose design and tombs differ from the Catholic burial grounds most often shown on city tours.

The supernatural side is part of the fun, but the strongest material is often the real history. You may hear how lodge members pooled money for large communal tombs, why the cemetery has its unusual triangular shape, and how the city’s burial customs developed. Guides may also provide an EMF reader for a simple ghost-hunting activity and encourage you to inspect your own photos for orbs or other odd marks.

That mix makes the experience best for you if you like local history with a spooky edge. It is less suited to you if you expect a polished theatrical production or a long list of confirmed hauntings.

Meeting at Voodoo Tavern in the French Quarter

The tour begins at Voodoo Tavern and Poboys, at 1140 Decatur Street. You are asked to arrive about 30 minutes before departure, and that advice matters. The meeting area can become crowded, and late arrivals have caused delays on some departures.

The tavern is also the practical starting point for the BYOB element. You can buy a drink there to bring along, although drinks are not included in the $30 ticket. If you plan to carry a cocktail or other beverage, arrive early enough to order it without rushing. The tour company asks you to drink responsibly and remain respectful of the group.

The French Quarter location is convenient if you are staying nearby. Parking is limited and paid, so walking, public transportation, or a rideshare service makes more sense than driving. Public transportation stops are available near the meeting point.

One useful point: this is not a private tour. The maximum group size is listed as 56 people, though some departures may feel smaller. A full bus can affect how clearly you hear the guide and how easy it is to stay close together during the cemetery walks.

Masonic Temple Cemetery #2: the main after-dark stop

Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 was founded in 1865 by the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana Free and Accepted Masons. Its layout and tombs give you a different view of New Orleans funerary customs than the city’s Catholic cemeteries.

The cemetery occupies two oddly shaped city blocks, with Conti Street cutting through the grounds. Its triangular plan and angular walkways echo the Masonic square-and-compass emblem. Cast-iron fences separate the sections, while oak-lined edges frame rows of compact tombs.

The communal tombs are one of the most interesting features. Lodge members pooled resources to create large group tombs, so the cemetery does not look like a simple collection of separate family monuments. Instead, you see a dense arrangement of burial structures, paths, fences, and shaded edges.

The walk here lasts about 30 minutes according to the planned schedule. Expect mostly flat surfaces, but you will need to walk and manage a few steps to board and leave the bus. Comfortable shoes and layered clothing are sensible, especially when the weather changes after sunset.

The lighting can shape the mood. Some departures have found the first cemetery well lit, which makes it easier to see the tombs but less frightening. That is not necessarily a flaw. If your priority is understanding the cemetery’s design and burial practices, good lighting helps. If you want a pitch-dark ghost story, it may soften the atmosphere.

The guide’s role is important here. Roy and Henry have been singled out for making the cemetery stop lively and interactive. A strong guide can connect the physical tombs to local customs, explain what you are seeing, and keep the group moving without making the visit feel rushed.

A weaker presentation can feel brief. You may receive a short introduction, hear about a few specific graves, and then be told to explore on your own for 10 to 15 minutes. That gives you freedom, but it also means the amount of history depends heavily on the person leading the tour.

Other cemeteries and the changing route

The exact cemetery route can vary. The tour typically includes Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 and may also visit the Charity Hospital pauper’s field, Odd Fellows Rest, and other burial grounds.

The Charity Hospital site brings a different tone. A pauper’s field tells part of the city’s social history, showing how New Orleans has handled people who died without identified family or the means for a private burial. This is less about ornate tombs and more about the people who can disappear from the usual tourist story.

Odd Fellows Rest adds another layer. It is associated with a little-known fraternal society, giving you another example of how clubs and lodges shaped New Orleans burial spaces. The atmosphere may feel less like a traditional cemetery, with some areas made up more of columbariums than familiar standing tombstones.

The tour description also refers to two cemetery visits, while the route information names Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 as the principal stop. Treat the itinerary as flexible rather than fixed. If a particular cemetery matters most to you, ask at booking or before departure instead of assuming every listed site will receive equal time.

One important exclusion: this tour does not visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 or Marie Laveau’s tomb. If that is your main goal, you need a separate cemetery experience.

City Park, Morning Call, and a break from the ghost stories

The bus route passes through City Park, a 1,300-acre public park that has been part of New Orleans life since 1854. Historic oak trees and moss-covered canopies give the park a quieter setting than the French Quarter, even during a short nighttime drive.

The planned stop at Morning Call Cafe offers coffee and beignets. It also provides a useful pause in a tour that can otherwise involve a long stretch on the bus and on foot. A bathroom break here is especially welcome, since the experience does not promise frequent restroom stops.

This stop is not a major cemetery visit, so it may feel like a detour if you want nonstop ghost stories. I see its value differently: two hours of walking, bus travel, and spooky tales can become tiring, and a warm drink or pastry gives the evening a more relaxed rhythm.

The break can also make the BYOB setup feel less central. Some departures lean heavily into music and socializing on the bus, while others give more space to history. Morning Call is one of the few built-in pauses where you can stretch, use the restroom, and reset before the final stop.

The Hurricane Katrina Memorial brings a sober finish

The Hurricane Katrina Memorial provides the tour’s most serious moment. The memorial honors 85 unclaimed victims of the 2005 levee failures, and the guide explains some of the storm’s lasting effects.

This is not a ghost story in the same playful sense as the cemetery tales. It is a place for quiet reflection, and the shift in tone can be meaningful. New Orleans history is not only about legends, haunted buildings, and unusual tombs. It also includes disaster, loss, displacement, and the way a city remembers people whose lives ended without family able to claim them.

The memorial can feel brief, especially if you expected a full historical presentation. Still, it adds weight to the evening and keeps the tour from becoming only a spooky party ride.

What the bus ride is really like

The bus is the practical link between the French Quarter and the cemeteries. You get transportation, live commentary, and pickup and return to the designated meeting point in one package. That makes the $30 price reasonable if you want to reach several outlying sites without arranging taxis or rideshares.

The ride itself is not always quiet. Music is part of the format, and some departures have used loud hip-hop or party music. The atmosphere suits you if you want a social night out and plan to bring a drink. It may not suit you if you want every minute filled with spoken history or if loud sound bothers you. A few people have found the back of the bus particularly noisy, so choose your seat with care if you are sensitive to sound.

The bus may also be filled close to capacity. Arrive early, especially if sitting with your group matters. There has been an instance of a party being overbooked, with one person unable to board, and another account describes a group being left behind temporarily at a stop. These reports do not define every departure, but they make one point clear: stay alert when the group is called back to the bus and confirm your seat before departure.

The service has received a strong overall score of 4.5 out of 5 from 2,685 ratings, but the uneven comments explain why. The guide can make the same route feel funny, warm, and informative, or the evening can come across as a short cemetery visit wrapped in a party bus.

How much value do you get for $30?

At $30 per person, this is one of the cheaper organized ways to combine transportation, cemetery access, live commentary, City Park, and a memorial visit in one evening. The value is strongest if you would otherwise need separate rides to reach the cemeteries.

You are paying for access and atmosphere more than an exhaustive history lesson. The tour lasts about two hours, and the cemetery walking time may be shorter than you expect. If the guide gives only a few stories before sending you to explore, you may feel the ticket is expensive for the amount of formal interpretation.

The price looks better for you if you enjoy several elements at once: a night ride, a drink with friends, unusual burial sites, casual ghost hunting, and local stories. It looks less attractive if you want a specialist cemetery guide, a quiet bus, or extensive time at each tomb.

The free cancellation policy also helps with planning. You can cancel for a full refund at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes within 24 hours are not refunded. The tour also depends on suitable weather and a minimum number of participants, with a different date or full refund offered if the operator cancels for those reasons.

Who should book this New Orleans ghost tour?

I would point you toward this experience if you want a light, social introduction to New Orleans cemeteries and do not mind some uncertainty in the route. It is a good fit for couples, families with children aged 6 and older, and friends who want history, spooky stories, music, and a BYOB format in one evening.

It can work for families, but use your judgment. The tour covers death, unclaimed victims, graveyards, and morbid stories. Younger children may find those subjects upsetting even though the tour is officially suitable from age 6.

You should also be comfortable walking on flat cemetery paths and stepping on and off the bus. The bus is not wheelchair accessible, and every participant must be able to manage the steps. Service animals are allowed.

I would choose another tour if your main goal is Marie Laveau’s tomb, a long visit inside a famous Catholic cemetery, or a carefully built supernatural narrative. This experience is broader and more casual. Its best moments come from the setting, the burial customs, and a good guide, not from elaborate special effects.

Should you book the Cemetery and Ghost BYOB Bus Tour?

Book it if you want after-dark access to New Orleans cemeteries at a modest price, and you are happy with a relaxed party-bus mood. Arrive early, bring a drink only if you can handle it responsibly, wear comfortable shoes, and do not expect every guide to tell the same stories or spend the same amount of time at each site.

The strongest reason to go is the chance to see Masonic Temple Cemetery #2 at night while learning how New Orleans’ lodge and communal tombs work. Guides such as Roy and Henry can make the outing memorable with humor and local perspective.

The strongest reason to skip it is the uneven balance between entertainment and information. If you want a deep, quiet, story-heavy cemetery tour, look elsewhere. If you want a good-value evening that blends tombs, ghosts, music, beignets, and a serious Katrina memorial stop, this tour is worth considering.

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 New Orleans’ French Quarter.

How early should I arrive?

Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

Where does the tour end?

The tour returns to the original meeting point at Voodoo Tavern and Poboys.

Which cemetery does the tour visit?

The planned route includes Masonic Temple Cemetery #2. The tour may also visit Charity Hospital’s pauper’s field, Odd Fellows Rest, and other cemeteries.

Does the tour visit Marie Laveau’s tomb?

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

Are drinks included?

No. Drinks are not included, but you may bring your own libations. You can also buy a drink at the meeting location.

Is this tour family-friendly?

The tour is limited to ages 6 and older. It includes morbid stories and cemetery visits, so younger children may need extra consideration.

How much walking is involved?

There is a fair amount of walking, mostly on flat surfaces. You also need to manage a few steps when boarding and leaving the bus.

Is the bus wheelchair accessible?

No. The bus is not wheelchair accessible, and all participants must be able to walk and use the bus steps.

What happens if I need to cancel?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations and changes made within 24 hours are not refunded.