The story
Established in 1789, Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest surviving cemetery in New Orleans and the resting place of Marie Laveau, the nineteenth-century Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. The cemetery's above-ground vaults — a practical necessity given the city's high water table — give it a distinctive labyrinthine character, and the densely packed tombs create a sense of enclosure even in daylight. Visitors report feeling watched near the Laveau tomb, where offerings are still left by modern practitioners of Louisiana Voodoo.