Metairie Cemetery is New Orleans in stone. I love how this walking story tour turns mausoleums into people, and I especially like the stops on Millionaire’s Row with the biggest tombs. The only real drawback: it’s about 2 miles on foot, so you’ll want real shoes and water.

What makes this one different is the guide—local author Sally Asher—who talks architecture, symbolism, and cemetery culture in a way that feels grounded, not scripted. You’ll start under the shade of nearly 1,000 trees, which matters in Louisiana heat.

This is also a practical tour: it runs rain or shine, lasts about 2 hours, and includes entry to Metairie Cemetery plus Lake Lawn Metairie. Hotel pickup isn’t included, so plan to meet at the memorial on your own.

Key things you’ll notice on the Metairie Millionaire’s Tombs tour

• Story-first guiding with Sally Asher: she connects tomb design to who paid for it and what families wanted to say.
• Millionaire’s Row stops: the extravagance is the point, but you’ll learn the meaning behind it.
• The sphinx-guarded pyramid: symbolism and cemetery lore explained with a straight face.
• Famous graves you can actually see: Al Copeland and Anne Rice are part of the route.
• Art and influences in stone: stained glass and an Islamic-inspired limestone tomb show how wide the styles can get.

Why Metairie Cemetery’s Millionaire’s Tombs tour is so different

New Orleans cemeteries don’t work like other tourist stops. They’re not just where the dead are stored. They’re outdoor museums, family records, and power signals—built to last, designed to impress, and packed with personal meaning.

On this tour, you don’t just walk past statues and crypts. You learn how the cemetery’s layout and tomb styles reflect the people who commissioned them. That shift matters. Instead of seeing “pretty marble,” you start noticing themes: who wanted to be remembered in public, who chose religious or classical imagery, and how families used symbols to project status, protection, and even luck.

Two more things make it appealing. First, the route hits major name sites along with offbeat details—so it doesn’t feel like a hit-or-miss cemetery browse. Second, the guide’s style comes through as confident and story-driven, with architecture and symbolism explained in plain language.

There’s a single, honest consideration: the tour is roughly 2 miles of walking. It’s not a huge trek, but it adds up. If you’re sensitive to heat or sun, bring the basics and move at a comfortable pace with the group.

Meeting at the Law Enforcement Memorial (and getting oriented fast)

You meet your guide at the Law Enforcement Memorial, to the right of the funeral home. Take a right at the stop sign, then use any entry gate to reach the memorial. If you’re driving, there’s a lot where you can park.

This matters more than you might think. Metairie Cemetery is large and spread out, and once you’re inside, landmarks can blur without a plan. A clear meeting spot helps you get bearings fast—especially if you’re arriving on foot, juggling directions, or trying to time it with your day in New Orleans.

If you’re coming from the French Quarter area, you’ll want to give yourself extra time for the drive and parking. Hotel pickup isn’t included, so treat it like a do-it-yourself meetup.

The 2-mile walk under nearly 1,000 trees

The tour runs about 2 hours and includes roughly 2 miles of walking. It happens rain or shine, so you should come ready for either damp pavement or bright sun.

The shade is a big deal here. Metairie’s tree canopy can turn the cemetery from a hot slog into a calmer, cooler walk. Still, you’re outside for the whole experience. Bring sunscreen and water. Comfortable clothes help too—this is not the time for delicate shoes.

If you like tours that feel paced rather than rushed, this one fits. It’s designed as a guided stroll, with stops where you can actually see details on tomb doors, carvings, and windows without a constant “keep moving” pressure.

One small practical tip: one guide-recommended moment is having peanuts for the crows. It’s not required, but it’s funny and it may keep things lively if you notice birds hopping around the route.

Millionaire’s Row: where extravagance meets storytelling

The centerpiece of the walk is Millionaire’s Row. This is where the cemetery stops looking like a resting place and starts looking like a skyline of private museums—multi-dollar mausoleums, big sculptural programs, and tombs designed to signal wealth and influence.

What makes the stops worth your time is the interpretation. You’ll hear how architecture choices connect to the era’s ideas about memory and status. You also learn why certain tomb styles and decorative elements show up where they do, and how families used those choices to communicate identity.

You’ll also connect names to monuments. The tour route includes major stops such as Al Copeland’s tomb—the founder of Popeyes—and it’s not treated like a quick celebrity photo op. You learn about the cemetery culture around such figures and how prominence shows up in stone.

Then there’s the tomb of Anne Rice. Seeing her grave in context adds something that a quick drive-by can’t. The guide helps you understand how modern fame and older cemetery traditions coexist here—so it feels like a living part of the city’s story, not a sealed-off chapter.

The sphinx-guarded pyramid and what it symbolizes

One of the most memorable elements on the route is a pyramid guarded by a sphinx. This isn’t the sort of object you’d expect to find in a New Orleans cemetery, which is exactly why it’s such a good stop for your tour.

The best part isn’t only that it’s unusual. It’s that you’ll learn the symbolism and the history behind it. The guide’s job here is to help you interpret what you’re looking at—how imagery like this fits into the cemetery’s wider language of protection, memory, and meaning.

If you enjoy symbolism in general—religious, classical, or art-historical—the pyramid stop is the kind of moment that turns a cemetery walk into a real cultural lesson. You’ll notice that the guide doesn’t treat it like a “spooky mystery” with zero context. It has a place in the cemetery’s larger design story.

Stained glass and an Islamic-inspired limestone tomb

After the big, high-status tombs, you’ll shift to details that show how wide the artistic language can be in the cemetery.

The tour includes a stop at a tomb with jewel stained-glass windows. That kind of artwork does more than look good. It signals care, craftsmanship, and a desire for beauty to be part of the memorial experience. Standing there with the guide’s explanation helps you see how those windows function as a form of expression, not just decoration.

You’ll also get to a limestone tomb described as Islamic-inspired, built by a Confederate general for his daughter. This is one of the most striking stops because it forces you to confront how complex the stories behind monuments can be. The guide gives the context so you understand why this influence appears here and what the builder’s choices meant within the family’s world.

In a cemetery tour, those stops are the difference between “I saw cool monuments” and “I understand what the cemetery is trying to say.”

The inhabitants you’ll hear about: mayors, mob bosses, and more

Metairie is famous for its famous dead. But what you’ll remember most is the way the guide connects names and roles to the stones you’re standing beside.

As you walk, you’ll hear stories about a wide mix of figures laid to rest here—mayors, governors, Kings of Carnival, mob bosses, law enforcement, and ground-breaking journalists. That range is exactly what makes Metairie feel like a true cross-section of New Orleans life across eras.

And because the guide talks burial practices in New Orleans, you’re not stuck only on big personalities. You learn how families handled remembrance through architecture and how social power translated into mausoleums you can physically see.

If your interest runs toward city history—how politics, nightlife, crime, and culture all overlap—this is where the tour pays off. The cemetery becomes a map of the city’s influence network, all in stone.

Metairie’s place on the National Register (and why that matters on foot)

The tour also explains how Metairie, established in 1872, landed on the National Register of Historic Places. That detail isn’t just trivia. It’s a reminder that this place isn’t only “old” or “pretty.” It’s protected because it’s historically significant.

That’s part of what makes a guided visit valuable. Without context, a cemetery can feel like a maze of monuments. With context, you understand why certain tombs, symbols, and styles matter to preservation—and why the cemetery’s design is worth attention beyond aesthetics.

It also helps explain why the tour focuses on architecture and symbolism. This isn’t a ghost story tour. It’s an art-and-history tour told through real memorials.

Don’t miss the Lake Lawn Metairie entry included

Your ticket includes entry to Lake Lawn Metairie in addition to Metairie Cemetery. That means you’re not limited to one slice of the cemetery culture.

Because the exact time inside Lake Lawn isn’t specified in your details, I’d plan to use it as part of your mental checklist: if you have that entry included, make sure you spend your attention where you can still see the design details. Even an extra cemetery area can change how you understand the city’s burial style and monument choices.

If you’re the type who loves comparing tomb design across spots, that included entry gives you more to work with.

Price and value: $35 for a two-hour guided story walk

At $35 per person for a 2-hour guided walking tour, the value comes from what’s bundled.

You’re paying for:

• A guided walk with a local author/historian
• Entry to Metairie Cemetery
• Entry to Lake Lawn Metairie
• Insider tips for local food, music, and culture

That combination is what turns the cost into something reasonable. You’re not just buying access to a cemetery. You’re buying interpretation—the parts you’d miss if you visited alone.

If your goal is a quick glance at famous graves, this might feel like you’re spending more time learning than snapping photos. But if you want the city to make sense through its symbols and memorial art, the price lands about right.

What to bring (and what to wear) for comfort

For this walk, you’ll want:

• Comfortable shoes (this is uneven outdoor terrain)
• Sunscreen
• Water
• Comfortable clothes

Since it’s rain or shine, you’ll also want to consider an umbrella or light rain protection if the weather looks unstable. One past visitor noted having an umbrella was a lifesaver in the sun, which is a good reminder: even when it’s not raining, that Louisiana light can be strong.

Who this tour fits best

This is a strong pick if you:

• Want New Orleans culture explained through art and architecture
• Like real city stories—politics, crime, media, and celebrity—told in context
• Enjoy guided tours where the guide points out what you’d miss on your own

It’s also a good choice if you’re a cemetery lover. The tour is clearly built for people who want meaning, not just names.

If you dislike walking outdoors or you want a short, low-effort outing, you might find the 2 miles of walking a bit much for the time. But for most visitors, it’s a manageable distance paired with shade and frequent learning stops.

Should you book this Metairie Millionaire’s Tombs tour?

If you want a New Orleans experience that’s unusual but still grounded, I’d book this. The route hits the cemetery’s big stories—Millionaire’s Row, Anne Rice, Al Copeland, the sphinx-guarded pyramid, stained glass, and an Islamic-inspired tomb—while a local author guides you through symbolism and architecture instead of leaving you to guess.

This is especially worth it when you care about how the city remembers itself. If you’re okay with a brisk outdoor walk and you’ll show up with water and sunscreen, you’ll come away feeling like Metairie isn’t just a place you saw—it’s a place you understood.

FAQ

How long is the Millionaire’s Tombs of Metairie Cemetery tour?

The tour lasts about 2 hours.

How much walking is involved?

The tour includes about 2 miles of walking.

Where do I meet the guide?

Meet at the Law Enforcement Memorial to the right of the funeral home. Take a right at the stop sign and use any entry gates to reach the memorial. There’s parking in the lot if you’re driving.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Does the tour run in the rain?

Yes. The tour happens rain or shine.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, it’s wheelchair accessible.

What’s the tour price?

It’s $35 per person.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, water, and comfortable clothes.

Is Lake Lawn Metairie included?

Entry to Lake Lawn Metairie is included.

What language is the tour guide?

The live tour guide speaks English.

FAQ (quick booking questions)

Can I reserve and pay later?

Yes. You can reserve now and pay later.

Is there free cancellation?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.