Tomb of Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen
Location: New Orleans, LA (St. Louis Cemetery #1)
When to visit: Daytime hours
Cost: Free to enter the cemetery
Time needed: 15 minutes
Website: Haunted New Orleans (unofficial)
In New Orleans, if you travel just beyond the French Quarter into a slightly sketchy area to Saint Louis Cemetery #1, you can encounter the often-visited tomb of a notorious Voodoo Queen.
Many of the details of Marie Laveau’s life are unclear, but we know she was a 19th-century Voodoo Priestess who led voodoo ceremonies in local parks, possibly beginning as early as 1930.
She worked as a hairdresser for customers who often gave her potions to keep her free from harm. She lived from 1801-1881.
Laveau was a woman of color who was the biological daughter of Charles Laveau Trudeau, a white Frenchman and politician, and Marguerite D’Arcantel, a free woman of white, black, and Native American ancestry.
Marie began practicing voodoo when she was young, learning from her grandmother and other practitioners in the area. She used her powers to help those in need and established herself as an important spiritual leader in New Orleans culture.
She was often consulted by locals for luck, love, and healing. Marie also became well-known for her annual St. John’s Eve ritual in which she gathered followers at the local swamp to dance and celebrate together.
Want to visit her tomb? Here’s what you will see there.
How to Visit Marie Laveau’s Grave
Due to vandalism, access to this cemetery was restricted a few years back. These days, only those who are on accredited, guided tours can step inside the cemetery. Here’s a good walking tour to the cemetery from our partners at Get Your Guide.
Just like at Andy Warhol’s grave site, people leave all sorts of trinkets outside the Voodoo Queen’s grave, from simple flowers to baskets of voodoo-related goodies.
They also write “XXX” on the outside of the tomb and ask for a wish from her spirit.
Of course, like anything having to do with voodoo, there’s still plenty of mystery surrounding the grave. Some have suggested that her daughter is actually buried here, or that her body was removed long ago.
Whether she’s really here or not, the grave has become her acknowledged resting place and a quirky tourist attraction for those willing to leave the French Quarter.
Other somewhat-famous residents of the cemetery include the first African-American mayor of New Orleans and the plaintiff from the Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court case on civil rights.
But the Voodoo Priestess seems to be the most popular resident of St. Louis #1.
Once again, here’s a link to one of the official cemetery tours from our partners at Get Your Guide.
Visiting Marie’s grave is one of the cool offbeat things to do in New Orleans.
If you’re looking for other quirky activities in the Big Easy, try Mardi Gras World, the Pharmacy Museum, and the Voodoo Museum.
Would you visit a creepy cemetery like this one?
