Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Nestled amidst tree-lined streets of graceful mansions, this landmark serves as a picturesque link to the city's rich past.. The Scene
Although it's situated in a serene residential neighborhood, just off of the St. Charles Streetcar line, Lafayette Cemetery fits right into its lush environs. The cemetery's careworn elegance -- chipped masonry and magnificent aboveground tombs -- nicely complements the Garden District's air of musty aristocracy. Standing at its gates, among stately homes that stretch back centuries, a visitor feels transported to an era when many of its inhabitants had yet to be interred within its walls; fitting, for the family burial ground of Anne Rice's best-selling vampire Lestat.

The History
The land on which the cemetery stands was once part of a sprawling plantation subdivided into the old city of Lafayette in the early 1800s. Walking among Lafayette's rows of beautiful monuments, one can trace New Orleans' heritage through Civil War soldiers (both sides) and generations of local families, all the way back to the city's original 18th century settlers.…