Solo admittance into New Orleans’ oldest and historic above ground cemetery will end this month because of tomb vandalism, the Catholic archdiocese that owns the property announced.
According to the Associated Press, starting in March there will be new restrictions regarding who is allowed entry to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Only relatives of the dead buried there, visiting scholars and those with a tour guide registered with the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be permitted.
Problems have arisen with unregistered guides giving markets and instructions to tourists on how to mark up tombs, especially on the infamous tomb of voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. In 2013, Laveau’s tomb was covered completely with pink latex paint.
Beyond vandalism, there are also problems with littering and setting up camp in the cemetery.
