I thought it was pretty interesting. Went on a walking tour with Historic New Orleans Tours. If you go with them, ditch the tour after going to armstrong park/congo square but before going to the voodoo temple... The tour ran long and the priestess they took us to visit was just weird and rambled. It was like going to visit your semi-coherent grandmother who has a lot to say about nothing.
A lot has been said (here and in books) about safety (i.e. you HAVE to go with a tour). I would say, you can just go at the same time as a tour... You get the safety in numbers benefit without the cost. That said, I also felt like our guide shared some pretty interesting information so I didn't feel like it was wasted money. I just felt that too much was made of the safety issue.

I went to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on a field trip with my class. It was very interesting, and I learned a lot about the different tomb styles. We got to speak to the people at Cheaux-Vive (a group of women that restore tombs for a living) They have done a lot of work in St.
Louis cemetery No. 1, and have greatly improved the the tombs.
Louisiana has very unique cemeteries, and I think everyone should take a tour of at least one of them.

-Laura (8th grade)

We visited this cemetery during the day. With a little research, we were able to find the famous graves on our own. There were historical markers on most of the graves of interest. I found this place very interesting and a little eerie.

Although the cemeteries in New Orleans are known for their uniqueness, safety must be your first priority. Some of the cemeteries around the city (City Park area) are fine to visit alone but this is NOT one of them. If you must visit Marie Laveau's grave, do so with a group or when a group is present.
Even though there is a Police station accross the street, the high walls around it keep the view from the street to a very minimum and the tall mortuaries create a great place for thieves to hide to wait for their pray.
This IS the oldest cemetery in the city and decay has taken a toll on the graves. Vegetation and the humidity of the area causes a musty smell many think are decaying bodies. Many of the graves have been vandalized to rob the dead of their riches, some have been repaired while others remain in shambles.