Metairie Cemetery

Established in 1872 on a former racetrack (the grounds, you’ll notice, still follow the oval layout), this is the most American of New Orleans’ cities of the dead. Highlights include the Brunswig mausoleum, a pyramid guarded by a sphinx statue; the Moriarty monument, reputedly the ‘tallest privately owned monument’ in the country; and the Estelle Theleman Hyams monument, its stained-glass fixture casting a somber blue light over a slumped, despondent angel. A car helps for exploring the 150-acre grounds.