Metairie Cemetery Stories: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Metairie Cemetery is a striking place to hear New Orleans stories about faith, courage, and remembrance. This 35-minute audio tour uses GPS to guide you from stop to stop, adding historical context while you walk or drive through the grounds.

I like the private format, since you are not tied to a guide or another group. I also like the lifetime access and offline playback. You can stop for photos, pause the narration, or return another day without paying again.

The main drawback is the technology. Most of the experience depends on setting up the VoiceMap app correctly, and two users had serious trouble getting the tour to start. You should download and test everything before arriving.

Key points to know before you go

• A 35-minute GPS route guides you through Metairie Cemetery at your own pace.
• The tour is private, so only your party participates.
• Offline audio, maps, and geodata help you avoid using mobile data on site.
• Lifetime access lets you replay the tour or finish it another day.
• Driving is possible, which helps if rain or mobility concerns make walking difficult.
• Allow setup time, since the app, account, and redemption process can be confusing for some users.

A cemetery tour with a distinctly New Orleans mood

Metairie Cemetery gives this experience a setting that is more than a backdrop. The route asks you to look closely at the cemetery and connect its monuments, graves, and spaces with stories of the people remembered there.

That matters in New Orleans, where cemeteries can tell you a great deal about the city’s past. Here, the audio focuses on Faith & Courage: Metairie Cemetery Stories, giving the visit a human angle instead of treating the grounds as a simple collection of old tombs.

You are not joining a guide with a fixed script and a fixed walking speed. Instead, the VoiceMap app responds to your location. As you move through the route, the narration is designed to begin at the proper points. That makes the experience feel more like a private walk with an audio storyteller than a standard sightseeing recording.

The tour lasts about 35 minutes, though you should expect the visit to take longer if you pause, take photographs, examine monuments, or stop the audio. The ability to set your own pace is one of its strongest features.

Starting at 5510 Pontchartrain Boulevard

The listed meeting point is 5510 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, Louisiana 70124. The activity returns to the same meeting point at the end.

The supplied route information also lists Washington Artillery Park in New Orleans as a stop. Since the stated meeting point is in the Metairie Cemetery area, I would pay close attention to the directions inside the app rather than relying only on a general map pin. One user found that a Google Maps pin for a funeral home led about ten minutes away from the actual location, so checking the precise starting instructions before you leave is sensible.

The tour is available every day at any hour during the stated operating period. That gives you plenty of choice, but it does not mean every time will feel equally comfortable. Cemetery visits are easier when you have enough light to read signs and see monuments. You also need to consider weather, since much of the experience takes place outdoors.

You do not meet a live guide. You download the free VoiceMap app, redeem the tour, and follow the route on your own phone. A smartphone is not included, and transportation, food, drinks, admission fees, and personal expenses are also your responsibility.

How the GPS audio route works

VoiceMap combines spoken narration with a map and location tracking. Once you are in the right place, the tour should begin according to your position. This is useful because you do not have to keep checking a printed itinerary or guess which monument the narration is describing.

The audio, maps, and geodata can be downloaded for offline use. I consider that important in a cemetery, where you may not want to depend on a strong mobile signal or use a large amount of data. Download the tour before you arrive, then test the audio and route while you still have reliable internet access.

The setup process requires the app, an account, and a redemption code sent by email. One person with technical experience still found the process confusing and spent about 45 minutes trying to make the tour work. Another user reported that downloading and starting the tour was easy.

That contrast tells you what to do: treat the app setup as part of your preparation, not something to handle at the cemetery entrance. Open the tour, check that the map appears, confirm that the narration plays, and make sure the route has downloaded before heading out.

If something goes wrong, VoiceMap support can be contacted by email or telephone. It is wise to save those contact details before your visit.

What you can expect along the route

The supplied itinerary gives one named stop, Washington Artillery Park, while the tour itself is titled Metairie Cemetery Stories and begins and ends at the stated Metairie Cemetery meeting point. The available information does not provide a full list of individual graves or monuments, so you should not expect a detailed stop-by-stop preview before purchase.

What you can expect is a GPS-led route through the cemetery, with narration triggered as you reach the relevant locations. The storytelling covers cemetery history and individual stories connected with themes of faith and courage. Some users found the narration informative, entertaining, and easy to follow.

One particularly useful feature is the freedom to stop the audio. If you want to look at a monument longer, take a photograph, or read the surrounding inscriptions, you can pause and continue when ready. You can also replay the narration later, since access lasts for life.

There is a small risk that the route will not highlight every grave you consider important. One person enjoyed the tour but noted that it skipped a key grave located only a few feet from the start and finish point. Another felt the narration did not go into enough detail.

That is worth keeping in mind. This is a guided introduction, not a complete cemetery directory. If you already have a particular grave or monument in mind, you may need to explore beyond the audio route.

Why driving can make sense here

The tour can be completed by car, and that changes the experience in a useful way. You are not required to walk the entire route at one steady pace. One person completed it by car and found that approach worked well.

Driving may suit you if the weather turns wet, if you have limited walking stamina, or if you simply want to cover the route with less effort. Another user completed the tour in the rain and still found it enjoyable.

There are tradeoffs. Walking gives you more freedom to pause beside a monument and inspect details closely. Driving may make it easier to miss a small grave or side point, especially if you focus on the road and the audio at the same time.

If you drive, keep safety first. Set up the app before moving, keep the volume at a comfortable level, and stop safely if you need to study the map or take a picture. The tour is designed to be flexible, but flexibility works best when you are not trying to manage the phone while driving.

The strongest part: pace and privacy

The best reason to choose this experience is control. You can begin when it suits your schedule, pause whenever you like, and finish without waiting for a group. There is no live guide setting the pace and no need to keep up with strangers.

That private format is especially helpful in a cemetery. You may want quiet time at one location and only a quick look at another. The audio lets you decide how much attention each point deserves.

The lifetime access adds value to the $8.99 price. At roughly the cost of a quick snack, the tour gives you a repeatable route rather than a one-time recording. If the weather changes or you run short on time, you can return and continue later.

The price is less attractive if you expect a fully guided, highly detailed experience with personal questions answered on the spot. There is no live person walking beside you, and the depth depends on the route’s narration. Still, for a low-cost introduction that you can share privately with your own group, the price is reasonable.

What the ratings tell you

The overall rating is 4 out of 5 from 12 reviews, but the scores reveal an important pattern. The strongest praise goes to the storytelling, GPS function, flexible timing, and ease of following the route once the app works.

Several people described the narration as informative, fun, or well paced. The location feature was especially useful because it helped connect the spoken story with the place in front of you. The ability to stop at any time was another repeated strength.

The two one-star experiences were not mainly about the cemetery itself. They centered on app access, unclear instructions, and audio that would not start properly. That makes the technical preparation the key condition for a good visit.

The lower three-star rating raised a different concern: the narration did not include as much detail as that person expected. Taken together, the feedback suggests a clear choice. Book this if you want a flexible overview with good storytelling. Be cautious if you want exhaustive information about every important grave.

Who will enjoy this experience most

I would recommend it to independent sightseers who like to control their own schedule. It suits couples, families, and small groups who want a private activity without paying for a private live guide.

It also works well for people building their own New Orleans day. You can fit the 35-minute route into a larger plan, then revisit the audio later because access does not expire.

The experience may suit you if:

• You prefer audio to a live group tour.
• You want the option to walk or drive.
• You value offline maps and narration.
• You enjoy stories tied to real places.
• You are comfortable setting up a smartphone app.

I would think twice if you dislike app-based activities, need a guide to answer questions, or expect a detailed explanation of every grave. The experience also requires your own smartphone and does not include transportation.

Service animals are allowed, the activity is near public transportation, and most people can participate. Still, the information provided does not give a detailed accessibility description for the cemetery itself, so contact the provider if you have specific mobility questions.

Booking, cancellation, and practical preparation

You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Changes or cancellations made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund, and the local time controls the deadline.

I would book at least a day ahead, even though the tour itself is short. That gives you time to download VoiceMap, create the account, redeem the code, and confirm that the audio plays.

Before leaving, make sure you have:

• A charged smartphone
• The VoiceMap app installed
• The tour downloaded for offline use
• The exact starting directions
• Enough time to stop, pause, and explore
• Weather-appropriate clothing

The tour is offered in English only. Since it is self-guided, you should also be comfortable following spoken directions and using the phone’s map.

Should you book Metairie Cemetery Stories?

Book it if you want a low-cost, private way to hear New Orleans cemetery stories without committing to a fixed group schedule. The offline GPS route, lifetime access, and choice to walk or drive give you more control than a standard 35-minute tour.

Do not book it expecting a live guide, a full catalog of graves, or a trouble-free app setup without preparation. The cemetery itself is worth seeing, but the audio experience depends heavily on downloading and launching the tour correctly.

My practical call is simple: for $8.99, it is a good fit for independent visitors who prepare their phones in advance. Download it at home, verify the starting point, and keep your expectations focused on a flexible historical introduction rather than a complete cemetery study.

FAQ

How long does the tour take?

The audio tour lasts approximately 35 minutes. You can take longer because the self-guided format lets you pause and explore at your own pace.

Where does the tour start and end?

It starts at 5510 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, Louisiana 70124, and ends back at the meeting point.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your party participates, and there is no live group guide.

Do I need a smartphone?

Yes. A smartphone is not included. You need to download the VoiceMap app and use it to access the audio, map, and GPS tour.

Does the tour work offline?

Yes. The audio, maps, and geodata can be downloaded for offline access, so you do not need to rely on mobile data during the tour.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded.