Our second stop this week was among the tombs of the Lafayette Cemetery of New Orleans. It's located on Ms Cal's grid Lagniappe ( you will find the HG Address as always at the end of this post) and she was on hand to show us around this extraordinary, photorealistic region.
Ms Cal: Welcome, explorers, to the heart of New Orleans—the iconic Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, a true gem in the middle of the Lagniappe grid! Please be sure to click shared environment for the best experience... follow me and I'll give you a little history while we walk to the city of the dead....
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| Ms Cal |
Ms Cal: Back in 1788, New Orleans faced a major yellow fever epidemic. The old St. Peter Street Cemetery was too close for comfort, and the water table made in-ground burials a rather soggy affair. So, city officials created Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 as a solution.
Koshari Mahana: Amazing builds!
Kimm Starr: This cemetery is to die for
Ms Cal: This experience blends elements from some of the most famous cemeteries in New Orleans—St. Roch Cemetery, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1—into one magical place for everyone to explore the spirit of New Orleans. Unlike some other cemeteries in New Orleans, where you had to be Roman Catholic to be buried, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 welcomes everyone. It's one of the oldest and most storied cemeteries in the city, and if you're thinking this place has stories, oh, you're absolutely right. This spot has seen it all—from yellow fever epidemics to voodoo queens and even Hollywood actors planning their eternal rest here.
Ms Cal: welcome to the city of the dead... I used the real life blueprints to recreate the city. Let's see if you can find these famous resting places: there's Marie Laveau, the renowned Voodoo Queen, whose legacy still echoes through New Orleans. Homer Plessy, a name tied to the landmark civil rights case, and Bernard de Marigny, who gave us the beloved Marigny neighborhood, all rest here. Even Paul Morphy, one of the greatest chess players of all time, found his home in this city of the dead.
Kimm Starr: This is one of the best NOLA cemeteries I've seen, It's massive
Jupiter Rowland: This plus Firestorm 7 is gorgeous.
Koshari Mahana: Wow, it's remarkable!
Tina Bey: impresionante
Ms Cal: the middle is marked by the seats up ahead
James Atlloud: Is there a celebrity guide pamphlet?
Ms Cal: And then there's Nicolas Cage. Yes, in 2010, he bought the last two plots in the cemetery and built himself a nine-foot-tall cement pyramid mausoleum. It's there, ready and waiting for him, because why not add a little Hollywood flair to the mix?
Kimm Starr: Nick is prepared for the afterlife for sure
Ms Cal: he is :) he bought the last plots... there is the real life tomb
Thirza Ember: i guess it comes from so many of his films being death to the box office LOL
Tina Bey: What an extraordinary job
Thirza Ember: how much would a tomb here cost|?
Ms Cal: good question...too much for Me I'm sure lol :)
Koshari Mahana: I'm surprised that there were any open
Ms Cal: Me too, he had to have paid a pretty price
Star Ravenhurst: 25 years ago 2 basically drawers in a mausoleum was around $12K in Dallas. Nothing like this. So this would likely be a fortune
Kimm Starr: he also owned the serial killer Marie Catherine Laveau's mansion in the quartere quarter
Ms Cal: yeah he sold it fast tho I think... I wouldn't want to live there lol
Kimm Starr: it's haunted by the slaves she slaughtered
Ms Cal: it is very much haunted
Thirza Ember: Ms Cal, is every tomb here copied from RL? or how many are your imagination? the overall impression is that you've copied every single one - it's such an impressive task
Ms Cal: no, just a few of the big names I placed here. The rest I used Leo AI to create one of a kind tomb markers and statutes. I wanted to give the feeling of walking the city of the dead best I could
James Atlloud: Did you model most of these - do some come from a community of designers? Such wondrous detail
Kimm Starr: it's fabulous, feels like I'm there
Ms Cal: here is Marie's tomb
Koshari Mahana: In RL is it always decorated?
Kimm Starr: yes
Ms Cal: yes it is, many go and give her offerings for luck, I placed the candles to give her my respect
Koshari Mahana: That's amazing
James Atlloud: wow, brilliant build
Kimm Starr: good ju ju. The spirits would love this
Tina Bey: I think all the ghosts must live here, it's an extraordinary place..!
Ms Cal: I used to get the grigri bags from the chicken man on Bourbon always brought Me luck... the chicken man was a friend to those of us that worked Bourbon and he would come by and bless us to make money :)
Kimm Starr: you will for sure have good juju
James Atlloud: oh
Lifted Pixel: a grigri bag?
Ms Cal: its a voodoo good luck bag :)
Star Ravenhurst: If anyone ever watched The Originals, a spin off from Vampire Diaries, a lot scenes took place in the cemetery.
Kimm Starr: I once went to a voodoo woman for luck in love...it didn't work
Lifted Pixel: what sort of stuff goes in a grigri bag? or what do you like in yours?
Kimm Starr: chicken foot
Ms Cal: I never asked chicken man what he used ... I just know it worked... for Me anyways :)
Koshari Mahana: Do you live in New Orleans? Sorry if that was already asked and answered
Ms Cal: I did from 1988 to 2005. Then Katrina came
Star Ravenhurst: Kal was trapped for days.: Very traumatic
Ms Cal: I lost everything in that and building my new Orleans is like my therapy my healing
Lifted Pixel: that really sucks a lot, i hope things are going better for you lately
Star Ravenhurst: It has been very therapeutic for her though. She is like a different person than the one I met 10 years ago.
Ms Cal: thank you very much
Kimm Starr: All building in world is therapeutic
Ms Cal: yes very much so opensim has helped me a lot, it allows me to pour my heart out and recreate what I love
Kimm Starr: aww, that breaks my heart but i understand
Ms Cal: I'm very thankful to have a place I can turn my pain into art :) its been very healing for me
James Atlloud: You all need to cam to the young woman in the upstairs window and move around to see the dress effect. It's wonderful
Forest Azure: i had a chat with her but i think she was dead
Ms Kal: I hid some surprises in there :)
Jupiter Rowland: I don't know if I really should enter one of these houses... open door or not...
Ms Kal: thank you everyone for coming
Lifted Pixel: thank you for sharing this wonderful build. it was a lot of fun to cam around
James Atlloud: this is beyond amazing - thank you Ms Kal.
Nyx Breen: wonderful experience indeed
Lifted Pixel: see all you lovely avatars next time!
HG Address: hg.lagniappegrid.com:8402:Lafayette Cemetery
This is a fantastic place and I can't imagine putting it all together. Ms Kal and team have made something fantastic. Great visit for Halloween - thanks Thirza.
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