Have You Ever Visited Shreveport’s Creepiest Cemetery?

Have you ever visited Shreveport, LA's creepiest cemetery? It's located just outside of downtown and we've got the scoop on this old and unusual Shreveport gem!

Where is Oakland Cemetery?

You can find Oakland Cemetery just outside of downtown Shreveport on Milam Street near Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium. The cemetery is chock full of old and beautiful monuments and if you're not too scared, it's a gorgeous place to explore... during the day, of course!

While the grounds are overgrown and it's not in the best area, you can find monuments dating back to the 1860s. I'm sure some go back even further, however, a lot of the headstones are hard to read. It's literally history on view for all.

What makes Oakland Cemetery unique?

First of all, Oakland Cemetery is old. It officially opened in 1847 and was called 'City Cemetery.' However, the earliest tombstone dates back to 1842. Reports say that at least 16 mayors are buried in Oakland Cemetery as well as roughly 1,000 Confederate soldiers. The name was changed to Oakland Cemetery in 1905.

Read More: Do You Know the History Behind Shreveport, LA's Seediest Street?

A few other interesting tidbits include the fact that Oakland is home to roughly 800 victims of the great yellow fever epidemic of 1873. Victims of other yellow fever outbreaks are also found in Oakland from 1853, 1858, and 1867. Oakland is also the home of the first Jewish cemetery in Shreveport which opened in 1858.

Oakland Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. And while it no longer has plots for sale, it has new residents all the time... tarantulas! Yep, you heard me. We did some digging and according to Jack Pride, they're Texas Brown Tarantulas which are pretty much harmless to humans, unless you're allergic.