Robert Florence

Robert Florence is a New Orleans historian, preservationist, author, playwright and tour guide whose work celebrates and safeguards the city’s rich cultural heritage. As president of NOLA Historic Tours, he has led thousands of visitors through the French Quarter, Garden District, cemeteries and historic neighborhoods, offering engaging interpretations of the city’s architecture, history and folklore. 

Mr. Florence is the author of two definitive books on New Orleans cemeteries—City of the Dead: St. Louis Cemetery #1 and New Orleans Cemeteries: Life in the Cities of the Dead—and has curated multiple museum exhibits on cemetery history. He co-founded a preservation group that restored several historic tombs, including the New Orleans Musicians Tomb. 

An accomplished playwright whose works often dramatize real New Orleans stories—from Civil War hero Captain André Cailloux to rhythm and blues legend Ernie K-Doe—Mr. Florence’s plays have been published and performed nationally. His documentary, Zack and Addie, has been recognized at international film festivals.