Rabenhorst Crematory

Rabenhorst Funeral Homes & Crematory, located at 825 Government Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a family-owned funeral home with a distinguished history dating back to 1866. Founded by Charles Ferdinand Rabenhorst, a Prussian immigrant and Confederate veteran, the business began as a cabinetmaking shop that evolved into a funeral service provider. The Rabenhorst family has served the Baton Rouge community for over 150 years, with the current downtown location being the first building in Baton Rouge constructed exclusively as a funeral home, completed in 1932.

The funeral home offers a comprehensive range of services including traditional funerals, cremations, memorial services, celebrations of life, and pre-planning options. They feature two chapels: a large chapel seating 350 guests and a smaller chapel accommodating 250 guests. The facility includes a parlor with comfortable seating areas, modern audiovisual systems for personalized tributes, and onsite reception spaces that can be catered for gatherings of all sizes. They also offer unique celebratory options such as crawfish boils or Mardi Gras-themed processions.

In 2014, Rabenhorst opened a state-of-the-art crematory adjacent to the downtown location, allowing them to maintain complete custody of loved ones during the cremation process. The crematory includes a viewing suite for families who wish to witness the cremation. Their staff includes licensed funeral directors and certified cremation technicians, with operators certified by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA).

Rabenhorst is part of the Dignity Memorial network since 2019, offering a 100% service guarantee and prepaid funeral plans that are transferable across North America. They specialize in multicultural and veterans services, assisting families with rituals such as ritual washing or overnight visitation, and guiding veterans' families through benefits. They also offer unique memorial options like Neptune Memorial Reef, an underwater cremation garden off the coast of Florida, and Celestis Memorial Spaceflight, which takes ashes into space.

The family legacy continues with fourth-generation members Alvin P. Rabenhorst Jr., Karen Rabenhorst Kerr, David L. Rabenhorst, and G. Scott Rabenhorst. The Rabenhorst family is also known for "Coach Raby," Harry A. Rabenhorst, who served as LSU's head basketball coach and led the team to an unofficial national championship in 1935.

The funeral home is wheelchair accessible with accessible entrance and parking. They accept prepayment plans and provide on-site parking. Rabenhorst Funeral Homes & Crematory remains a trusted provider in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas including Ascension Parish, Baker, Denham Springs, Gonzales, and others, committed to personalized, compassionate, and professional service.