Which krewe is the oldest in New Orleans Mardi Gras?

The Mistick Krewe of Comus is generally recognized as the oldest New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe.

Founded in 1856 and first parading in 1857, Comus helped establish the secret-society format that shaped modern New Orleans Carnival. Its founders introduced organized nighttime processions featuring costumes, themed floats, torches, and a tableau ball, replacing earlier celebrations that were more informal and irregular.

Comus takes its name from Comus, a figure associated with revelry in John Milton’s masque. The krewe’s model inspired later organizations, including Rex, Proteus, Momus, Bacchus, and many others. Its annual parade became a traditional final procession on Mardi Gras night.

The wording “oldest” can cause confusion. Comus is the oldest extant New Orleans krewe, but it stopped parading publicly after 1991 rather than comply with a city requirement concerning nondiscrimination. Krewe of Proteus is often described as the oldest continuously parading old-line krewe.