Though New Orleans is known as a party town for Mardi Gras, and for its contributions to the music and culinary worlds, many visitors to the city come to experience the darker stories of the Big Easy first hand.
If visiting on a budget for just that reason, here are some attractions many consider to be quintessential to any visit to New Orleans.
Haunted Houses in New Orleans
Whether it’s a stray spirit or the full supernatural experience, there are many buildings said to be haunted in the city. Most exist in and near the historic French Quarter.
One of the most famous haunted houses in New Orleans is the LaLaurie House (1140 Royal St), where 150 years ago Dr. Louis LaLaurie and his wife Madame Delphine once lived. They were considered by many to be the pinnacle of French-Creole culture in New Orleans, but the couple hid a dark secret in their attic. It seems Madame LaLaurie had a chamber of horrors up there that was discovered when the house caught on fire. Stories claim over the course of many years she had tortured, mutilated and killed dozens of slaves. Since that discovery, many people have reported ghosts of former slaves have haunted the property, as well as the Madame herself.
Another site of ancient horror is a house known as the Sultan’s Palace (716 Dauphine). It was rented to a young Turkish Sultan in the late 1800’s. One night, the Turk and his entire party of men and harem girls were horribly murdered and dismembered. To this day nobody knows who did it or why, but it is said over the years many sightings of a man matching the description of the Turk has been seen sitting in the windows. There have also been reports of late night music or the smell of incense emanating from the house.
The Beauregard-Keyes House is reportedly haunted by the ghosts of Confederate soldiers, though the caretakers of this now literary/historic museum are quick to dismiss any connection the house has to the supernatural. It is currently open daily for tours, though it did suffer a bit of damage during Hurricane Katrina. ($5 for adults; 1113 Chartres St; 504-523-7357)
The Vampires and Witches of Anne Rice
Many books and movies have used New Orleans as a backdrop for their paranormal stories, but none are more famous than those by Anne Rice. Since the author grew up in the city, many locations have influenced or been referenced to in her novels.
Try visiting Lafayette Cemetery, where the Vampire Lestat hid valuables, or Rice’s former home at 1239 First St, which served as the inspiration for Mayfair Manor, home to her Mayfair Witches. The world-famous Café du Monde is another popular Rice locale, having appeared in both Body Thief and Witching.
New Orleans’ Cities of the Dead
Since New Orleans lies below sea level, the graveyards are actually full of above ground tombs instead of graves in the earth. Many of these older mausoleums are very ornately designed and the rows and rows of them have led to the cemeteries being nicknamed “Cities of the Dead.”
One of the most famous of these “Cities” is the St. Louis Cemetery #1 (on Basin St between Conti and St Louis Streets), which was established in 1789 and is considered by many to be the final resting place of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau.
While they are generally free to visit, it’s wise to book a reputable tour company to see the Cities of the Dead, as many are found in less desirable areas of New Orleans, and pickpockets and thieves are known to prey on the preoccupied tourists who come to see the mausoleums. If visiting without a tour group, do so during the daylight hours and with friends.
There’s no guarantee any visitor to New Orleans will actually have an encounter of the supernatural kind, but that’s part of the lure of visiting the city for those who seek a paranormal experience. It is said if one truly believes, one shall find a ghost somewhere in the city. Happy hunting!
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