5 Ghosts You Can Meet in New Orleans

New Orleans, a city in love with stories and cultural celebrations, is a hotbed of fascinating people. The destination’s unique—and sometimes dark—history means many of those stories involve local ghosts and haunted properties. If you’re a brave traveler looking for an otherworldly experience, make your way to the Bayou for a New Orleans ghost tour or choose your own adventure in search of the supernatural at these five haunts.

Victims of Madame Delphine LaLaurie at the LaLaurie Mansion

Countless New Orleans ghost historians and tour guides say that the LaLaurie Mansion is one of the city’s most spirited places. Rumors are still swirling around Madame Delphine LaLaurie and the alleged crimes carried out in the backroom of her 19th century French Quarter palace. (Fans of American Horror Story may be familiar with the Creole figure, who was played by Kathy Bates in the show’s third season.) Once host to endless elegant parties, the LaLaurie Mansion is now home to countless ghosts who supposedly met their end at the hands of the alleged socialite serial killer. Take just about any New Orleans tour, and you’re likely to hear these harrowing tales as you walk by (you can’t go inside).

Jean Lafitte and the woman in black at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar on Bourbon Street is the perfect place for a bar-hopping selfie. Be sure to check for photobombing ghosts! Credit: Paul Broussard

Add a little haunted history to your Bourbon Street experience by wandering down to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, named for the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte. Lafitte’s is one of the oldest operating bars in America and the second-oldest building in the French Quarter—lending itself to decades of spooky stories. Over the years, as bar patrons await last call, they’ve snapped photos or spotted a vision of a still-unknown woman in black, assorted pirates and even Lafitte himself.

Past patrons at the Carousel Piano Bar & Lounge

The revolving carousel bar is a must-see, whether you’re on a ghost tour or simply seeking the perfect cocktail. Photo Credit: Rebecca Ratliff

The Carousel Piano Bar & Lounge—famous for being the only revolving bar in New Orleans—serves a variety of patrons these days, but not all cash out at the end of the night. Rumor has it that the ghosts of former employees and previous guests of the Hotel Monteleone (where the var resides) roam and sometimes engage in mischief in the bar, as well as the rooms and hallways. Stories and sightings range from the mysterious opening and closing of locked doors to ghostly jazz tunes heard late into the night.

Marie Laveau at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Wondering if voodoo is real? The grave of voodoo queen Marie Laveau might be the perfect place to find out. Photo Credit: ghostcitytours.com/new-orleans

Cemeteries may not top the typical vacationer’s itinerary, but in the swamplands of New Orleans, above-ground crypts and mausoleums are a tourist attraction. One in particular, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, stands out; it’s the legendary resting place of iconic voodoo queen Marie Laveau. A free person of color, Laveau worked as a hairdresser—and secret-holder—for many affluent locals, and she used that knowledge to leverage her status and influence in the city. Rumor has it Laveau’s spirit still grants wishes to those who perform a specific ritual at her grave.

Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan at Muriel’s Jackson Square

Muriel’s, a haunted house turned restaurant in the French Quarter, is also known for its Creole cuisine. Try the turtle soup! Photo Credit: ghostcitytours.com/new-orleans

Muriel’s, one of New Orleans’ famously haunted restaurants, continues to serve up beloved Creole classics—sometimes with a side of the supernatural. The building that houses Muriel’s was once home to Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, who lovingly restored the Jackson Square dwelling after a raging fire destroyed much of the French Quarter in 1788. He later took his own life after losing the home during a poker game. It’s reported that Jourdan appears in the restaurant’s second-floor lounge from time to time, usually as a wandering glimmer of light rather than in human form.

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