From ghosts, vampires, beautiful cemeteries, deathly pharmacies, and Voodoo queens, nearly everything haunted in New Orleans can be found within the French Quarter or the Garden District.
New Orleans is one of the most spirited (pun intended) cities in the US and the world, filled with legends, myths, and a nonstop, eternal party on Bourbon Street.
So why is New Orleans so haunted?
The Crescent City has sounded an alarm for weird personalities and crazy stories throughout its history, the perfect recipe for ghosts and hauntings! The French Quarter is old by USA standards and houses the energetic residue (and ghosts!) of the thousands of lives that have played out on its streets/rues.
Pack your cutest combat boots– these are the top ghosts and haunted sites in New Orleans:
City Park
History
Would you believe that the beautiful, fairytale-esque City Park in New Orleans has a rich and bloody history?
In the 1800s, men would defend their honor by dueling each other under the oaks at what is now City Park. People died, and there was blood everywhere.
In 1891, the property became the City Park of New Orleans, and rumors of ghosts in the park have swirled ever since.
Since then, attractions have been added:
- City Park Carousel (powered by mules before electricity)
- Bayou Oaks at City Park Golf Course
- Big Lake
- New Orleans Botanical Gardens
- Cafe Du Monde
Tip: City Park is humid AF, much more than in the Quarter- I like these organic wipes.
How to experience: The best way to see City Park is via guided tour because it’s haunting, and its history runs deep.
Hauntings
- Mona Lisa Drive. A wealthy family once lived in the building that is now the Christian Brothers School in City Park. The family’s daughter, Mona, fell in love with a sailor, her father said ‘hell no,’ and Mona drowned herself in a nearby lagoon in typical soon-to-be-haunting style. Her father donated the property to the city and added a Venus statue honoring Mona. The statue would be lost with time, but Mona’s ghost is known to appear at night on Mona Lisa Drive.
- Children of City Park. It is believed that the park was a dumping ground for an unidentified serial killer who preyed on children. To this day, there are reports and photographs of ghostly kids near the bridge in the park and the lagoon.
Charity Hospital
History
Free healthcare in the US is unheard of, right?
Built in 1736, Jean Louis donated the land for the Charity Hospital so that there would always be free healthcare in New Orleans.
A former employee said it best:
“It is still an iconic symbol in many people’s minds…people talk about being born in Charity Hospital and their mama’s mama’s mama being born in Charity Hospital.”
Dr Ruth Bergon
Until its closure, the Charity Hospital was the second oldest in the US.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the basement of Charity Hospital, drowning with it a centuries-old New Orleans treasure and leaving behind a few ghosts-
Katrina trapped 360 patients and 1,200 staff members in the hospital for 5 days with no electricity, little food and water, and no help from the government.
The morgue also flooded, leaving bodies floating down the basement hallways.
While Charity (remember, Charity is a low-income hospital) was ignored for nearly a week, Tulane, a private (and pricy $$$) hospital across the street, had over 1,000 patients evacuated.
Charity Hospital today
Nothing was removed before the hospital was boarded up.
These are just a few hazards:
- Molded walls
- Abandoned hospital equipment
- Bags of biohazards
- Blood specimens
- Rotting body parts, like fingers and toes
There are no building tours, and you cannot even stand outside.
Police officers patrol the chain-length fence around the building. The closest you can get to the hospital is pausing on the side of the road during one of New Orleans’ many haunted ghost tours.
Learn the truth: check out this book written by a survivor or this documentary.
Hauntings
Charity made news worldwide just a few days before Christmas of 2015 when light started coming from a window.
Since Hurricane Katrina, the completely abandoned hospital hasn’t had power. Police found a few pieces of wood wrapped in Christmas lights but were unable to explain how it was powered.
Later, city officials would claim that power to the building was on temporarily for an inspection.
Interesting Facts about Charity Hospital
- The official motto for Charity Hospital was “Where the Unusual occurs and Miracles happen.”
- Over 1300 people died of Yellow Fever in Charity Hospital in 1859.
How to experience: The only way to get remotely close to Charity Hospital is via tour.
Commander’s Palace
History
Commander’s Palace is the 4th oldest restaurant in New Orleans, although the actual location is much older.
In the 18th century, the land was part of the Livaudais Plantation before being sold off, and a small saloon was built in 1893.
Prohibition brought the feds to the door in 1932, and The Palace was raided for illegal alcohol, prostitution, and gambling.
Today, Commander’s Palace is known for amazing food crafted by celebrity chefs like:
- Emeril Lagasse
- Paul Prudhomme
- Jamie Shannon
Note: While you’re in the neighborhood, check out iconic things to do in the Garden District.
Hauntings
- Emile Commander opened the restaurant in 1893 and died of tuberculosis 13 years later. His spirit roams the restaurant, cheerfully watching it prosper. Emile is a well-dressed man with a massive mustache and a cheery demeanor who takes gulps of wine from patron’s glasses.
- Girl on the stairs: She is associated with the cemetery, only steps away, and shows herself to restaurant guests for attention (relatable).
- The women’s room: Patrons and employees report an angry and oppressive presence in the women’s room. Not a safe place for selfies.
How to experience: Treat yourself to some life-changing food at Commander’s Palace, then take a free, self-guided walking tour of the Garden District.
The Sultan’s Palace
History
In 1836, a Turkish man claiming to be a Sultan bought an opulent French Quarter mansion.
Every night, this man was having wild parties with prostitutes, loud music, and, of course, alcohol.
Expensive furniture and fine art were brought to the house every day. Heavy drapes covered the windows; every door was padlocked, and the people kept partying.
One morning pools of blood began seeping from under the door.
That day, 37 bodies were taken from the house. The “Sultan” was missing, rumored to have been kidnapped and buried alive.
The Sultan’s truth
Instead of an actual Sultan, the man was the brother of a Sultan who fled after stealing from his brother, the real Sultan.
His body was never found, and the person responsible for the massacre at the Palace is a mystery. Some believe the true Sultan sent a hitman, while others blame pirates.
Hauntings
- The soldier: A Confederate soldier still roams the house in his military uniform.
- Partying on: In the early morning, the sounds of a wild party are heard coming from the former Sultan’s Palace, and the smell of exotic incense has also been reported on the street outside.
How to experience: Today, the Palace is an apartment building, so while it’s fine to walk by, don’t be a lingering creep (pun intended). You can take this self-guided ghost tour of the French Quarter or find The Sultan’s Palace on Google.
LaLaurie Mansion
History
The LaLaurie Era
Few places in New Orleans have a history as haunted as Lalaurie Mansion.
Madame Delphine LaLaurie’s first two husbands died mysteriously, but it was her third marriage that was most suspicious.
The Lalauries threw extravagant parties at their house on 1140 Royal Street, keeping with their reputation for wealth and high status.
Torture of slaves
It was known that the LaLauries always had new slaves appearing and old slaves disappearing.
If pressed, Delphine would brush away the questions, adding the more curious guests to a permanent ‘do not invite’ list.
Since the Lalauries were popular, this was social suicide, so people stopped asking.
One day, neighbors saw a young slave girl fall to her death outside the mansion while being chased by Delphine.
This led to an investigation of the treatment of her slaves. Lalaurie was found guilty of cruelty and forced to forfeit 9 slaves, which were later brought back to her through relatives.
Fire at the Mansion
In 1834, the LaLaurie Mansion caught fire.
Authorities arrived, put out the fire, and found a slave woman chained to the stove. She admitted to causing the fire and begged them to look at the slave quarters above the kitchen.
They did just that and found dozens of slaves were tortured, starved, and beaten. Some were suspended by their neck, and all had broken bones.
Pitchforks for Lalaurie
When the discovery of the abuse became known, a mob of locals burned down the LaLaurie Mansion, which was later rebuilt in 1838.
The Lalauries escaped to France, and Delphine died under mysterious circumstances in Paris, officially during a Boar Hunt.
Although she always wanted to return to New Orleans, she was discouraged by her family.
Over the decades, the Mansion wore many hats:
- High school
- Music conservatory
- Apartment building
- Bar
- Furniture store
The 1894 Murder
By 1894, the house was apartments. A tenant was found brutally murdered in his room, his belongings ransacked as if someone had gone through them.
Nothing was missing, and no one was ever caught.
The man had previously told neighbors he was having issues with ‘Sprites’ in his house.
Hauntings
Hauntings during the schoolgirl years
During the mid to late 19th century, the building was a school exclusively for African-American girls. No one was ever caught, and reports of students with unexplained bruising and slashing never stopped.
Current Hauntings
Creepy screams of agony can sometimes be heard near the empty house. Others have seen figures with rattling chains or a young girl jumping out of the building, only to disappear before hitting the ground.
How to experience: The house is privately owned today, but you can stand outside in solemn distaste. Walking tours stop at the house daily.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
History
You can’t visit the Quarter without stopping by Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. The building was built before 1773, making it the oldest bar in the Quarter.
The building’s namesake, Jean Lafitte, was a French pirate from the 1800s who operated Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop as a front for selling slaves and stolen goods.
By 1812, Lafitte became a local legend by helping Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans from the British.
Jean Laffite, now one of the most famous ghosts in New Orleans, still frequents the bar.
Hauntings
- Jean Lafitte: The pirate stares at patrons; he never speaks or makes noise, only glares intimidatingly before disappearing when he is spotted.
- Lady in Black: A mysterious female dressed in all black appears in a mirror on the building’s second floor and even in a few selfies with guests.
How to experience: Have a beer!
The Bourbon Orleans Hotel
History
Opened in 1819, the Orleans Theatre & Ballroom was the setting for operas, performances, and entertainment for the finest people in Creole society.
In 1881, the Sisters of the Holy Family purchased the Orleans Ballroom and used the building as a convent.
The Bourbon Orleans is rated as one of the most haunted luxury hotels in the world- ghosts at no extra charge.
Hauntings
- The Confederate soldier: A Confederate soldier darts between the 3rd and 6th floors.
- Children and nuns: Many women and children died in the building from yellow fever back when the hotel was a convent. A little girl rolling her ball and chasing it down the 6th floor of the Bourbon Orleans Hotel is the norm here.
- Orleans Ballroom: The hotel’s ballroom is home to a ghostly dancer seen spinning underneath the ballroom’s crystal chandelier. Unexplained rustlings and the outline of a person hiding behind the drapes are common.
How to experience: Book a room or hit the bar for a live jazz show and dead people.
Muriel’s
History
The building that is now Muriel’s was once a holding area for slaves being put up for auction. In 1788, the Great New Orleans Fire torched the original building, which its new owner later restored.
The new owner, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, cherished the home until he lost it in a poker game.
Lonely and depressed, he died by suicide on the second floor to become one of the most famous ghosts in New Orleans.
Hauntings
Muriel’s guests and workers have reported seeing shattering glasses, objects moving around, and hearing voices on the second floor.
The restaurant reserves a table for the soul of Mr. Jourdan nightly, complete with wine and bread.
How to experience: Today, the second floor is known as the Seance Room, and Jourdan is believed to chill out there. It’s a cool place to take pics. You can also dine at Mr. Jourdan’s table.
Note: Muriel’s does not advertise the Seance Room, ask the door host if you would like to see the haunted room, one of the easiest ways to look for ghosts in New Orleans.
The Hermann-Grima House
History
The Hermann Family: Samuel Hermann hired William Brand to build his dream home in 1831. Hermann was a wealthy stockbroker whose house reflected that with its opulence. Sadly, in 1837, the Hermann family lost their mansion to bankruptcy.
The Grima Family: The wealthy Grima family bought the house next. The Grimas owned over 60 slaves, many of whom they set free, and were famously the godparents of an enslaved person they’d freed.
Between the 20s-70s this building has been:
- Animal Charity
- Woman’s Charity
- Consignment shop
- Tea room
Hauntings
The staff at the Hermann-Grima House have reported that the spirits here are friendly, so that’s a plus-
- Union Soldiers: There have been several reports of sightings and sounds of the Union soldiers who temporarily occupied the house during the Civil War.
- Mrs. Hermann: The smells of lavender and rose, two of Mrs. Hermann’s favorites, linger throughout the museum.
- The Couple: A dashing couple in 19th-century New Orleans finery helps keep the Hermann-Grima House haunted.
As Seen In
American Horror Story Season 3: The opening scenes show Madam LaLaurie entertaining guests at a party in her home, which is the Hermann-Grima house.
How to experience: Take a tour of the museum.
Hotel Monteleone
History
Antonio Monteleone arrived in America in 1880 and set his sights on the Commercial Hotel.
Renamed the Hotel Monteleone in 1908 after a massive 300-room expansion, the hotel has kept its reputation for luxury and mystery.
Famous writers connected to the hotel:
- Anne Rice
- Ernest Hemingway
- Tennessee Williams
- William Faulkner
- Truman Capote
- Rebecca Wells
Monteleone’s Carousel Bar is the only rotating bar in Louisiana, built in 1949. Don’t miss this romantically haunted stop in New Orleans, even if you only have time for a drink or two.
Hauntings
- Ghost child Maurice Begere: During the late 1800s, the Begere family stayed at the Hotel Monteleone until one night, Maurice, the family’s child, got sick and died. Devastated, his mother, Josephine, returned to the hotel every weekend, attempting to contact her son’s spirit with no luck. Maurice can still be heard laughing and playing on the 14th floor, and his mother can still be heard mourning him.
- The Chef and the Server: An ongoing feud between 2 ghosts who used to work in the hotel’s restaurant while alive, a chef and a server, is still going. One prefers to have the door open, and one wants it closed, which caused endless arguments. In death, the debate continues, and the door is often found wide open in the mornings, even though it had been locked.
- The Clockmaker: In the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone sits a haunted grandfather clock- the clockmaker’s face (and other ghosts!) can be seen glaring out from the clock’s face, never wanting to leave New Orleans.
Honestly, if I died and became a ghost, I’d probably also hang out in New Orleans for eternity.
How to experience: Book a room at the hotel or have a cocktail at the Carousel Bar.
La Petit Theatre
History
In 1922, Le Petit Theatre opened for performing arts, live music, and other special events.
The 2 stages and private courtyard are a New Orleans staple.
Hauntings
- Suicide Bride: One of Le Petit’s guests, a young bride-to-be, committed suicide by jumping off the side of the Theatre into the courtyard below. Visitors have seen her in the spot she jumped from and her reflection in the water of Le Petit’s fountain.
- The Evening Actress: Another spirit at the Theatre is an actress who fell to her death from the elevated platform used for performances. She stalks the catwalks and appears mostly in the evenings.
- The Moody Manager: Of all the Theatres ghosts, this is the only one with a rude reputation. The former manager of Le Petit is said to have committed suicide inside his office. As a spirit, he is known to slam doors, steal, and glare at employees.
- Union Soldiers: The most commonly experienced ghosts at Le Petit are those of Union soldiers, with their marching boots and stiff uniforms.
How to experience: Go see a show or dine on some French Creole at the attached restaurant, Tableau.
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
History
Of all the haunted things to do in New Orleans, the Pharmacy Museum is one of the most bizarre.
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum was the first apothecary in the US, established by the first licensed pharmacist, Louis Dufilho Jr., in 1823.
By 1855, the pharmacy was owned by Dr. Joseph Dupas, and things took a turn for the worse:
Dupas was accused of evil things:
- Mixing remedies that didn’t work
- Using addictive components like cocaine and heroin
- Using voodoo rituals as a cure
- Performing medical experiments with unnecessary drills, scissors, and scalpels
- Experiments on pregnant slaves that resulted in death and birth defects
After he died in 1867, Dupas’s crimes were unearthed, literally, when remains of missing patients were found buried in the courtyard behind the building.
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum doesn’t advertise its hauntedness because it wants to focus on the history of pharmacy.
Hauntings
- The evil doctor. Dupas is the most commonly seen ghost at the Pharmacy Museum. Short, stocky, mustached, and middle-aged, Dupas wears a brown top hat and suit under a white lab coat. He opens cabinets, throws books and small items, rearranges locked displays, and sets off the security alarms.
- Ghosts children. Kids have been seen playing all over the museum.
- Shoves. People have reported feeling a harsh shove from behind when no one is there.
- Pregnancy on the second floor. Pregnant women have felt sick or had cramps on the second floor, where Dupas did his experiments on pregnant slaves.
How to experience: Take a self-guided museum tour to journey through odd-looking medical devices, historic healthcare failures, and scary apparatuses from around the world.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the ghosts in New Orleans?
You don’t need to look far if you’re searching for ghosts, sprites, or anything haunted in New Orleans. The French Quarter is the city’s oldest and most historic part, so you’re likely to see most ghost activity in its ancient streets. The Garden District and the Bayou St. John are also old and rich in history, ripe for hauntings.
What is the most famous haunted house in New Orleans?
The most famous haunted house in New Orleans, in terms of actual hauntings, is the Lalaurie Mansion. Due to horrible deaths and torture that went on forever, the Lalaurie House is likely to be loaded with ghosts.
Can you go inside the Lalaurie Mansion?
No, you cannot go inside the Lalaurie Mansion. The Lalaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street is a private residence, and the owners do not allow tours or visits inside. However, stopping outside the Mansion and snapping pics is still creepy and cool.
Is the Ritz in New Orleans haunted?
The Ritz Carlton in New Orleans is haunted if you ask guests and employees, although according to corporate, the hotel is haunting-free.
The Ritz is in the historic Beaux Arts Maison Blanche building, a former department store from 1908.
Paranormal activity includes a gentlemen’s silhouette with a black suit and top hat and ghostly kids who love to jump on guests’ beds in the middle of the night.
What is a ghost pub crawl in New Orleans?
A ghost pub crawl in New Orleans focuses on history, hauntings, and the bar and restaurant scene. Tours allow BYOB alcoholic drinks, hence the ‘pub’ part.
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