New Orleans stands as America’s most haunted city, where centuries of tragedy, mystery, and supernatural activity have woven themselves into the very fabric of the French Quarter’s cobblestones. From Civil War-era spirits to voodoo practitioners who still roam the streets, these locations offer paranormal enthusiasts and curious tourists a glimpse into the city’s darker history.
1. LaLaurie Mansion
1140 Royal Street houses one of New Orleans’ most notorious haunted locations. Built in the 1830s, this elegant mansion became the scene of horrific torture and murder when Madame Delphine LaLaurie’s cruel treatment of enslaved people was discovered in 1834.
Historical Background: Following a kitchen fire, authorities discovered a torture chamber in the attic where enslaved individuals had been subjected to medical experiments and brutal treatment. LaLaurie fled the city, but the tragic events left an indelible mark on the property.
Paranormal Activities: Visitors report hearing screams and moaning from the upper floors, witnessing shadowy figures in windows, and experiencing sudden temperature drops. The spirits of LaLaurie’s victims are said to still wander the halls, seeking justice for their suffering.
Current Status: Private residence – viewing from street only
2. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Known as the “City of the Dead,” this above-ground cemetery established in 1789 serves as the final resting place for voodoo queen Marie Laveau and countless yellow fever victims from the 1800s.
Historical Background: The cemetery’s unique above-ground tombs were necessitated by New Orleans’ high water table. During Civil War era and multiple disease outbreaks, thousands were interred here, creating a concentrated spiritual energy that paranormal investigators find compelling.
Paranormal Activities: Visitors frequently encounter Marie Laveau’s spirit near her tomb, marked with XXX symbols left by those seeking her supernatural assistance. Other phenomena include disembodied voices speaking French, cold spots throughout the cemetery, and apparitions of Civil War soldiers and plague victims wandering among the tombs.
Guided tours available – never enter alone
3. The Cabildo
This historic government building on Jackson Square served as the seat of Spanish colonial government and witnessed the Louisiana Purchase signing in 1803.
Historical Background: The Cabildo functioned as a courthouse, city hall, and prison throughout its history. During the Civil War era, it housed Union officers and served as a military tribunal location where numerous death sentences were pronounced.
Paranormal Activities: Phantom footsteps echo through empty corridors, particularly on the second floor where trials were held. Visitors report seeing uniformed figures from different historical periods, including Spanish colonial officials and Civil War military personnel. The building’s courtroom is especially active, with witnesses describing the sound of gavels banging and muffled voices discussing long-concluded cases.
Open for public tours – Louisiana State Museum
4. Hotel Monteleone
The Rooftop Bar of this luxury hotel, established in 1886, hosts some of New Orleans’ most celebrity ghost encounters, including spirits of famous authors and musicians who frequented the establishment.
Historical Background: This grand hotel has welcomed countless celebrities, writers, and musicians throughout its history. Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, and Truman Capote all stayed here, and some apparently never left.
Paranormal Activities: The 14th floor (actually the 13th) experiences frequent supernatural activity, including elevator malfunctions that stop on this floor without being called. Guests report encounters with well-dressed spirits in the lobby and bar areas. Children’s laughter echoes from empty hallways, believed to be the spirits of young guests from decades past. The Rooftop Bar features sightings of phantom patrons enjoying eternal cocktails.
Luxury accommodations available – ghost tours offered
5. The Presbytère
Adjacent to St. Louis Cathedral, this building served as courthouse and government offices, witnessing numerous tragic events including executions and trials during the Civil War era.
Historical Background: Built to match the Cabildo, the Presbytère housed legal proceedings that determined life and death for many citizens. During Reconstruction, it processed cases involving former Confederate soldiers and freed slaves, creating intense emotional residue.
Paranormal Activities: Spectral figures in period clothing appear in the Mardi Gras exhibit areas, seemingly confused by the modern displays. Cold drafts move through sealed rooms, and disembodied sobbing emanates from areas where families once awaited trial verdicts. Shadow people are frequently photographed near the hurricane exhibit, possibly spirits of storm victims whose cases were processed here.
Museum open to public – Louisiana State Museum
6. Muriel’s Restaurant
Located at 801 Chartres Street, this elegant restaurant occupies a building where Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan lost his home in a poker game and subsequently committed suicide in the 1800s.
Historical Background: Jourdan, unable to bear losing his beloved home, shot himself on the second floor in 1814. The tragic event created a powerful spiritual attachment to the property that persists today.
Paranormal Activities: Pierre’s spirit maintains a permanent reservation at Table 14, where staff leave bread and wine nightly. Diners report chairs moving on their own, wine glasses sliding across tables, and the distinct scent of cologne in areas where Pierre is said to manifest. The second-floor seance room experiences frequent temperature fluctuations and electromagnetic disturbances.
Fine dining establishment – paranormal experiences included
7. The Sultan’s Palace
716 Dauphine Street earned its haunted reputation following a brutal massacre in the 1870s involving a mysterious Turkish sultan and his entire household.
Historical Background: A wealthy man claiming to be Turkish royalty rented this mansion and filled it with opulent furnishings and a harem. Neighbors reported strange Middle Eastern music and exotic scents. One morning, blood was found seeping from under the doors, and inside, dismembered bodies were discovered throughout the house.
Paranormal Activities: Residents and passersby report hearing haunting Middle Eastern music drifting from the building at night. Incense and exotic spices fill the air without explanation. Shadowy figures appear in windows, and some witnesses claim to see blood stains materializing on the building’s exterior walls during certain atmospheric conditions.
Private residence – street viewing only
8. Madame John’s Legacy
This Creole cottage at 632 Dumaine Street represents one of the French Quarter’s oldest structures and harbors spirits connected to voodoo practices and tragic love affairs.
Historical Background: Built in the 1720s, this building housed numerous families including free people of color who practiced voodoo traditions. The structure survived multiple fires and floods, accumulating spiritual energy from centuries of human drama and occult activities.
Paranormal Activities: Voodoo practitioners report sensing powerful spiritual energy throughout the building. Visitors experience sudden emotional overwhelm, particularly feelings of heartbreak and longing. Apparitions of women in Creole dress appear in doorways, and phantom cooking smells of traditional New Orleans cuisine emanate from the historic kitchen area.
Historic house museum – Louisiana State Museum
9. The Old Ursuline Convent
1100 Chartres Street houses the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley, where Ursuline nuns cared for orphans and yellow fever victims, creating intense spiritual activity.
Historical Background: Established in 1727, this convent served as school, hospital, and orphanage. During yellow fever epidemics, nuns cared for countless dying patients. Civil War era brought wounded soldiers who died within these walls, adding to the building’s spiritual significance.
Paranormal Activities: Phantom nuns glide through corridors, continuing their eternal care for the sick and dying. Children’s voices echo from empty rooms where orphans once lived. The third-floor windows allegedly cannot be opened due to supernatural forces, and holy water reportedly boils when brought into certain rooms. Healing energy is reported by visitors seeking spiritual comfort.
Museum and shrine – guided tours available
10. The Pharmacy Museum
514 Chartres Street operated as America’s first licensed pharmacy, where Dr. Louis Dufilho Jr. practiced medicine using methods that would be considered barbaric by today’s standards.
Historical Background: This 1823 building housed surgical procedures without anesthesia, bloodletting treatments, and experimental medicines that often proved fatal. During Civil War era, it served as a makeshift hospital where many soldiers died from infected wounds and medical complications.
Paranormal Activities: Medical instruments move on their own, and visitors report feeling phantom pain in areas where surgeries were performed. Disembodied moaning echoes from the surgical room, and medicinal odors from the 1800s mysteriously appear. Spectral patients are seen waiting in the consultation areas, eternally seeking relief from their ailments.
Museum open to public – New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
Planning Your Paranormal Journey
These locations offer factual historical context combined with documented supernatural phenomena that have made New Orleans America’s most haunted city. Whether you’re drawn to Civil War spirits, voodoo mysteries, or tragic historical events, each site provides a unique window into the supernatural forces that continue to shape the Crescent City.
Book a Guided Ghost Tour | Plan Your Haunted New Orleans Visit
Remember: Always respect private property and follow local guidelines when visiting these historic and potentially active paranormal locations.
