New Orleans, particularly the French Quarter, has a long-standing reputation for being one of the most haunted and mysterious cities in the United States. The city’s deep history, intoxicating mix of cultures, and turbulent past contributed to its strong association with the supernatural. The French Quarter also known as Vieux Carré, is the city's oldest and most iconic neighbourhood, packed with history, culture, and plenty of ghost stories. Join us for a private 1.5-hour spooky tour through some of the most captivating corners of the French Quarter and hear some of the most gruesome tales of ghosts, murder and the occult from a passionate local expert.
On this private ghost tour, you will:
- Soak up the deep history of the French Quarter;
- Uncover the mysteries nestled within the walls of the Old Ursuline Convent, thought to host spirits and vampires;
- See the infamous LaLaurie Mansion a stately home with a dark past famed for ghost sightings and paranormal activity;
- Experience a surprising spectral presence outside the enigmatic Beauregard-Keyes House;
- Pass by Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, the legendary dive bar founded by a notorious pirate;
- Take in the neighbourhood highlights including Père Antoine Alley and Jackson Square;
- Get acquainted with the key figures who have shaped New Orleans society over the centuries;
- See the Bourbon Orleans Hotel and discover why so many consider it to be haunted;
- Hear a wealth of gripping ghost stories from the early days of New Orleans right up until the present day;
Your eerie evening adventure will begin in the heart of the French Quarter. You'll meet your charismatic local guide who will set the scene for your intriguing journey into the underbelly of New Orleans. Opting for a private tour means you will have the guide’s undivided attention, and you will soon be enthralled by their anecdotes about the city’s unmistakable connection with the supernatural and the key figures who made their mark upon the Quarter’s mystifying streets.
You will pass by a carefully curated selection of the neighborhood’s most iconic and terrifying landmarks including the Old Ursuline Convent, the oldest building in the whole of Louisiana. As you admire the aesthetically pleasing French Colonial architecture, you will learn about the French nuns who founded the convent which became an integral part of the New Orleans community in the 18th Century. You will hear the legend of the Casket Girls, young women sent from France to wed the men of New Orleans who soon caused a stir due to the strange happenings that began to occur after their arrival. If the tale is to be believed, the nuns made a gruesome discovery about the young ladies that sparked the first suspicions of vampires lurking in the shadows of the Vieux Carré.
Opposite the convent, you will find the Beauregard-Keyes House, a haven for ghost hunters thanks to its apparent myriad of ghostly residents. Your guide will explain the stories of the different spirits who may dwell here, from a Confederate soldier who served as its first owner to the enslaved men who built the home, a famous poet and author, and even a trio of murdered mobsters. While it is not unclear who or what exactly haunts the house, residents and visitors alike have felt a strange and powerful malevolent presence there over the years, seemingly intent on causing trouble.
Another stop on your tour will be the notorious LaLaurie Mansion, a house that has long been synonymous with ghosts and hauntings in New Orleans. Thanks to your guide, you will get the lowdown on Madame Delphine LaLaurie, the lady of the house who went from a respected member of Louisiana high society to one of the most brutal killers the city has ever seen. You will get a detailed description of the heinous crimes she committed that is not for the faint of heart and hear about the ghosts of her unfortunate victims who are widely believed to have wandered the halls of the mansion for almost 200 years.
Throughout your time together, your guide will make sure to take you along the most famous streets including Jackson Square and Pere Antoine Alley, where many have spotted the ghost of the popular priest who gives the passage its name. Right around the corner, you will have the opportunity to stroll along the world-famous Bourbon Street and call upon another of the city’s oldest surviving structures: Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Your guide will regale you with the incredible story of the pirate Jean Lafitte who set up shop here in the 19th Century and has been linked with a long list of shady dealings. Unsurprisingly given the shop’s illicit origins, there have been eyewitness accounts of hauntings going back hundreds of years.
The French Quarter is known to have several haunted hotels. Your guide will reveal the secrets of the Orleans Bourbon Hotel, formerly the New Orleans Theatre and Ballroom, an important opera house and a gathering place for Creole society. You will uncover the dramatic history of the building including the tragic events of 1854 and soon understand the Bourbon’s reputation as one of the most haunted hotels in the entire US. You may also pass by the Omni hotel as your guide divulges a gory true crime story that gripped the nation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, proving that sinister occurrences of death and destruction in New Orleans are not confined to the distant past.
Your tour will come to an end outside the lively Ghost Bar where you are free to continue your evening with one of their fabulous signature cocktails or immerse yourself in the rest of the French Quarter’s animated nightlife. As your guide disappears into the night, their entertaining accounts of centuries of ghostly goings-on will leave a lasting impression as a highlight of your trip to the Big Easy.
