Haunted Roadtrips: America’s Most Haunted Cities – New Orleans, Louisiana (Where the Living and the Dead Dance Together)

A Special Haunted Roadtrip Series

For five weeks, Haunted Roadtrips is taking a special journey through America’s Most Haunted Cities. From colonial cemeteries and pirate taverns to battlefields and witch trials, these towns aren’t just historic landmarks—they’re places where the dead still walk beside the living.

Last week, we began with Savannah, Georgia. Today, we head southwest to a city where jazz and sorrow mingle in the night air: New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Cold Open

It’s midnight in the French Quarter. Gas lamps flicker against wrought-iron balconies, and the sound of distant jazz drifts through the streets. But beneath the music, another rhythm beats—the shuffle of unseen footsteps, the echo of weeping, the scrape of something clawing inside an empty alley.

At the LaLaurie Mansion, screams once silenced by fire and fear are said to still echo. In St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, shadows slip between crumbling tombs, pausing near the resting place of Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. And in the grand halls of the Hotel Monteleone, children’s laughter rings where no children stay.

New Orleans is a city of life—but also a city of the dead. And here, the two never seem far apart.

Where Are We Headed?

Founded in 1718 by French colonists, New Orleans quickly became a crossroads of cultures—French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences shaped its language, music, and beliefs. But its beauty came at a cost: epidemics, slavery, fires, hurricanes, and war carved deep scars into the Crescent City.

Burial customs only added to the city’s ghostly atmosphere. Because of the high water table, graves could not be dug deep—so tombs were built above ground in elaborate stone “cities of the dead.” These cemeteries became both resting places and reminders, blurring the line between the living and those long gone.

Today, New Orleans is as famous for its ghosts as for its gumbo and jazz.

LaLaurie Mansion

No building in New Orleans carries a darker reputation than the LaLaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street.

The Tragedy:
In the 1830s, the mansion was home to Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a wealthy socialite. Outwardly, she hosted glittering parties, but behind closed doors, she was monstrously cruel to the enslaved people in her household.

In 1834, a kitchen fire revealed horrors hidden in the attic—enslaved men and women chained, mutilated, and tortured. Survivors’ accounts described bodies starved, scarred, and left in grotesque conditions. The discovery sparked public outrage, and an angry mob stormed the mansion. But before justice could be served, Madame LaLaurie fled the city, disappearing into legend.

The Hauntings:

Screams and cries are still reported from the house, echoing from the upper floors.
Visitors claim to see shadowy figures at the windows, their faces twisted in anguish.
Tour guides report sudden cold spots, nausea, or the overwhelming urge to flee when passing the mansion.
Some believe Madame LaLaurie herself still haunts the house, appearing as a shadowy woman in a black dress.

The LaLaurie legend only grew darker with time, resurfacing in pop culture—most famously in American Horror Story: Coven, which cemented its reputation as one of the most terrifying haunted houses in America. Actor Nicolas Cage once owned the mansion, but he too quickly sold it after reporting strange misfortunes. Few who own it stay long.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Just outside the French Quarter lies one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. Established in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest extant cemetery in New Orleans and holds thousands of souls.

Marie Laveau’s Tomb:
The most famous grave belongs to Marie Laveau, the “Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.” Born in 1801, she became a powerful spiritual leader, healer, and fortune-teller. After her death in 1881, her legend only grew.

Visitors often mark three X’s on her tomb, hoping she’ll grant wishes.
Some claim to see a woman in a tignon (headscarf) walking through the cemetery—believed to be Laveau herself.
Tourists have reported hearing chanting or feeling unseen hands tug at their clothing near her tomb.

The Cities of the Dead:
New Orleans’ cemeteries earned this nickname because they look like miniature cities—rows of elaborate stone tombs instead of simple graves. Each tomb holds generations of family members, with new burials added above older remains. The practice was born of necessity but created a hauntingly unique landscape.

Other Hauntings:

Phantom voices whisper from within tombs.
Ghostly figures drift between crypts, only to vanish.
Paranormal groups record EVPs of prayers, moans, and cries.

Because of vandalism, access to St. Louis No. 1 is now limited to guided tours. But even on official visits, many leave shaken.

The Hotel Monteleone

The elegant Hotel Monteleone, built in 1886, has hosted writers like Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, and Truman Capote. Capote even claimed the hotel raised him like a son after his mother abandoned him, and he allegedly haunts its halls to this day.

Hauntings Include:

Children’s Spirits – Guests report laughter and small footsteps in the halls, though no children are present.
Phantom Soldiers – Civil War-era apparitions have been seen wandering near the upper floors.
Elevator Oddities – The elevators are said to stop on the wrong floor, opening to empty halls filled with cold air.

The Carousel Bar:
Even the hotel’s famous rotating Carousel Bar is said to be haunted. Patrons sometimes glimpse ghostly figures in the mirrors or feel a brush against their arms when no one is there.

The Monteleone openly embraces its haunted reputation, including it in their marketing and tours. For many, staying here is as much about sharing drinks with ghosts as it is about luxury.

The Ursuline Convent & The Casket Girls

The Ursuline Convent, built in 1752, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Mississippi Valley—and one of the most mysterious.

The Legend:
In the 1720s, young women from France were sent to New Orleans to marry colonists. They carried with them small wooden chests, known as cassettes (or “caskets”). Rumors spread that the boxes held something sinister—vampires.

The convent’s attic windows were nailed shut with holy crosses, supposedly to contain the creatures. To this day, the attic remains sealed.

The Hauntings:

Locals whisper of pale figures roaming the convent grounds at night.
Some claim to see glowing eyes watching from the attic windows.
Paranormal groups say strange readings spike near the convent, though no one is allowed inside the attic itself.

The Casket Girls legend has fueled New Orleans’ reputation as one of America’s vampire capitals. Tours now include vampire lore alongside ghost stories, drawing on Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and the city’s enduring gothic culture.

Other Haunted Hotspots

New Orleans brims with ghostly locations beyond its most famous haunts.

The Bourbon Orleans Hotel – Once a convent and orphanage, it’s haunted by nuns, children, and Confederate soldiers. Guests report footsteps, laughter, and shadowy figures.
The Sultan’s Palace (Gardette-LaPrete House) – In the 1800s, a Turkish “sultan” supposedly lived here with a harem, until his household was massacred in a mysterious bloodbath. Today, the house is plagued by whispers, shadows, and the scent of incense.
Pirate’s Alley – Near St. Louis Cathedral, duels and shady dealings once occurred here. Today, visitors claim to see ghostly pirates, including Jean Lafitte himself.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar – One of the oldest bars in America, dating to the 1700s, it’s said to be haunted by the pirate Jean Lafitte, who appears as a shadow in the back corner.
Myrtles Plantation (nearby in St. Francisville) – Called “the most haunted house in America,” with stories of enslaved girl Chloe and spectral children. Though outside the city, it’s often included in New Orleans ghost tours.

Firsthand Chilling Encounters

Visitors and paranormal investigators report countless encounters:

LaLaurie’s Attic Screams – Tourists outside the mansion swear they hear muffled cries or chains rattling.
St. Louis Cemetery Photos – Tourists capture strange mists or figures near Marie Laveau’s tomb.
Hotel Monteleone Calls – Guests report receiving phone calls from empty rooms.
Sultan’s Palace Shadows – Paranormal groups have filmed orbs and dark forms moving inside the house.
French Quarter EVPs – Recordings capture jazz music, footsteps, and voices in alleys long after midnight.

The Real History Behind the Hauntings

New Orleans’ hauntings are deeply rooted in its history:

Fires – Two major fires (1788 and 1794) destroyed much of the city, killing hundreds.
Epidemics – Yellow fever ravaged the city in the 19th century, leaving thousands dead.
Slavery – Generations of enslaved people endured suffering that left spiritual scars.
Wars & Occupation – From colonial conflicts to the Civil War, the city was steeped in violence.
Religious & Cultural Crossroads – Catholic rituals, African spirituality, and Haitian Vodou merged, creating powerful traditions—and lasting legends.

New Orleans is haunted because it has lived so much, and lost so much.

Want to Visit?

For the brave, New Orleans offers endless haunted experiences:

Ghost Tours – Choose from walking tours, haunted pub crawls, and vampire-themed nights.
Stay Overnight – Book at haunted hotels like the Monteleone or Bourbon Orleans.
Dining with Spirits – Have a drink at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop or dine in the haunted Napoleon House.
Cemetery Tours – Explore St. Louis No. 1 with a licensed guide.
French Quarter Wandering – Sometimes the best ghost stories are the ones you stumble into after dark.

Fun Facts & Lesser-Known Stories

American Horror Story: Coven featured the LaLaurie Mansion, cementing its infamy.
Pirates and Smugglers shaped the city’s dark past, fueling ghostly tales.
Jazz Funerals – Mournful processions that turn joyful are part of how the living and dead remain connected here.
The “Cities of the Dead” – New Orleans’ above-ground cemeteries are both architectural marvels and sources of endless ghost stories.

Similar Legends

New Orleans’ haunted history resonates with several other infamous places:

Savannah, Georgia – The rival for “America’s Most Haunted City,” with cemeteries, duels, and tragic stories that echo New Orleans’ own.
Charleston, South Carolina – A Southern port city haunted by pirates, slavery, and a notoriously haunted jail.
St. Augustine, Florida – The oldest city in America, with pirate ghosts, Spanish soldiers, and haunted forts.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – Known for its battlefield hauntings, where phantom soldiers still march.
Salem, Massachusetts – Witch trials and Puritan guilt, tied to New Orleans’ own mix of superstition and tragedy.
Key West, Florida – A port steeped in ghostly tales, including the infamous Robert the Doll.

By weaving in legends of war, slavery, and supernatural belief, these cities share a kinship with New Orleans—but few rival its density of haunted sites.

Pop Culture + Paranormal Cred

New Orleans has been featured in:

Ghost Adventures
Haunted History
American Horror Story: Coven
Interview with the Vampire (both book and film adaptations)
Countless documentaries, novels, and films

Its reputation as one of the world’s most haunted cities is firmly cemented.

Spooky Scale

👻👻👻👻👻 (5 out of 5 Ghosts)
New Orleans is a city where the living and the dead share the same streets.

Final Thoughts

New Orleans is vibrant, colorful, and alive—but it is also haunted to its core. From tortured souls in the LaLaurie Mansion to shadows drifting in St. Louis Cemetery, the city is layered with history, tragedy, and restless spirits.

For ghost seekers, this isn’t just another stop—it’s a pilgrimage.

Next week, we head to St. Augustine, Florida—America’s oldest city, where pirate ghosts, colonial spirits, and haunted forts await.

Would you dare walk Bourbon Street at midnight—or stand before the sealed attic windows of the Ursuline Convent?

📌 Don’t miss an episode!
Check out last week’s edition, where we explored Savannah, Georgia.

Enjoyed this story?
Urban Legends, Mystery, and Myth explores the creepiest corners of folklore — from haunted houses and cemeteries to unsolved mysteries and modern myth.

Want even more terrifying tales?
Discover our companion book series, Urban Legends and Tales of Terror, featuring reimagined fiction inspired by the legends we cover here.

Because some stories don’t end when the blog post does…