As you step off Royal Street into the humid twilight, the air seems heavier, charged with centuries of secrets. Ahead, the wrought-iron lacework of the LaLaurie Mansion looms, its shuttered windows hiding unspeakable cruelty.
A few blocks on, Marie Laveau’s tomb glows with flickering candles, where devotees still seek her counsel. And just beyond the bustle, a quiet Creole townhouse known as the Sultan’s Palace murmurs of a foreign noble’s betrayal and a curse that refused to rest.
Welcome to New Orleans, where the veil between worlds is a thin line easily crossed. New Orleans doesn’t just embrace its ghosts; it celebrates them. From voodoo queens to phantom pirates, the city’s haunted history is as rich as its food and music.
Queen Of Shadows: The Legacy Of Marie Laveau
Marie Laveau is perhaps New Orleans’ most well-known voodoo queen. Born in 1801, she practiced voodoo, was a midwife and herbalist, and was a saloonist. She was well-respected in New Orleans. Many flocked to her for her blessings – and still do! Legend has it that if you knock on her grave three times and make a wish, it will be granted.
As the owner of a beauty salon, she was privy to plenty of juicy New Orleans gossip and made good use of it to enhance her image as a clairvoyant. She also tended to the sick during the New Orleans yellow fever epidemic, administering herbal remedies to the ill, and visiting prisoners, including those on death row.
At the same time, Marie was born a free woman of color in the French Quarter when it was still owned by the Spanish. She was confirmed to own at least seven slaves.
Marie’s grave site is believed to be sacred, and you can also visit the site of her former home in the French Quarter at 1020-22 Rue St. Ann. Some say her spirit still visits her former abode from time to time.
Haunted Opulence: New Orleans’ House Of Evils
However, the former home of Marie Laveau is far from the only haunted house in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The LaLaurie Mansion, also currently a private residence, is one of the creepiest houses in New Orleans.
Although you can’t currently enter the house, most New Orleans ghost tours stop in front of it and tell you its history. Hearing about the unspeakable stories that transpired here will cause a shiver to run down your spine.
The house is named after Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a popular socialite in New Orleans in the early 1800s. The townsfolk absolutely adored her and her doctor husband (her third marriage), not knowing that she was, in fact, a serial killer.
The house is consumed by a palpable dark energy, even when walking outside. It is here that Madame LaLaurie tortured and beat her slaves, many to their deaths. The horrific treatment the slaves endured only came to light after a fire broke out at the LaLauries during a party.
The fire department discovered slaves tied and bound, some hung from the ceiling, their limbs dislocated in unnatural positions. One elderly lady, chained to the stove, had a giant gash on her head; another had a scary-looking hole in his skull.
The LaLauries fled to France as an angry mob gathered, never to be seen again, at least not in their lifetime. Later, though, when the site housed a girls’ school, the students reported being beaten by an unknown woman with red hair. Despite their visible bruises, the teachers could never see this mysterious woman.
It’s not just LaLaurie herself who haunts the mansion, though. If you listen closely at night, you may hear the faint sound of chains clanking and the groaning of the slaves. Some report seeing a little girl leaping from a window, believed to be a young slave who jumped from a top floor while fleeing LaLaurie and her whip.
If you check notarial records, you will see that nobody has lived at 1140 Royal St. for over five years since 1834. Owner after owner has bought and quickly sold the house after facing financial difficulties and other sudden tragedies or disasters. Even Nicolas Cage once owned the house, although that was short-lived. Could there be a terrible curse on the house?
A Noble Tragedy: The Curse Of The Sultan’s Palace
Another of New Orleans’ most haunted places is the Sultan’s Palace, also known as the Gardette-LePretre Mansion, yet another spooky residence in the French Quarter. It was built by Joseph Coulon Gardette and sold to Jean Baptiste LePrete a few years later. LePrete, a wealthy plantation owner, fell upon hard times after the Civil War and sought someone to lease his mansion to make some extra cash.
As luck would have it, he was approached by an agent who claimed to represent a Turkish sultan looking to relocate to New Orleans for some time. They agreed on a price, and the sultan soon moved in. Vases, carpets, and ornate furniture were brought into the house, and his men and harem of women, wearing veils and jewelry studded with diamonds, followed.
The sultan and his men never mingled with New Orleans society, maintaining secrecy and holding private parties with the curtains drawn. Despite the secrecy, all seemed good and well, but the tranquility was short-lived.
One early morning, though, after one such party, a keen passerby noticed a trickle of blood flowing down the stairs from under the main door. He quickly called some others and, upon investigating, they received the shock of their lives.
The sultan and all of his men lay dead on the floor, their bodies slashed and hacked to death. Even the women of his harem were not spared.
Soon enough, the truth came out – the sultan was no sultan but an impostor. The true sultan was his brother, from whom the imposter had stolen his wealth and harem.
Today, the house is a private residence, but it can’t seem to shake off its spirits. The smell of opium wafts through the air, veiled women are seen hovering between the floors, and laughter can be heard along with the clanking of glasses.
We’ve only touched the surface of New Orleans’s haunted scene. As such an old and historic city, every corner has a story. The best way to explore the haunted side of New Orleans is to join a local New Orleans ghost tour.
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I am a stay-at-home- mom, living in KY with my husband and children. I’m a travel and lifestyle blogger encouraging folks to live their life one adventure at a time while also focusing on beauty, essential oils and health. From time to time I also like to showcase my adorable pets along with my family. Along with Cinnamon Hollow I can be found at The Martin Family Adventure … read more