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There’s something about Most Haunted Places in New Orleans. Maybe it’s the weight of its history or the way the air hums with mystery. One step into the French Quarter and you feel it — the energy, the echoes. With its centuries-old buildings, tangled roots in French and Spanish traditions and a deep spiritual undercurrent that includes voodoo, it’s no surprise the city is packed with haunted stories.
Some call it the most haunted city in America. And after you explore these spots? You might start calling it that too.
Here are the most haunted places in New Orleans that’ll send a chill down your spine and maybe, just maybe, leave you believing in ghosts.
1. The LaLaurie Mansion – French Quarter
Let’s kick it off with one of the most notorious haunted mansions in New Orleans. The LaLaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street looks beautiful from the outside. Elegant, quiet. But once you know what happened here, it’s hard to see it the same way.
Back in the 1830s it was home to Madame Delphine LaLaurie. High society loved her. She threw glamorous parties, rubbed elbows with the elite. But behind closed doors? A house of horrors. After a fire broke out in 1834, firefighters discovered a hidden attic room where enslaved people had been tortured and experimented on. The tools they found were horrifying.
She fled to France but many believe the souls she tormented never left. People still report hearing screams, rattling chains and seeing a tall woman staring from the upper windows. The mansion is privately owned now so you can’t go inside but almost every French Quarter ghost tour stops outside. And standing there at night? It’s eerie.
2. The Bourbon Orleans Hotel
At 717 Orleans Street stands the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, a place that’s worn many hats — grand ballroom, convent and orphanage. It’s also a regular stop on ghost tours in New Orleans and for good reason.
During a Yellow Fever epidemic many children died on the property. Some say their laughter still echoes through the hallways. Guests have seen small figures darting around corners and felt cold spots suddenly drop the room temperature.
And Room 644? That one’s famous for flickering lights, ghostly whispers and the sense that something or someone is standing just behind you. Not exactly ideal for a relaxing stay but it’s a bucket-list haunt for paranormal fans.
3. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
This is no ordinary graveyard. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 dates back to 1789 and looks like a miniature ghost town — narrow alleys, crumbling tombs and an energy that feels… off.
This is where Marie Laveau, the legendary Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, is buried. Her tomb is covered in offerings: beads, coins and handwritten wishes. People say she still grants favors from beyond. But don’t disrespect her — she’s got a temper.
Visitors have reported dizzy spells, cold gusts of wind and even fainting. Some say they’ve caught glowing orbs and ghostly shapes on camera. It’s only accessible with a licensed guide now which honestly feels like spiritual insurance.
4. The Pharmacy Museum
If you’re squeamish, brace yourself. The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum at 514 Chartres Street is both fascinating and seriously creepy. Housed in a 19th-century apothecary, this place showcases leech jars, bone saws and other “remedies” that might’ve been worse than the diseases.
Louis Dufilho, America’s first licensed pharmacist, lived and worked here. But it’s his successor that’s the stuff of nightmares. Rumor has it he did unspeakable things in the back rooms — some patients were never seen again.
Visitors report shadowy figures, whispers when no one’s there and sudden dread that creeps up your spine. I went once and couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching from the upper floor. Genuinely unsettling and criminally underrated among haunted places in New Orleans.
5. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
This one’s a personal favorite. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, built in the 1700s, is one of the oldest haunted bars in New Orleans. It’s dimly lit (only candles), rustic and has a ghost problem. A fun one.
Legend says pirate Jean Lafitte used it as a smuggling base. Some swear they’ve seen a man with glowing red eyes lurking in the corners — possibly Lafitte himself. Bartenders say bottles randomly fall, registers open on their own and guests get cold chills even on muggy nights.
Grab a drink here but keep your eyes open. You might not be alone.
6. The Andrew Jackson Hotel
At 919 Royal Street stands the Andrew Jackson Hotel, a charming inn built on tragedy. It was once a boys’ boarding school that burned down in the 18th century, killing five children.
Now? It’s known for child spirits playing tricks. Room 208 is especially active. Guests hear laughter, find their things moved around and sometimes even feel small hands nudging them awake. There are security camera videos that’ll give you serious goosebumps.
Despite all that the hotel books fast. Paranormal enthusiasts love it. Me? I’d maybe book somewhere else.
7. Muriel’s Jackson Square
Creole cuisine meets ghost stories at Muriel’s, located at 801 Chartres Street. The food’s amazing but the second floor? Not so friendly.
The story goes that Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan lost the house in a poker game and took his life upstairs. His spirit, they say, never left. A table is always set for him in the Seance Lounge, complete with bread and wine.
Glasses shatter, footsteps pace and sometimes chairs slide across the floor without a sound. But hey the gumbo is worth the haunt.
8. The Ursuline Convent
Here’s where things get a little more bizarre. The Old Ursuline Convent, built in 1727, is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley and the center of vampire legends in New Orleans.
The tale of the “Casket Girls” is infamous. Sent from France with mysterious chests, they were linked to a wave of strange deaths. Those chests? Stored in the convent’s attic which has since been nailed shut with nails blessed by the Vatican.
Whispers echo through locked doors and ghostly pale faces have been spotted at windows. It’s unsettling in a very specific can’t-put-your-finger-on-it kind of way.
9. The Omni Royal Orleans Hotel
Built on sacred ground — literally. The Omni Royal Orleans hotel sits where a monastery and later a Yellow Fever hospital once stood. The hauntings? As active as ever.
Guests say they’ve seen monks roaming the halls and one ghostly maid still does her rounds in full 19th-century uniform. Elevators move on their own. Lights flicker. Some guests swear they’ve heard their names whispered as they drift off to sleep.
Despite all that it’s one of the city’s most luxurious stays. Just maybe keep a nightlight on.
10. Beauregard-Keyes House
Last but definitely not least the Beauregard-Keyes House at 1113 Chartres Street blends Southern charm with Civil War spirits. General P.G.T. Beauregard once lived here and many say the ghosts of his soldiers never left.
There are reports of phantom gunshots, marching boots and full-blown battle reenactments echoing through the main hall. A lady in white is often seen drifting through walls. The library seems to dislike its own books — some fly right off the shelves.
You can visit now as it operates as a museum. Just don’t be surprised if something follows you out.
So… Are You Brave Enough?
Haunted places in New Orleans aren’t just tourist traps. They’re stitched into the fabric of the city. Woven from pain, ritual and stories that refuse to be forgotten.
Whether you’re chasing real paranormal activity in New Orleans, exploring haunted mansions or just tagging along for the creepy ride on a ghost tour in New Orleans, one thing’s certain: this city dances with the dead. And sometimes? They dance back.
So will you raise a glass with a pirate? Hear the laughter of long-lost children echo down a hallway? Or maybe leave a coin for the Voodoo Queen and hope for her favor?
Whatever you do don’t turn your back too quickly. New Orleans is always watching.
