New Orleans boasts an extraordinary and often troubling past, filled with voodoo queens and serial killers that inspired popular TV show American Horror Story.
New Orleans is well known as being home to some of the creepiest places in America. Here are five terrifying spots you should visit on your next trip there:
Lafitte’s Oyster Bar
Dottie and Denny Higgins operate their popular family restaurant here, serving fresh oysters grilled or raw, soft shell crabs fried on the spot, classic Creole dishes like Jambalaya and Crawfish Etouffee, among other menu items. With its street entrance door facing towards an interior room lined with screened windows and boiling pots stocked with boiling water. Also there is an ice chest filled with Miller Lite which they stock. It is here that Dottie and Denny Higgins operate their popular family restaurant; offering fresh oysters either raw or cooked over on grill or raw or raw when ordered from Dottie or Denny Higgins’ family restaurant business serving fresh oysters either raw or cooked on request; as well as classic Creole dishes such as Jambalaya or Crawfish Etouffee.
Jean Lafitte himself may also make an appearance here – his ghost has been seen roaming dark corners near the fireplace and ordering Jack & Cokes from bartenders – perhaps searching for treasure he may have hidden here?
The Hotel Monteleone
The Hotel Monteleone has hosted authors and movie stars alike, but also is considered one of the most haunted hotels in New Orleans; staff and guests have reported hearing ghostly chatter, sound of doors being pulled open/closed, as well as childish screams at night.
During yellow fever epidemics, the hotel served as a hospital and many people passed away there; their bodies left behind are thought to still linger there today; some guests even report seeing ghostly figures playing with television sets in their rooms!
International Society of Paranormal Research conducted an investigation at this hotel and discovered multiple spirits were still living here, such as that of a young boy dying of yellow fever, his parents, and even servants from its past who still reside here.
Jimani Lounge
New Orleans is an evocative city full of history. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, crime, death, and natural disasters plagued it relentlessly – no surprise then that haunted spots can be found throughout this historic metropolis.
The Jimani Lounge in New Orleans is one of the city’s most haunted bars. Once known as UpStairs Lounge, it served gay patrons up until 1973 when it burned down, killing its owner and many other victims in its path. According to reports, their spirits still haunt this haunted location.
Its unsettling atmosphere can also be traced to its former life as a morgue-type structure where bodies were kept until being transported to St Louis Cemetery for burial. This kind of haunting, known as residual, often manifests itself in areas that have witnessed numerous traumatizing events; ghostly presences may manifest themselves through noises, smells and sensations of cold air.
St. Louis Cathedral
While the Cathedral is one of New Orleans’s most stunning structures, it also ranks highly on New Orleans’ list of haunted locations. Many ghostly apparitions seen here were once interred in its cemetery; many believe they continue to roam about ensuring they stay close to where their remains rest in peace.
Pere Antoine is one of the most frequently seen ghosts around, having served as beloved pastor prior to his death in 1829. Often seen pacing along an alley running behind the Cathedral wearing his trademark Capuchin black and sandals attire.
Delphine LaLaurie, who worshiped at the Cathedral during its early 1800s days and is said to still roam its aisles today, can also be seen. Cathedrals should respect any ghostly presences here by keeping noise to a minimum or taking pictures without taking too many, however. All-in-all, New Orleans Cathedral should not be missed!
