Halloween Experts

Ask any paranormal enthusiasts their opinions of the most haunted city in America, and the answer will be a resounding “New Orleans!” Originally claimed for France by explorers in 1682, the city of La Nouvelle Orleans was established between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River in 1718. The colonists who settled the city were French, French Canadian, German, Spanish, Creole, the buckskin-clad frontiersmen from upriver, called the “Kaintocks”, slaves and free people of color. A busy port city, it was frequented by Caribbean pirates and adventurers. It grew up to be the city steeped in legends of witchcraft, voodoo and occult mysteries.

The city currently hosts a number of haunted tours. Depending on your interest, you can visit the cemeteries, which are particularly eerie. These old graveyards feature above ground burials, small mausoleums and crypts which give the impression of walking through the cities of the dead. According to legend, many of the cemeteries are hubs of paranormal activity. These same tours will escort you to places of interest in the legends of Voodoo in New Orleans. If neither of these interest you, Ghost and Vampire tours are also offered. The latter became wildly popular after New Orleans resident, Anne Rice, set many of her Vampire novels in the city.

A few of the many ghosts that you might encounter on your visit, include:

The Naked Ghost, who is, allegedly, the spirit of a young slave girl who fell in love with her master. In an effort to convince him to marry her, she went, naked, to the roof of his house and froze to death during the long, cold night.

Marguerite, the Ghost of the French Opera House, who was an aging Madam who lived near the Opera House. When her young lover was unfaithful, she killed herself, but swore revenge from beyond the grave. For over 100 years, her spirit, white haired and sobbing, is said to walk from the Opera House to the boarding house where the murders of her lover and his lady friend occurred.

The LaLaurie ghosts, in the French Quarter, are purportedly the spirits of Madame LaLaurie, and her household slaves, whom she tortured, some say, to death.

The infamous Marie Leveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans

Official Halloween activities in New Orleans include a huge, Mardi Gras-like parade, a Haunted Fun House, and Monster Bash costumed ball. Additionally, a special Halloween event called the Endless Night is held in New Orleans for the Lazarus Project, a fund raising effort for AIDS research.