Daring enough to take a ghost or voodoo tour in America’s most haunted city? Hoping to be scared senseless? Here are some ways to go about it.
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New Orleans has long attracted practitioners of the occult. Throughout its tumultuous colonial history its importance as a port meant traders, victims of slavery, roving pirates, and all manner of travelers passed through the city. Somewhere along the way, Wiccans, voodoo practitioners and professed vampires found their place in New Orleans, too. And you can learn all about this other side of New Orleans life on one of the city’s many haunted tours. Here are five of the best, taking many factors into account, including scares, value for money, previous customer reviews, and of course, chances of survival.
New Orleans Haunted History Ghost Tour
The oldest neighborhoods of New Orleans have many a grisly story to tell. This two-hour guided walking tour leads you through the old French Quarter (Vieux Carré). Explore the most haunted alleys and streets of the city, where ghouls and spirits have been spotted and documented. You will stop at various locations where your ghost hunter guide will recount some of the most macabre events of yore, plus visit a voodoo shop and a haunted bar. Daily departures are available. From $25 per person.
New Orleans Ghost, Voodoo and Vampires Walking Tour
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Encompassing all things paranormal, the Ghost, Voodoo and Vampires tour offers plenty for lovers of all beings from this world and its spectral counterpart to sink their teeth into. During the two-hour walking tour, which takes place at night through the French Quarter, you’ll get to see the real-life inspirations behind many of the great US horror films and TV series. Hear of the real-life inspiration behind many of the American Horror Story characters, such as that of Kathy Bates in Coven. Popular stops on the walk include LaLaurie Mansion and St Germaine House. From $29 per person.
New Orleans Cemeteries: Insiders Walking Tour
You can learn a lot about the history of New Orleans by taking a tour of three of the city’s cemeteries. Explore the tombs, learning about the city’s past inhabitants and the important moments in New Orleans’ history, such as Hurricane Katrina. You’ll visit the St Patrick, Charity Hospital, and Masonic cemeteries over the 90-minute tour, which departs daily. Please note that this tour is less about hauntings and more about the past, in order to maintain an air of reverence at the graves of our ancestors. From $35 per person.
Night Cemetery and Ghost BYOB Tour of New Orleans
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
If you’d like to take a haunted tour of New Orleans that delves deeper into the unexplained legends and phenomena of New Orleans, this option might be the one for you. You’ll be handed EMF readers and dowsing rods, key tools in the ghost hunter’s kit, to help you actively search for frequencies of the afterlife near some of the Big Easy’s many burial grounds and cemeteries. As the title suggests, folks like to have a good drink on this tour as well. Don’t forget to bring your own booze. From $40 per person.
New Orleans Dead of Night Ghosts and Haunts Bus Tour
All of that haunting and frightening may sound like a bit too much excitement for one long walk. Luckily there is an alternative haunted tour of New Orleans by bus. Take a night-time drive around the city’s most haunted sites, getting further afield than the walking tours can manage. As such, expect to visit a series of New Orleans highlights from the French Quarter to the cemeteries. There are two departures daily throughout the year at 7pm and 9:30pm. From $45 per person.