Although Halloween has already come and gone, the chilly fall air and dark nights have left many people still thinking about ghosts and scary stories. It is part of the spirit of fall—we delight in terrifying ourselves by reading spooky ghost stories under the covers by flashlight or by watching horror films with friends. And when you live in New Orleans, which is commonly considered the most haunted city in the US, ghost stories are everywhere, just waiting to be told. New Orleans has good reason to be considered haunted, even if you don’t believe in ghosts—it has been home to many catastrophes like hurricanes, fires, war, and epidemics, since it is also a very old and historical place. Here, you can find people who believe in not only ghosts, but vampires, zombies, and of course—voodoo. Throw in the fact that New Orleans has been home to interesting characters like voodoo queen Marie Laveau and the pirate Jean Lafitte, ancient old homes and buildings, and creepy yet beautiful above-ground cemeteries, it’s no wonder that, as one travel critic put it, New Orleans is the perfect “paranormal gumbo.” So since the arrival of fall has left many of us in the mood to be spooked, and we live in the perfect city to do so, here is a list of three interesting scary stories from New Orleans.
- The Sultan’s PalaceÂ
As the legend goes, a wealthy plantation owner rented out his home in the city to a Turkish man who claimed to be the sultan of a middle-eastern country. He brought along with him many family members, as well as dozens of servants and his harem. The house was redecorated in Turkish style and the front doors pad-locked and guarded by servants at all times, which was of course very unusual. Due to the large number of people that lived there and the parties the sultan threw, the house was always very noisy, so when a neighbor passed by one morning and it was silent, he was concerned. The police were called, and upon entering the house, they realized that everyone in the sultan’s household had been murdered, and the sultan had been buried alive. At first, police suspected pirates, but later discovered that the sultan was not actually a sultan at all—he was the brother of one, and had stolen treasure from him and then escaped to New Orleans. His brother’s henchmen tracked him down and killed him and his family to get revenge. Today, people report hearing screams in the night, as well as music and the smell of incense.
- The Frenchman’s MistressÂ
As this ghost story goes, there was once a beautiful girl named Julie who was the mistress of a wealthy French nobleman in the early 1800’s. She lived in a beautiful house on Royal Street and was taken care of by him. She had servants, fancy clothing, and fine food. The two were in love, but to marry a woman who was 1/8th African-American was unthinkable. But Julie kept asking for marriage, so the nobleman agreed—but only under the condition that she would spend the night on the roof outside, in the rain, in the middle of winter. He was sure that she would stay outside for a little while and then give up, and the bet would be off. But he fell asleep waiting for her to come inside, and in the morning he found her dead on her balcony. People today say that on the coldest nights in December, Julie can be seen pacing the roof of her house on Royal Street.
- The Lalaurie HouseÂ
One of the better-known horror stories from New Orleans, Delphine Lalaurie and her third husband, Dr. Lalaurie, were well-known for their lavish galas and parties thrown from their spectacular home on Royal Street. Madame Lalaurie was known to be a gracious and captivating hostess, but there were also rumors that she treated her slaves very cruelly. The Lalaurie’s denied the rumors, but one day a neighbor witnessed Delphine chasing a young slave girl in the yard with a whip. The girl ran inside the house and up the stairs, and when she reached the balcony with Delphine right behind her, she jumped to her death. Tired of the Lalaurie’s abuse, an older slave set fire to the kitchen. When the firefighters and neighbors came to extinguish it and help the Lalaurie’s save their possessions, they were horrified to find that slaves had been chained and locked in the attic, and were victims of long-time abuse. Some reports even say that the slaves had been medically experimented on, though those are less reputable. After her slaves were set free and the stories of her cruelty spread through New Orleans, people were calling for Delphine and her husband to be punished, so the Lalaurie’s escaped to Paris in the middle of the night. Today, the Lalaurie’s home on Royal Street is said to bring nine years of bad luck to anyone foolish enough to purchase it, and it is also reported to be haunted by the slaves that Delphine and her husband killed.
So regardless of whether they actually believe in ghosts or not, most people love a good ghost story. But we here in New Orleans are lucky, because the stories take place in our own city—which makes them infinitely more scary and exciting. So the next time you’re looking for something to scare you, take a ride on the street car and explore these haunted locations.
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