Hotel St. Pierre - New Orleans, LA (A Gumbo of Hauntings)

911 Burgundy St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.961746,-90.065805

www.frenchquarterinns.com/hotelstpierre 

 
It goes without arguing that New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz music. To be even more specific and pinpoint the actual geographical center of this incredible music, one must look no further than the iconic Louis Armstrong Memorial Park, located in the Tremé part of the city. Situated in the center of the park is the historic Congo Square. It is here where slaves congregated on Sunday’s, their one day off, dating back from the early 1700’s. The weekly events were filled with native music, dance, food and crafts. The tradition would continue for years to come, inspiring hundreds to become jazz musicians who would incorporate the culture and history they experienced from Congo Square into their songs. Walking through this park, one can undoubtedly feel the immense amount of energy left behind from years gone by.

French Market Inn - New Orleans, LA (The Baroness and the Bloody Handprints)

Photo courtesy of www.frenchmarketinn.com

501 Decatur St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.955275,-90.064234

www.frenchmarketinn.com 

            A quick stroll down Decatur Street and you will quickly see this is the busiest street in the French Quarter. With plenty of two-way traffic, street performers, artists and horse carriages, it’s hard to stop and smell the roses; or shall I say the horse manure! In the 1800’s this area was also known as a rough and rugged place, not always housing society’s finest. Located close to the river, this area was a regular hangout for thieves, prostitutes and other unfortunates of the time. Ironically, this area is also home to the picturesque Jackson Square. As you wander down Decatur, amidst the commotion, you may encounter an interesting little inn, rumored to have some very unique paranormal activity.

Dauphine House B&B - New Orleans, LA (The Heart of Marigny)

1830 Dauphine St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.965197,-90.060367

www.dauphinehouse.com

            Just a few blocks away from the French Quarter, you will find the small neighborhood of Faubourg Marigny. Established in the 1800's by a Creole millionaire Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, this area was a known spot where wealthy Creole men would provide a place to stay for their quadroon mistresses and their offspring. Situated in what is now simply known as New Marigny, stands a small bed and breakfast with quite an extensive guest list, even when the home appears to be empty!
            The Dauphine House Bed and Breakfast is the perfect place to stay if you want easy access to the French Quarter, while still feeling as though you are off the beaten path. Built in 1860, this small inn has been through several different hands with no valid reports of significant deaths or incidents occurring. However, this does not stop the Dauphine House from being haunted. In fact, this home is said to contain several spirits; as many as five!

Inn on St. Anne - New Orleans, LA (The Home of Marie Laveau)

1013 Saint Anne St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.960915,-90.066964

http://www.frenchquarterguesthouses.com/stann-en.html

*Photos courtesy of www.frenchquarterguesthouses.com  
           When people think of New Orleans, one of the first things they think of, other than the Saints of course, is Voodoo. For centuries, Voodoo has played a prominent part in the culture that makes up the Crescent City in addition to other parts of the state. The religion originated from the west African Yoruba people who lived in eighteenth and nineteenth century Dahomey. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies. Hoodoo refers to African traditional folk magic. A rich magical tradition which was indigenous to ancient African cultures, its practice was imported when mainly West Africans were enslaved and brought to the United States. As the practice seemed too taboo, slaves were banned from practicing the religion, so they looked for ways to mask it. As mentioned earlier with Magnolia Plantation, they did so by incorporating large amounts of French and Spanish Catholicism into their worship, which is why many of the Voodoo Lwa, or Gods, are symbolized by Catholic Saints such as St. Peter, St. Michael and St. Christopher.

Cornstalk Hotel - New Orleans, LA (The Mischievous Spirit and the Vegetable Fence)

915 Royal St. 

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.960027,-90.063193

www.cornstalkhotel.com

Anyone who has ever taken a daytime stroll through the French Quarters can agree that the architecture is simply beautiful. It really is a melting pot of multiple building styles all thrown together to make for some pretty interesting locations. On any given block, examples of Moorish, Baroque, Spanish, Creole and Caribbean designs can be easily spotted. Some of these designs may not even follow a tradition style, as they are simply just unique in themselves. One home in particular that is found in the French Quarters not only sticks out due its own structure, but it garners attention due to its one of a kind fence!
Trust me, there are some unique fences in this part of town but that is because they are primarily there to inflict pain, as opposed to pleasure. As a deterrent to vandals, burglars and birds, many of the homes in the area have fences either wrapped in barbed wire or even hold huge shards of glass, protruding from the top edge. This is a hell of a way to keep people from trying to climb their fences. However, putting human torture to the side just for now, I will focus on the intricately ornate fence, and its haunted home, found at 915 Royal Street.

Columns Hotel - New Orleans, LA (Haunted Home or Antiques?)

3811 St. Charles Ave. 

New Orleans, LA 70115

29.927379,-90.096146

www.thecolumns.com

Blocks away from the bustling French Quarter and deep into the Garden District sits Saint Charles Avenue. This area features some of the most beautiful and historical homes in the city, many of which have been owned by celebrities over time such as John Goodman, Anne Rice and Trent Reznor. As the sounds of the streetcars pass you by, looking up into the centuries-old oak trees you can see evidence of past Mardi Gras parades gone by, as the last few years of abandoned beads that are still entangled into the tree limbs. This portion of the city also holds quite a few great hotels if you are truly wanting a vacation filled with peace and quiet.

Castle Inn - New Orleans, LA

Photo courtesy of www.salemcat.deviantart.com 

1539 4th St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.930666,-90.084573

Another beautiful home that quietly sits tucked away in the upscale Garden District is the Castle Inn. Although the Inn has been a popular bed and breakfast since 1950, recent research has found that it may now be closed to the general public. Apparently there were some issues amongst the owners and the Garden District Association, who unfortunately revoked the Inn’s license. This is sad to hear, as it’s always a shame to hear such historic homes being shut off from the public due to unnecessary bickering from the powers that be. Fortunately the owners operate another bed and breakfast in the area known as the Creole Gardens, so be sure and pay them a visit.
As one would ask “Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?” can anyone guess what year the 1891 Castle Inn was built? If you guessed 1927, then maybe it’s time to put your computer down and call it a night! From 1891 until 1950, the Inn was a private residence. There are rumored to be a minimum of at least two spirits that still haunt the home.

Biscuit Palace - New Orleans, LA (Hands Off My Buns!)

730 Dumaine St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.960067,-90.063955

www.biscuitpalace.com

            Don’t let the name fool you, as the Biscuit Palace is not a low-rent strip club full of big-bottomed women; however that would be an awesome name for one! Hell, if I ever win the lottery, the club may make for a good investment, as I’m sure there would be many in the market for such a thing. I can see the slogan now: 

           “The Biscuit Palace: You bring the jam, we do the buttering!”

            Despite my lame attempt at levity, the beautiful creole mansion known as the Biscuit Palace was built in 1820 for Christian Rosaleus and his family. Christian was a very prominent lawyer and ultimately became the founder of the very prestigious Tulane University School of Law. The home gets its unique name from the exterior brick façade, which once served as a giant billboard for the National Biscuit Company and its catchy slogan “Uneeda Biscuit”.

Andrew Jackson Hotel - New Orleans, LA (The Haunted Hotbed of New Orleans)

919 Royal St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.96005,-90.062989

www.frenchquarterinns.com/andrewjackson

            With a little under sixty locations covered so far in this blog, we now reach the city of New Orleans, said to be the most haunted city in the United States. This claim may very well be true, as you will see that New Orleans makes up nearly half of the state’s paranormal hot spots. I have always been so fascinated with New Orleans and the plethora of history it contains. It's almost as if New Orleans was founded on the simple goal of becoming a haunted city a century or so later. Settled in 1718, New Orleans literally served as dumping grounds for the worst that society had to offer. Murderers, rapists and thieves from all over the world basically fled to New Orleans as a safe haven. Throw in the fact that the city was already home to clashing cultures such as French, Spanish and Irish; New Orleans was a ticking time bomb.
             As most people know, most of these haunts originate from the French Quarter. What many may not know is that almost every location in the French Quarter is built over something that once stood prior to 1788. It was on Good Friday, March 21, 1788, when the Great New Orleans Fire began, destroying eight hundred and fifty-six of the one thousand one hundred structures in the city! Said to have started at the location that is now 619 Chartres Street, the home of Army Treasurer Don Vincente Jose Nunez, nearly the entire city was destroyed in five hours! Due to this fact, it is often impossible to pinpoint the origin of many of the French Quarter hauntings. Such is the case with our first location, as a building historically known for one event is haunted due to a completely different happening in a building that once stood here.