The Most Haunted Places in Louisiana

There are few places that can boast a haunted history on par with the voodoo capital of the United States: Louisiana. Rich in Creole history, the haunted places in Louisiana attract thousands of ghost hunters every year. Let’s take a look at 10 haunted places in Louisiana that have made even the staunchest skeptics into believers.

10. Haunted Places in Louisiana – The Dauphine Orleans Hotel

The Dauphine Orleans Hotel in New Orleans has the distinction of being one of the most haunted places in Louisiana as well as one of the oldest. Several of the hotel’s structures date back as far as 1775. With this much history, it is unsurprising that a number of spirits call the property home.

One commonly spotted ghost is that of a woman that many believe worked at the bordello that used to operate on the property. Many visitors to the hotel have spotted a woman wearing period clothing and dancing around the hotel’s courtyard. The dancing is typically described as whimsical, manic, and lightning-fast.

Another spirit that lingers at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel wanders the grounds wearing a military uniform. Those who have spotted him state that he appears to be of Creole origin and that he is most often seen in the courtyard. Some believe that the soldier was a former patron of the bordello.

9. Arnaud’s Restaurant

Many haunted places in Louisiana have ghostly presences from eras gone by. One such place is Arnaud’s Restaurant in New Orleans. The staff of the restaurant often report spotting men in vintage tuxedos standing near the bar. They hypothesize that they are the ghosts of former patrons or waiters. Some staff members have also spotted a woman wearing elegant clothing and a large hat leaving the ladies room and walking straight through a wall.

However, one of the most bizarre experiences reported by the staff occurred when the restaurant’s accountant was alone conducting an inventory in the wee hours of the morning. The man reported feeling a distinct drop in temperature emanating from one side of the bar. When he turned to investigate, he immediately spotted a half-full liquor glass resting on the previously empty bar. He was so shaken by the experience that he immediately fled the restaurant. Not known for fabricating stories, the man’s tale has shaken even the fiercest skeptics.

8. Haunted Places in Louisiana – The USS Kidd

Places touched by war are often hotbeds of paranormal activity. Soldiers and other victims of wartime violence frequently remain tethered to the mortal plane because of the brutal and painful natures of their deaths. One spot that witnessed its share of wartime violence is the USS Kidd, a naval destroyer docked in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The ship serves as a war memorial and is open to the public for tours.

The destroyer saw battle in two significant conflicts: World War II and the Korean War. However, it appears that most of its ghostly inhabitants fought during the former conflict. Visitors and staff report spotting men in WWII-era uniforms on the deck and in various rooms throughout the ship. Visitors who take photos also regularly find unexplainable anomalies in their pictures, such as orbs or mysterious figures.

During WWII, the USS Kidd was kit by a kamikaze pilot. The attack resulted in the deaths of 38 crew members. Many believe that these souls are the ones still trapped aboard the destroyer.

7. The Magnolia Plantation

The Magnolia Plantation in Derry is one of many haunted places in Louisiana that serve as a throwback to the days when cotton and tobacco made the region prosper. Unfortunately, plantations such as this also carry a dark history of slavery, and it is this history that has left the plantation riddled with ghostly activity.

The main plantation house was badly damaged during the Civil War. When the house was rebuilt, carpenters used wood from the slave quarters to construct the walls. Many believe that the wood absorbed the suffering of the slaves who were forced to live and work under cruel conditions for many years, and that these preserved memories haunt the grounds. Visitors to the plantation regularly see ghostly figures wandering the through the plantation’s main house. Visitors also report hearing disembodied voices and screams echoing through the halls that serve as a reminder of the plantation’s sordid past.

6. The Houmas House Plantation and Gardens

The Houmas House in Darrow is another plantation that has a spot among the most haunted places in Louisiana. Unlike the Magnolia Plantation, the hauntings at Houmas House are not rooted in the south’s history of slavery. Instead, the tales surrounding this plantation focus on the large trees that line the road leading up to the main house’s entrance.

The house rests close to the edge of a river, and after a large flood in 1927, work began on a levee to contain future floodwaters. The construction required the demolition of several of the property’s stately trees. Several members of the crew decided to take advantage of the situation by illegally selling the lumber. All 16 of these men died soon after while working on the levee.

The next day, the plantation caretakers were shocked to see that the 8 remaining trees were now stooped over, their branches hanging low to the ground. According to the legend, the souls of the 16 profiteers are now trapped in the trees where they remain to this day.

5. Haunted Places in Louisiana – St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

New Orleans is home to several old cemeteries, all of which feature eerie architecture and their own unique ghost stories. However, the most haunted among them is St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. While there are several famous Louisiana natives interred in this cemetery, there is one in particular that has made the boneyard one of the most haunted places in Louisiana. She goes by the name of Marie Laveau.

Laveau was known throughout New Orleans in the 1800s for her occult powers. She became the city’s most famous and powerful voodoo priestess, and residents from all walks of life came to her for help.

Many believers still visit her tomb, marking it with three Xs while asking for her favor. Visitors report seeing her spirit walking through the cemetery, identified by the red and white turban that she wore around her head. It is said that visitors who don’t believe in her powers will feel scratches and pinches after seeing her ghostly form.

4. Manchac Swamp

Marie Laveau may have been the most famous voodoo priestess residing in New Orleans, but she wasn’t always the most frightening. Just ask anyone who has encountered the spirit of voodoo priestess Julia Brown.

In life, Brown resided near the Manchac Swamp and was known for making cryptic predictions about the impending deaths of other locals. Her most famous prediction came shortly before her own death when she was heard to say, “One day I’m gonna die, and I’m gonna take all of you with me.” Shortly after Brown was buried, a hurricane devastated the area. Three villages were destroyed and hundreds of lives were lost.

Today, visitors to the Manchac Swamp have reported that Brown’s terrifying spirit still lingers. Those exploring the swamp are often terrified to hear blood-curdling screams or the sound of Brown’s voice singing cryptic and frightening songs.

3. The Old EA Conway Memorial Hospital

The old EA Conway Memorial Hospital in Monroe has been abandoned for decades. A new hospital with the same name was built in 1987, so the old hospital sits abandoned and slowly falling apart.

Although this hospital no longer serves patients, there are apparently still patients residing in the run-down rooms. These patients are those that died while staying in the hospital and whose spirits remained trapped.

Ghost hunters regularly visit this site, stating that there are huge numbers of ghosts that have made the hospital their haunt. Anyone who dares to explore the abandoned building will likely spot the ghostly forms of former patients moving through the halls and hear the eerie creaking of the old, rusted hospital beds.

2. Haunted Places in Louisiana – Ellerbe Road School

Plantations aren’t the only sites in Louisiana that belie the state’s racist past. The Ellerbe Road School in Caddo Parish operated as a segregated school for black children in the 1950s and 60s. According to the the legends about the school, segregation was only the beginning of the injustices faced by the students.

Legends state that the school’s janitor regularly abducted and tortured students. No one is certain what happened to the students, but many posit that they were killed and that their spirits still linger in the abandoned building. Visitors have recorded the screams of children and the eerie voice of an old man while touring the decrepit building.

As a result of these legends, the school became a popular site for satanic rituals. Recent visitors to the building have reported pentagrams and evidence of ritual sacrifice, adding the possible presence of demonic entities to the school’s already haunted halls.

1. LaLaurie Mansion

The LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans is haunted by one of the most barbaric and disturbing histories to come from the slave era in the American south. The mansion was the home of Marie Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite and owner of numerous slaves. Throughout her life, she was plagued by rumors of her excessive cruelty to her slaves.

In 1834, New Orleans was horrified when the mansion caught fire, leading to a gruesome discovery. When rescuers broke down the mansion’s locked doors to evacuate anyone left inside, they found a slave chained to the stove. She stated that she had started the fire intentionally to kill herself and escape her mistress’s cruelty.

On the mansion’s top level, the rescuers came upon an even more horrifying sight: seven slaves were found suspended by their necks, badly mutilated and barely alive.

When word spread of the cruelty, a mob descended on the house and destroyed it. However, another mansion was later built on the same site. It is this building that many believe is haunted by the former slaves who were tortured and killed by the LaLauries. Visitors have reported feeling the violent touches of ghostly hands, and a medium stated that there is a dark demonic entity that resides within the building’s walls.