Muriel’s Seance Room

I did not want to leave this lounge. It is gorgeous, spooky, mysterious, and where I’d like to live out the rest of my days. Do NOT go to New Orleans without stopping by Muriels and visiting the Seance Lounge upstairs.

New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

This pharmacy museum was the first legitimate pharmacy in the country. It also has a sadly disturbing history, but I’ll let you discover what that history is on your own. Visit the museum located in the French Quarter to see early medical and herbal tools.

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum

If you want to learn about New Orleans Voodoo practices, I suggest going here. The museum offers walking tours, a museum walkthrough, and more. For a touristy experience, head to Marie LaVeau’s House of Voodoo, and for a more authentic experience, head here!

Cemeteries

There is no shortage of cemeteries in New Orleans. You might have the most trouble deciding which ones to visit. There are Lafayette Cemeteries 1 & 2, St. Louis Cemeteries 1, 2, and 3. Metairie Cemetery, Greenwood, Holt, St. Roch and more. The Lafayette Cemeteries are probably the most popular, but there are so many other gorgeous ones as well. I suggest deciding what it is about cemeteries you enjoy, and seeing which one best fits your needs from there. Many people want to see Marie LaVeau’s grave, or Nicolas Cage’s pyramid tomb, but that might not be your thing. Luckily, there are tons of Cities of the Dead to choose from.

Ghost, True Crime, or Vampire Tour

Like in most cities with some haunted history, there are tons of tours to take in New Orleans. Ghost tours, killers and thrillers tours, voodoo tours, haunted pub crawls, and more. Check out this article for. a list of tours with links to book included.

The Museum of Death

The Museum of Death is open daily. If you’ve never been, be prepared for some very graphic crime scene photos including infamous crime scenes/high profile deaths. I do not recommend this museum for the faint of heart! Photography and videography is prohibited in order to maintain respect for the deceased, so please abide by the rules. **The L.A. location is relocating and has been closed for a while now. This is currently the only Museum of Death that is open.

Mortuary

The Mortuary is a Victorian Mansion that doubles as a haunted attraction in October. What started off as a family home was eventually sold and turned into a mortuary. The mansion was equipped with an embalming room, autopsy room, storage room, casket storage and sales area, and a crematorium! It was sold again and turned into a day spa, then emptied and gutted, remaining abandoned for three years. It was most recently purchased and turned into a haunted house during spooky season. There have also been several paranormal investigators who have explored the property.

The LaLaurie Mansion

If you know your true crime or dark history, you’ll know about this place. If you’re also an AHS fan, you’ll know about this place. Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a menacing woman who horribly mistreated enslaved people. Her actions were eventually discovered, but she fled to France never to face consequences for her atrocious actions. It is supposedly haunted but is not open to the public.

Boutique Du Vampyre

This vampire shop has some unique items like holy water and themed wine bottles. They also provide custom fang making through a third party fang maker. I got a great set there a year ago and have used the several times so far. For fangs, speak to a store associate as you do need an appointment in advance.

Potions Lounge (a “Vampire Speakeasy”)

This speakeasy has a secret location that will only be revealed by first visiting either Boutique Du Vampyre, or The Vampire Cafe. Once you’ve secured the location and password, enjoy themed drinks in a moody setting or get a tea leaf reading.

St. Louis Cathedral

Founded in 1720, St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square is the oldest Cathedral in continuous use in North America! Not only the is the architecture stunning, buy, you guessed it….it’s supposedly one of the most haunted locations in NOLA. The Cathedral is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Buckner Mansion

If you’re a fan of American Horror Story, or just beautiful architecture, this is a must! You cannot access the interior as it is a private residence, but you can view the outside of this iconic house that was used as Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Girls in Coven, Season 3 of AHS.

Bloody Mary’s Haunted Museum

Bloody Mary’s offer so much-unique tours, access to haunted houses, unique sites and more. The Dead and Famous Tour brings you to notable graves in the cemetery, while the French Quarter Supernatural tour is entirely different. Please note that there is some controversy over Bloody Mary’s as they do tour a former scene of domestic violence and murder. The apartment above the museum was the location where these events took place, so do use discretion and your own judgement if booking a tour with them, and especially one that might include that spot.

The Goat

I decided to include The Goat in “spooky spots” since it hosts dark markets.Other than that, it is a dive bar that has live music including metal and punk. There’s a bar and a dance floor making this a great little nighttime spot if you’re looking to have a few drinks, enjoy the tunes, and let loose.

Casket Girls Tale

This tale is fun, but rumored to be just that…a tale. The story goes that. Casket Girls simply refers to women with suitcases. Cassette’s were the suitcases, and the word morphed over time into casquette, which translates to casket. These women traveled to French colonies in America. The Ursuline Convent, which is shown in the image to the left, was a pace where casket girls could stay until they married. It said that each third-floor window’s shutters are nailed shut with nails blessed by the Pope. Yet residents have seen those shuttered windows fly open on their own. The legend goes that the women were vampires, and would escape through the windows to feast on the people of New Orleans.

Bayou Tour

One of my irrational fears is being dragged underwater by an alligator. I’m a New Yorker. There are no alligators in NY, so go figure, but this tour was both terrifying and thrilling for me. I got to pet an alligator’s tail, and hold a baby alligator, though I’m not sure how I feel about that considering the likely fate of that baby alligator who was probably from an alligator farm=(

Anywho…you can’t do New Orleans without a swamp tour! Our guide was fantastic, and taught us about the alligator’s habits, other animals in the area, and exactly how big one would have to get in order to successfully drag someone under. (Yes, I asked.) You’ll have to drive out of the city to the tours, so plan for a day trip. It is well worth it!

Garden District

The Garden District was hands down one of my favorite spots we visited. If you love picturesque homes, historic homes, architecture, and stunning verandas, this is definitely a place to take an afternoon stroll. It’s a quiet, pristine neighborhood with plenty of eye candy in the form of houses.

Bourbon Street

Bourbon Street is a love it or leave it type of place. It was nice to walk down during the day, and some of the shops and locations listed in this guide are either on or near Bourbon Street. That being said, Bourbon Street at NIGHT is a place I could go without ever seeing again. If you’re into nightlife then I guess it’s a good place to be, but it was one of the most chaotic and unsafe feeling places I’ve been, and that was before we found out that someone got shot inside one of the nightclubs the night before we left. It was extremely crowded with so much going on that I was overstimulated. I’m also in my thirties, and am passed the clubbing scene so you may find it more fun if you’re still into that.

The Dungeon

The Dungeon is a two story gothic bar. Metal music is mostly played and the aesthetic is on point. The best part? A jukebox playing all the tunes for the night! There are themed drinks like Witches Brew and Dragon’s Blood. Definitely add this to your list if you’re going for NOLA’s spooky side, which if you’re reading this guide, you probably are!

Carousel Bar & Lounge

Located in Hotel Monteleone, this bar is pretty unique. It is the only rotating bar in New Orleans. It takes fifteen minutes to make one rotation, so it is a very slow carousel, but worth checking out. The drinks were absolutely delicious. It does get crowded and seats are limited, so you may have to wait a bit before snagging a seat.

Cafe Du Monde

Head to cafe Du Monde for incredible beignets and coffee! Well, the coffee was just alright according to my friend (I don’t drink coffee,) but the beignets were delicious, fresh, soft, and tasty! We went in in the early evening around 3 or 4 and there was virtually no line, though I’ve heard that there can b an insane line here. Luckily that wasn’t the case for us. I highly recommend grabbing some beignets and coffee, and checking out the nearby sights like St. Louis’s Cathedral.

Commander’s Palace

Commander’s Palace is a highly recommended restaurant to eat at, which I didn’t know before we ate there, but I can definitely see why. We reserved the Sunday Jazz Brunch which was amazing. Live jazz musicians come around to every table and circulate the restaurant for a really authentic and fun experience.

Antoine’s Restaurant

Antoine’s is well known for being the birthplace of several tasty dishes. The restaurant also offers a jazz brunch, which I highly recommend! It is also still operated today by FIFTH generation relatives of Antoine Alciatore, the original founder! I would simply HAVE to eat in this gorgeous green and gold room next time I’m in New Orleans!

Sacred Grinds Coffee Shop

“Coffee to Wake the Dead!” This coffee shop has vegan options, is a ton of fun, and has a small patio that overlooks a cemetery! It’s also located right near Mortuary, another spot mentioned in this guide. I found out about this spot from Dixie (WitchVoid on social media) who is a New Orleans native, so check out her accounts for an in depth look at life in New Orleans!

Muriel’s

I cannot say enough good things about Muriel’s. The food was fantastic, the service was stellar, the ambience was just what I would expect for a jazzy New Orleans restaurant. It felt slightly fancy, just a little refined, but still casual enough to let loose and have a good time. If you have a larger party, you can reserve one of the wine vaults to dine in, which was an experience in itself. It was a private room with a curtain to close off the outside, and was right next to the seance lounge.

Bar Tonique

Tonique was the first freestandng cocktail bar n New Orleans! You can order craft cocktails, beer and wine. The location for this bar is just on the edge of the French Quarter-perfect for a cool cocktail after a day of exploring!

The Vampire Cafe

This cafe has blood themed drinks and a Vampire theme. You can get a drink based on blood type, or something different if you’re not ready to feed. It’s just around the corner from Boutique Du Vampyre, a neat little vampire shop.

La Petite Grocery

La Petite Grocery was built as a creole style cottage in the 1800’s that was originally The Central Tea, Coffee, and Butter Depot. It is currently open for lunch, dinner, and brunch. This place brings the nostalgia of old world New Orleans to customers and is definitely worth checking out!

The Elysian Bar

The Elysian, like most places in New Orleans, is gorgeous. There are several different spaces like the courtyard, multiple parlors, a cafe, bar, and atrium. The “church” is a beautiful event space for rent. The french rolled omelette on the brunch menu looks exquisite, and the cocktails look even better!

Laffite’s Blacksmith Shop

This bar is an historic landmark and structure at the corner of Bourbon and St. Phillips Streets. It is reported to be one of the most haunted places in New Orleans. I’ve been to Lafitte’s, but didn’t realize all of it’s history (and haunted history) at the time. I wish I had appreciated it more when I was there!

Preservation Hall

I absolutely love the fact that this creole style townhouse looks like nothing special from the outside, unless you love old buildings, but it is one of the best places for live jazz. There’s something going on here every night and it’s always worth stopping in! Don’t be discouraged by the exterior-a lot of buildings and bars in the French Quarter are very old, which gives the area all the character and charm it has!