New Orleans: Voodoo, Mystery and Paranormal Tour

The most interesting part of this two-hour walk is the mix of documented New Orleans history and supernatural lore. You move through the French Quarter with a paranormal detector in hand, stopping at places linked to unsolved crimes, reported ghosts, voodoo traditions, vampires, and old burial customs. Coty, Cody, and Ashli have all led versions of the tour, and the strongest feature is the storytelling.

I like the way the tour covers more than haunted houses. You see major landmarks such as St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, The Cabildo, and The Presbytere while hearing the darker stories behind the streets. I also like the optional drink stops, which make the walk feel relaxed rather than tightly controlled.

The main drawback is that this is an outdoor walking tour in an old quarter, so expect uneven streets, weather exposure, and no guaranteed access inside haunted buildings. The paranormal equipment adds fun, but this experience works best if you enjoy folklore and theatrical storytelling rather than expecting scientific proof.

Key points to know before you book

• More than 15 French Quarter locations: The route includes St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, The Cabildo, The Presbytere, the Old Ursuline Convent, the Sultan’s Palace, and the LaLaurie Mansion.
• A paranormal detector for the walk: You receive an EMF meter or similar ghost detector, with a $250 charge for lost or damaged equipment.
• History comes before the scares: The guide explains Spanish colonial architecture, burial customs, murders, suicides, voodoo, and vampire legends.
• Optional drink stops: You may stop to buy drinks to go, but drinks are not included and some bars do not allow children inside.
• Strong guide-led experience: Past guides have included Coty, Cody, and Ashli, with praise focused on humor, local detail, and the ability to answer questions.
• Good value at $23: The price is low for a two-hour, guide-led tour covering a wide section of the French Quarter.

A dark walk through the French Quarter

New Orleans does not need much help looking mysterious. Gas lamps, courtyards, iron balconies, old brick walls, and narrow streets already give the French Quarter a dramatic setting. This tour uses that atmosphere as a starting point, then adds stories of death, spiritual practice, violence, and unexplained events.

You meet on the sidewalk by the gate of the courtyard attached to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street. Do not go inside the bar looking for the tour desk. The company is separate from the bar, and the bartenders do not run the tour or provide tour information.

At the start, your guide gives you an EMF meter or another paranormal detector to use during the walk. The equipment is part of the entertainment, but it also gives the group something practical to do as you move between stories. Keep hold of it carefully, since damaged or lost equipment can bring a $250 fee.

The tour visits more than 15 sites. The exact order can vary, and the two-hour duration is approximate, but the route is built around the French Quarter’s most recognizable historic places and its best-known supernatural tales.

St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, and colonial New Orleans

St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square provide a strong opening to the historic side of the tour. The cathedral is one of the most familiar sights in New Orleans, while the square brings together religious, civic, and colonial elements in one compact area.

You also visit The Cabildo, the former seat of the colonial government. Its importance is not only architectural. It helps explain how New Orleans developed under Spanish and French influence, and why the French Quarter has such a distinct blend of European, Caribbean, and American traditions.

The Presbytere adds another architectural stop. It is known for its Spanish colonial design, and the tour uses sites like this to connect the ghost stories to the real setting around you. That matters because you are not simply walking from one spooky address to another. You are learning how the city’s buildings, institutions, and customs created the backdrop for the legends.

Jackson Square can be busy, especially around the central parts of the French Quarter. A guide who can keep a group together and speak clearly matters here. Past praise for Coty, Cody, and Ashli has focused on their ability to keep the story moving while still taking questions.

The Old Ursuline Convent and the Sultan’s Palace

The Old Ursuline Convent brings another layer of New Orleans history into the walk. Old religious buildings often attract ghost stories, but the value here is also visual. The convent helps you see how early residents lived, worshipped, and organized life in the colonial city.

The Sultan’s Palace shifts the mood toward one of the French Quarter’s most notorious legends. The site is linked to a story of mass murder, and the guide explains how that tale became part of the neighborhood’s supernatural reputation.

This is a good example of the tour’s general approach. You hear the legend, but you also get a sense of how stories become attached to particular buildings. Some accounts are presented as documented events, while others belong more clearly to folklore. If you like your ghost tours to separate fact from legend, listen closely to the wording and ask questions.

The tour encourages questions, which is a real advantage. Several past accounts describe guides who were happy to provide extra context instead of rushing the group along. That makes the experience more useful for anyone who wants New Orleans history, not just a string of scary anecdotes.

Voodoo, vampires, and New Orleans burial customs

The title promises voodoo, mystery, and paranormal stories, and the route covers all three. The guide discusses voodoo traditions alongside ghost reports, vampire stories, and the city’s traditional burial practices.

New Orleans burial customs are especially important to the city’s identity. The tour explains why local burial methods developed as they did and how those customs fed the city’s reputation for the unusual and supernatural. This historical detail gives the stories more weight than a simple haunted-house presentation.

You also hear about alleged vampire activity, including places where vampires supposedly held victims. The guide presents these tales as part of New Orleans folklore and documented reports connected to the city’s past. You should come ready for dramatic storytelling, not a formal academic lecture.

The best guides seem to balance the darker material with humor. Coty has been praised for funny, informative tours, while Ashli has been remembered for energetic storytelling and comic timing. That tone can make the walk more comfortable for families and mixed groups, though the subject matter still includes murder, suicide, violent death, and disturbing legends.

The LaLaurie Mansion and the Mistress of Death

The LaLaurie Mansion is the tour’s most obvious headline stop. It is often described as one of the most haunted houses in New Orleans, and the story centers on Madame Delphine LaLaurie, known in popular accounts as the Mistress of Death.

The guide explains the reported cruelty and the building’s connection to one of the city’s most disturbing episodes. This is not a light ghost story, so you should expect grim material. The mansion is best understood as a place where documented history, public memory, and supernatural legend overlap.

Do not expect a standard house tour. The experience is conducted on foot through the surrounding streets, and the itinerary does not promise entry into private buildings. That is an important distinction if you are hoping to explore interiors or conduct a long investigation at one address.

Still, seeing the mansion in context gives the story more force. The French Quarter is compact, so the walk between locations is short enough for the guide to keep the narrative moving. You get the building, the history around it, and the folklore that has grown up around its reputation.

What the paranormal equipment adds

The EMF meter is not a substitute for evidence, and the tour does not turn into a scientific investigation. Its value is more practical and social. Instead of only listening, you have a small role in the walk, checking the device as the guide explains the history of a site.

That simple activity works well for groups. Children and teenagers may enjoy having something to hold, while adults can treat it as a playful way to engage with the stories. One past account specifically describes an eight-year-old becoming more involved and comfortable as the guide drew the child into the experience.

Keep your expectations sensible. A detector reading does not prove a ghost, and normal electrical interference can affect equipment. The strongest reason to book is the combination of place, storytelling, and atmosphere. The device is an extra layer of fun, not the whole point of the tour.

The equipment also requires responsibility. You cannot record the tour, and you may be charged $250 if a paranormal device is lost or damaged. Listen carefully to the guide’s instructions and keep the meter secure while walking over the old streets.

Optional drinks and a more relaxed pace

The tour includes stops where you can buy drinks to go. The cost is separate, and you are not required to drink. This arrangement lets you add a little of the French Quarter’s nightlife to the walk without turning the tour into a bar crawl.

I like this option because it gives the group a chance to pause. Past experiences have praised the drink stops, restroom breaks, and easygoing tone. The guide may point out bars you would not otherwise notice, which can make the route feel less like a fixed checklist.

There are limits. Some bars allow children and some do not, so families should check before entering. The guide can refuse service to anyone who is intoxicated or appears intoxicated, and there is no refund if someone is removed for that reason. Drink stops should add to the evening, not become its main purpose.

The no-recording rule also matters. You cannot make video or audio recordings during any part of the tour. If you want to remember the route, take mental notes and photograph the public streets or buildings only when the guide allows it.

The guides make or break the evening

This is a story-first tour, so the guide matters more than the equipment. Past guides have included Coty, Cody, and Ashli. The most consistent praise has focused on humor, local knowledge, clear explanations, and a willingness to answer questions.

Coty has been described as a native New Orleanian and a strong source of local facts. That kind of background can add texture to the walk, especially when the guide moves beyond the famous ghost stories and explains how the city works.

Ashli has been remembered as an energetic storyteller who mixed history, voodoo, vampires, and comedy. Some groups found her style especially entertaining for celebrations and family outings. Cody has also been praised for useful historical detail and an easygoing manner.

Guides can vary from one departure to another, so you should not book on the promise of one specific personality unless the provider confirms who is leading your date. The available evidence points to a strong storytelling culture, but the tone may range from theatrical to more history-focused.

Who will get the most from this tour

I would recommend this walk to first-time visitors who want a quick orientation to the French Quarter with a darker theme. In two hours, you see major landmarks, hear stories about the city’s past, and get suggestions for places to visit after the tour.

It also suits couples, friend groups, birthday outings, and families with older children who can handle stories about murder and the supernatural. The optional drink stops make it flexible for mixed groups, since some people can buy a drink while others simply continue listening.

This may not suit you if you want a quiet architectural tour, a serious investigation of paranormal claims, or access inside historic buildings. The storytelling is lively and sometimes comic, and the tour covers a lot of ground. You will get more from it if you enjoy atmosphere, local legends, and a guide who keeps the group talking.

The streets may be old and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes. The tour is listed as wheelchair accessible, but the route can still include historic street surfaces that require care. Weather can affect your comfort, and the provider does not issue refunds for weather cancellations or late arrival.

Is $23 a fair price?

At $23 per person, this is inexpensive for a two-hour guided walk in the French Quarter. You are paying for a live guide, the paranormal equipment, and a route that combines more than 15 sites with history and folklore.

The value is strongest if you would otherwise pay for a separate history walk and a separate ghost tour. This experience folds landmarks, colonial architecture, voodoo stories, vampire legends, violent history, and optional drink stops into one outing.

It is not the right comparison for a private tour with guaranteed access to buildings or a small-group investigation. A private group is available, but the standard experience is a walking tour, and the final feel will depend on the group size and guide assigned.

The price also makes it a low-risk choice early in your New Orleans visit. You can use the route to learn the French Quarter, note places you want to revisit, and ask the guide for ideas after the walk. Several past groups found the two hours passed quickly, which is usually a good sign for a story-led tour.

Practical details that matter

Book with the understanding that the tour is in English. The activity lasts about two hours, but the timing is approximate. Private groups are available, and the experience is listed as wheelchair accessible.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and a reserve-now, pay-later option is available. The provider may cancel if too few people book, usually contacting you by phone, text, or email within an hour before departure and offering an alternative tour or full refund.

Do not arrive intoxicated, and do not plan to record the guide. Arrive at the correct meeting point on the sidewalk, by the courtyard gate attached to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. Meeting inside the bar is not part of the arrangement.

Wear shoes suited to uneven pavement and bring weather-appropriate clothing. Most importantly, come ready to listen. The equipment is fun, but the guide’s explanation of the streets, buildings, and legends is what gives the walk its value.

Should you book the Voodoo, Mystery and Paranormal Tour?

Book it if you want an affordable, entertaining introduction to New Orleans folklore with real historic landmarks along the way. The strongest reasons are the wide range of topics, the optional drink stops, the question-friendly style, and guides such as Coty, Cody, and Ashli who have earned praise for making the walk funny and informative.

Skip it if you need a strictly factual history tour, indoor access, or a scientific paranormal investigation. For most visitors who like ghost stories but also want context, $23 is a sensible price for two hours in the French Quarter. I would schedule it early in your stay, then use what you learn to shape the rest of your New Orleans visit.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

The tour meets on the sidewalk in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116. Meet at the gate of the courtyard attached to the bar, not inside the bar.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours. The exact duration can vary.

What locations does the tour visit?

The route includes more than 15 sites, including St. Louis Cathedral, St. Anthony’s Garden, The Cabildo, The Presbytere, the Old Ursuline Convent, Jackson Square, the Sultan’s Palace, and the LaLaurie Mansion.

Is the paranormal equipment included?

Yes. The guide provides an EMF meter or similar ghost and paranormal detector for use during the tour. A $250 fee may apply if the equipment is lost or damaged.

Can I buy drinks during the tour?

Yes. There are optional stops where you can purchase drinks to go. Drinks are not included, and some bars may not allow children inside.

Can I record the tour?

No. Video and audio recording are not allowed during any portion of the tour.