New Orleans Cocktails, History, Voodoo & Paranormal Tour

New Orleans has plenty of ghost stories, but this tour puts true crime and dark history at the center. You’ll hear about pirates, criminals, prostitution, unsolved murders, voodoo beliefs, and haunted buildings while walking through the French Quarter with a drink in hand. I like the mix of serious local history and bar stops, and I like that the route includes landmarks such as Jackson Square, the LaLaurie Mansion, and the Sultan’s Palace. The main caution is that the experience may feel more like a storytelling walk than a full sightseeing tour, with limited stops and no drinks included.

I also like the experienced guides. Cody and Coty are singled out by name in the feedback, and both were praised for making the tour friendly, lively, and informative. Still, you should arrive early, meet on the sidewalk rather than inside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, and keep your expectations realistic about voodoo coverage and entering buildings.

Key points at a glance

• A true crime walk through the French Quarter: Hear stories tied to pirates, felons, prostitution, murder, and unsolved cases.
• Cocktails are part of the idea, not the price: You may enjoy drinks along the way, but every beverage is purchased separately.
• The EMF meter adds a paranormal twist: The guide uses a real ghost and paranormal detector for entertainment during the walk.
• Major landmarks share the route: Expect sites around Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytère, St. Anthony’s Garden, and more.
• The guide makes or breaks the evening: Cody and Coty received especially strong praise for their local stories and easygoing style.
• Expect a sidewalk tour, not a series of interior visits: One account described stopping outside a house and hearing one main murder story, so the route may feel lighter on physical site visits than the description suggests.

Why this tour works for dark-history fans

The hook is simple: walk through one of America’s oldest historic districts while hearing the stories that polite guidebooks often leave out. This is not a standard French Quarter architecture walk. The focus is on the people and crimes behind the streets, including pirates, convicted felons, prostitutes, murderers, victims, and suspects whose stories still stir debate.

I like that the tour connects old crimes with New Orleans today. You are not hearing isolated ghost tales with no sense of place. The stories are tied to buildings, squares, mansions, gardens, and streets you can see around you. That gives the material more weight. A murder story told beside the site where it happened lands differently from the same story read in a hotel room.

The tone is meant to be social rather than academic. The operator describes it as a combination of booze and nefarious history, so you should expect a relaxed evening with conversation, local color, and some grisly details. The guides have more than a decade of experience hosting tours, which matters when the subject shifts quickly from historical fact to folklore and paranormal claims.

The experience is best for you if you enjoy true crime podcasts, local legends, old buildings, and a little theatrical suspense. It is less suitable if you want a quiet history lecture, a formal museum tour, or a carefully documented study of voodoo.

Starting at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

The meeting point is on the sidewalk in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street. Do not go inside looking for the tour. The group meets at the gate of the attached courtyard, and the bar staff do not work for the tour company or provide tour information.

That distinction is useful because Bourbon Street can be noisy and crowded, especially later in the day. Arrive a few minutes early, look for the guide outside, and make sure you are at the courtyard gate before departure. Check-in is only possible before the tour leaves, and late arrivals do not receive a refund.

Starting at one of New Orleans’ oldest-feeling bars sets the mood immediately. Lafitte’s is a fitting backdrop for stories about smugglers, criminals, and questionable characters, even though the tour does not claim that the bar itself is part of every story. You begin in the heart of the French Quarter, not at a remote meeting point, so it is easy to pair the tour with dinner or another evening activity nearby.

The walk lasts two hours. Since the tour is on foot and the old streets can be uneven, wear comfortable shoes and watch your step. The operator does not accept responsibility for injuries caused by old or uneven streets, so this is not the night for flimsy footwear.

Jackson Square and the historic heart of New Orleans

The route includes Jackson Square and its cluster of major buildings: St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Presbytère. These sites help explain how New Orleans grew from a colonial settlement into a city shaped by French, Spanish, Caribbean, African, and American influences.

You may not get a formal interior tour of each building. The information describes the route as covering these landmarks, so think of them as important outdoor reference points for the stories. The value comes from seeing the setting while the guide explains the people, beliefs, and crimes connected with the city’s past.

St. Anthony’s Garden and the Ursuline Convent also add a different mood. These places carry an older, quieter atmosphere than Bourbon Street, which makes them useful stops for stories about superstition, religion, folklore, and the supernatural. The tour’s best moments are likely to come when the guide links an ordinary-looking corner to a tale you would never guess from the outside.

The city’s architecture is part of the experience too. Courtyards, balconies, narrow streets, and old masonry create a natural stage for stories about secret lives and hidden wrongdoing. You will hear about the people who lived behind those façades, but do not expect every building to open its doors.

The LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans’ darker legends

The LaLaurie Mansion is one of the most famous haunted addresses in New Orleans. It is included as one of the route’s major locations, and its reputation comes from stories of cruelty, abuse, and alleged supernatural activity.

This is the sort of stop that suits the tour’s blend of documented crime and legend. The guide can give you the known historical background, then explain how later stories turned the building into one of the city’s most feared places. Pay attention to where fact ends and folklore begins. That distinction is part of the fun, but it matters if you want a strictly historical account.

The mansion is viewed from outside. The tour does not promise entry, and that is important to understand before booking. If your main goal is to spend time inside haunted buildings, this walk may disappoint. If you enjoy seeing the actual street setting while hearing the story, the exterior stop still gives the tale a strong sense of place.

The Sultan’s Palace and an unsolved mass murder

The Sultan’s Palace, also called the Gardette-LePrete House, is presented as the location of one of New Orleans’ largest mass murders. The crime remains unsolved, which gives the stop a particularly unsettling edge.

This story fits the tour’s strongest theme: real crime that sounds like folklore. A beautiful mansion linked to a brutal, unexplained event creates a sharp contrast between the French Quarter’s elegant façades and its disturbing past.

Again, you should expect to view the house from the street rather than tour the inside. The route uses the building as a setting for the story, not as a museum visit. I consider that a fair trade if the guide gives enough context about the victims, the scene, and why the case still captures attention. It is a weaker value if you expect several lengthy stops at different interiors.

Modern crime, heartbreak, and the Zach and Addie story

The tour also covers a tragic 2006 murder-suicide in the French Quarter and the story of Zach and Addie, described as one of the city’s most infamous murder cases. These stories bring the subject closer to the present and show that New Orleans’ dark side is not limited to pirates and colonial legends.

That modern focus is useful. It prevents the tour from becoming a parade of old ghosts with no connection to real life. You get a sense of how crime stories continue to shape the French Quarter today, including the grief and personal damage behind the headlines.

The subject matter is heavy. If you prefer light ghost stories and playful vampire tales, some sections may feel too grim. I would choose this tour for the true crime angle first, then treat the paranormal material as an extra layer.

Voodoo, vampires, and the EMF meter

The experience includes Cajun superstitions, Louisiana folklore, voodoo, ghosts, and vampires. These subjects are part of the appeal, but do not book this expecting a specialist voodoo tour. One account specifically found that voodoo received little or no attention, while the guide spent more time on personal stories and general local history.

That warning is worth taking seriously. New Orleans voodoo is often reduced to stereotypes, so a thoughtful presentation should explain beliefs and traditions with care. Here, the supplied information promises voodoo stories and folklore, but the actual balance may depend heavily on the guide.

The EMF meter adds a hands-on bit of theater. A real paranormal detector is used during the tour, giving the group something to watch for at spooky locations. It is entertainment, not scientific proof of ghosts, and you will need to return the equipment at the end. The operator lists a $250 charge for lost or damaged paranormal equipment, so handle it carefully.

The tour does not allow video or audio recording. That may frustrate you if you like collecting clips from unusual experiences, but it also keeps the group focused on the guide rather than on phones.

Where cocktails fit into the evening

The drinks are central to the mood, but they are not included in the $23 price. You pay separately for any cocktails or other beverages you choose to buy along the route.

That price is attractive for a two-hour guided walk in the French Quarter. At $23 per person, the tour costs less than many major city attractions, and you are paying mainly for the guide’s time, stories, and route rather than admission to buildings. If you already plan to buy a drink or two, remember to add that to your actual evening budget.

I like the freedom of buying your own drinks. You can control how much you spend and avoid paying for alcohol you do not want. The tradeoff is that the final cost is less predictable, and the experience depends on the bar stops available along the route.

Drink sensibly. The operator can refuse service to anyone who becomes extremely intoxicated, disruptive, or disrespectful. This is a walking tour with stories to follow, not a contest to see how quickly you can finish a cocktail.

The guide matters more than the equipment

The best part of this experience is likely to be the person leading it. The guides are described as professional storytellers with more than ten years of experience, and Cody and Coty received especially warm praise for being friendly, lively, and full of local information.

That praise points to the key buying decision. The route itself is concentrated in the French Quarter, where you can see many famous buildings without a guide. What you cannot easily recreate is a well-timed account of the crimes, legends, and people connected with those places.

There is some inconsistency in the experience. One highly negative account describes a guide who never arrived and gave no warning. That is a serious service failure, even though other feedback was strongly positive. Since the activity is non-refundable, keep your booking details and meeting instructions close at hand, and arrive early.

The company may also cancel after confirmation if too few people book. In that case, a full refund is issued. Bad weather can lead to rescheduling, but cancellations caused by weather or late arrival do not receive refunds.

Who should book this French Quarter walk?

I would choose this tour if you want:

• True crime stories tied to real New Orleans locations
• A casual evening activity with optional cocktails
• A guide-led introduction to French Quarter legends
• Stories about the LaLaurie Mansion and Sultan’s Palace
• A mix of history, crime, folklore, and paranormal entertainment
• A short two-hour activity that fits around dinner plans

I would think twice if you want:

• Guaranteed entry into historic buildings
• A dedicated, detailed study of voodoo
• A quiet or family-oriented tour
• A large number of sightseeing stops
• Drinks included in the ticket
• Permission to record the stories

One account found that the tour covered fewer places than expected, with one main exterior stop and one murder story. That does not make the experience poor, but it does clarify the format. You are buying a guided storytelling walk, not a rapid tour of every landmark named in the description.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your ideal New Orleans evening includes a cocktail, a creepy mansion, an unsolved murder, and a guide who can keep a story moving. The $23 cost is fair for two hours, especially if you value local storytelling more than building access.

Skip it if voodoo is your main reason for booking, or if you need a tightly structured sightseeing itinerary with many substantial stops. The experience appears strongest when Cody, Coty, or another seasoned storyteller is leading a lively group. Arrive early, meet outside the bar, budget extra for drinks, and treat the paranormal equipment as fun rather than proof. For true crime fans, it can be a memorable way to see the French Quarter after dark, but it is best booked with realistic expectations.

FAQ

How much does the tour cost?

The tour costs $23 per person. Drinks are not included, so you pay separately for any beverages you choose to buy.

How long does the experience last?

The walking tour lasts two hours.

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 attached courtyard, not inside the bar.

Is the tour conducted in English?

Yes. The tour is conducted in English with a live guide.

What is included in the price?

A licensed tour guide and professional storyteller are included. The tour also uses a paranormal EMF meter during the experience.

Are drinks included?

No. Drinks are not included in the ticket price and must be purchased separately.

Can I record the tour?

No. Video recording and audio recording are not allowed.

What happens if I arrive late or cancel?

Guests can check in only before the tour departs. No refund is provided for late arrival or cancellation, including cancellation caused by weather. If the supplier cancels because of low participation, a full refund is issued.

Can the tour refuse service to someone who is intoxicated?

Yes. The operator may refuse service to anyone who is extremely intoxicated in a way that is disruptive or disrespectful.