20 Most Haunted Places in Louisiana: Real Ghost Stories You Can Visit
Louisiana does not just have ghosts. It lives alongside them.
From a plantation called the most haunted home in America to a mansion of unspeakable cruelty and cities of the dead built above ground, the state wears its hauntings openly.
We pulled this list from our directory of haunted places across Louisiana. Each spot earned its place through decades of consistent reports, not a single spooky night.
Here are the 20 most haunted places in Louisiana, the spirits that linger there, and exactly how you can visit.
Why Louisiana Is So Haunted
Louisiana’s history is steeped in beauty and brutality. Slavery, yellow fever, war, and a deep current of voodoo and folk belief all shaped the land.
Its grand plantations and the old streets of New Orleans hold centuries of tragedy beneath their charm.
That mix of suffering, spirituality, and history has made Louisiana, and New Orleans in particular, one of the most haunted places on earth.
1. Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville
The Myrtles Plantation is often called the most haunted house in America.
Built in 1796, the antebellum home is said to sit atop an old burial ground and to have hosted as many as ten murders over its history.
Its most famous ghost is Chloe, an enslaved woman in a green turban. Visitors also report children on the veranda and a haunting figure captured in a famous photograph. You can book a room and stay the night.
2. LaLaurie Mansion – New Orleans
The LaLaurie Mansion in the French Quarter holds one of the darkest stories in American history.
In 1834, a fire exposed the horrific torture and murder of enslaved people by socialite Delphine LaLaurie in the upper floors of her home.
Passersby report screams from the empty house, chains rattling, and apparitions of the victims. It is considered the most haunted building in the Quarter, viewable only from the street.
3. Hotel Monteleone – New Orleans
The Hotel Monteleone sits in the heart of the French Quarter, and it may be the most haunted hotel in a city full of them.
Paranormal teams have catalogued more than a dozen distinct spirits inside the historic building, which has welcomed guests since 1886.
The most touching is little Maurice Begere, a boy who died here and is still seen looking for his parents. Guests also report the famous Carousel Bar drawing spirits in. You can book a room and stay the night.
4. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 – New Orleans
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous of New Orleans’ cities of the dead.
Opened in 1789, the maze of above-ground tombs is the resting place of voodoo queen Marie Laveau, whose grave is the most visited.
Visitors report Laveau’s spirit, a man who walks among the tombs, and offerings left for the dead. You must visit with a licensed tour guide.
5. Oak Alley Plantation – Vacherie
Oak Alley Plantation is famous for its breathtaking canopy of 300-year-old live oaks, and for its ghosts.
The grand 1839 mansion and its grounds carry the heavy history of the enslaved people who lived and died there.
Visitors report a lady in black, a phantom carriage, and apparitions in the windows. You can tour the home and stay in cottages on the grounds.
6. Bourbon Orleans Hotel – New Orleans
The Bourbon Orleans Hotel stands on ground that was once a ballroom, a convent, and an orphanage.
Guests on the upper floors report the ghosts of children who died in a yellow fever epidemic, seen playing in the halls.
In the grand ballroom, a lonely dancer in a gown is said to twirl beneath the chandelier. You can book a room and stay the night.
7. Arnaud’s Restaurant – New Orleans
Arnaud’s Restaurant is a French Quarter institution, serving fine Creole food since 1918.
The restaurant is haunted by its founder, Arnaud Cazenave, known as “the Count,” who poured his life into the place.
Diners report the Count in a tuxedo near the front windows, watching over his restaurant decades after his death.
8. Lafitte Guest House – New Orleans
The Lafitte Guest House is an elegant 1849 mansion turned boutique hotel in the French Quarter.
The home is tied to a young girl named Marie, who died of yellow fever, and to the grief of her mother.
Guests in Room 21 and 22 report the child’s presence, the sound of crying, and a sorrowful woman in the halls. You can book a room and stay the night.
9. Hotel Provincial – New Orleans
The Hotel Provincial occupies historic French Quarter buildings, one of which served as a Civil War hospital.
The old hospital wing is the source of the hotel’s most vivid hauntings, tied to wounded and dying soldiers.
Guests report bloodstains that appear and vanish on the bedsheets, the cries of soldiers, and the figure of a doctor. You can book a room and stay the night.
10. The Mortuary – New Orleans
The Mortuary is exactly what its name suggests, a former funeral home now famous as a haunted attraction.
For most of the 1900s, the grand mansion handled thousands of the city’s dead, including many yellow fever victims.
Staff and guests report apparitions, cold spots, and unexplained activity tied to the countless bodies once embalmed within its walls.
11. Louisiana’s Old State Capitol – Baton Rouge
Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is a Gothic castle on the Mississippi with a stately ghost.
The dramatic 1852 building survived a Civil War fire and decades of political history within its grand halls.
Visitors report the ghost of Pierre Couvillion, a 19th-century legislator who died of a heart attack mid-argument and still roams the building in anger.
12. Magnolia Plantation – Natchitoches
Magnolia Plantation near Natchitoches is a preserved cotton plantation with a haunting legacy.
The site includes rare surviving slave quarters and an overseer’s house, carrying the weight of the lives confined there.
Visitors report apparitions in the old quarters, disembodied voices, and a deep sense of sorrow across the grounds.
13. Oakland Plantation – Haughton
Oakland Plantation in north Louisiana is a historic home with restless spirits.
The plantation dates to the 1800s and holds generations of family and the enslaved people who worked the land.
Visitors report apparitions in the house, cold spots, and the feeling of unseen residents moving through the historic rooms.
14. Beauregard Parish Jail – DeRidder
The Beauregard Parish Jail, known as the Gothic Jail, looms over DeRidder with a grim past.
In 1928, two men were hanged together in the jail’s stairwell for a brutal murder, a double execution that scarred the building.
Visitors report the two hanged men on the staircase, disembodied voices, and a heavy presence in the old cells.
15. Christ Episcopal Church – Napoleonville
Christ Episcopal Church in Napoleonville carries a Civil War curse in its very walls.
Union soldiers occupied the church and used it as a stable. Legend says a soldier who damaged it was cursed and soon died.
Visitors report apparitions in the churchyard, cold spots, and the lingering presence of soldiers tied to the building’s wartime ordeal.
16. Shreveport Municipal Auditorium – Shreveport
The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium is the legendary home of the Louisiana Hayride.
The 1929 auditorium launched the careers of Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, and some of that history seems to remain.
Staff and performers report apparitions backstage, the sound of music in the empty hall, and a presence some believe is Hank Williams himself.
17. Ellerbe Road School – Shreveport
The abandoned Ellerbe Road School is one of the most feared sites in north Louisiana.
Local legend tells of a fire or a school bus tragedy that killed children, though the darkest tales speak of something far worse on the grounds.
Trespassers report the cries of children, shadow figures, and an aggressive presence in the ruined halls.
18. 13th Gate – Baton Rouge
The 13th Gate is regularly named the scariest haunted attraction in America.
The elaborate Baton Rouge haunt uses real bones, live animals, and a genuine former mortuary as part of its experience.
Beyond the staged scares, staff report real unexplained activity tied to the authentic artifacts and the property’s history.
19. Bayou Sale Road – Franklin
Bayou Sale Road near Franklin is a lonely stretch wrapped in Cajun ghost lore.
The dark road runs through bayou country, an area thick with old legends of spirits and lights in the marsh.
Drivers report apparitions along the roadside, mysterious lights over the water, and the feeling of being followed in the dark.
20. Haunted Highway 359 – Port Barre
Highway 359 near Port Barre is one of the most haunted roads in Cajun country.
The rural highway is tied to old tragedies and the deep folk traditions of the region’s bayou communities.
Drivers report ghostly figures crossing the road, unexplained lights, and a sense of dread on the darkest stretches.
How to Visit Haunted Louisiana Safely
Louisiana is one of the easiest states in the country for haunted travel, with ghost tours running nightly in New Orleans.
The Myrtles, Oak Alley, and the plantations all run tours, and the French Quarter hotels welcome overnight guests who want a haunted stay.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 requires a licensed guide. For abandoned spots like the Ellerbe Road School, never trespass, as the property is off limits.
If you want to document your visit, bring the right gear. Our ghost hunting equipment guide covers the EMF meters, recorders, and cameras that actually capture evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most haunted place in Louisiana?
The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is often called the most haunted house in America. In New Orleans, the LaLaurie Mansion is considered the most haunted building in the French Quarter.
Can you stay overnight at the Myrtles Plantation?
Yes. The Myrtles is a working bed and breakfast where you can book a room, take a mystery tour, and spend the night in one of the most haunted homes in the country.
Can you visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on your own?
No. To protect the historic tombs, including Marie Laveau’s, the cemetery can only be entered with a licensed tour guide, which also gives you the full story of the site.
Is it safe to visit haunted places in Louisiana?
The hotels, plantations, and guided tours are perfectly safe. For abandoned sites and lonely back roads, use caution, never trespass, and stick to legal, guided access.
Plan Your Louisiana Ghost Trip
From a cursed plantation to a city that buries its dead above ground, Louisiana offers a haunting for every kind of traveler.
Pick the places that call to you, respect the history behind them, and keep an eye on the shadows.
Want to go deeper? Browse every documented haunt in our full Louisiana directory or explore haunted places across all 50 states.
