Louisiana has plenty of places where you can get your spook on – here are some ideas for haunted trips in 2021!
In the capital city, Baton Rouge, pay a visit to Louisiana's Old State Capitol, where Avoyelles Parish Legislator Pierre Couvillon suffered a heart attack after a spirited speech about corrupt politicians. Couvillon’s large footprints have been found on the Senate floor, and a rumpled bed in the exhibit hall could have been his resting spot for the night. While making rounds, a security guard felt a tap on his shoulder and heard sounds of something moving around in the dark. Others have seen the motion detectors going off (meaning someone was in the museum) when no one was there, and nothing was caught on security tapes.
Built in 1915, the Gothic Hanging Jail in DeRidder is believed to be haunted by the two men hanged for the slaying of their taxi cab driver – hence the nickname “The Hanging Jail.” The story goes - Joe Genna and Molton Brasseaux hired taxi driver Joe Brevelle, killed him, and dumped his body in the old Pickering Mill pond. The body was found, and the men were convicted and hanged from the third-floor gallows. The jail features a spiral staircase circling around a noose that hangs ominously, and underground tunnel that allowed prisoners to get to the courthouse next door.
The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is said to be one of the most haunted houses in the country. It all began when Chloe, a slave punished for eavesdropping on the family, found vengeance by baking a poisoned birthday cake. Within hours, three of the main family members were dead. Chloe’s ghost is still reported to haunt the premises. Subsequent owners suffered tragic deaths and murders in the years that followed. The ghosts of these former residents, as well as others passing through, have been documented in photos, featured in TV shows and witnessed by residents and tourists alike. Those brave enough can stay overnight.
New Orleans is widely regarded as America’s most haunted city with numerous reported paranormal sightings and encounters. Perhaps some of these will have you itching to make a ghoulish trip of your own in 2021.
While there has been many a story or sighting of the spiritual world, few have captured peoples' imagination like Marie Laveau. Famous for being a Voodoo Priestess, Marie Laveau's story is shrouded in mystery. Madame Laveau wielded tremendous power in her community and rumours of her magical abilities were so persistent that visitors still visit her grave to leave tokens in exchange for small requests. Visitors can find the tomb of Marie Laveau at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Laveau is one of the many famous residents buried in—and said to haunt—New Orleans’ oldest cemetery. Built in 1789 and situated close behind the French Quarter, the cemetery spans only a block but supposedly houses 100,000 of the city’s dead, many of whom are thought to still walk the cemetery’s grounds.
New Orleans is probably home to more haunted Hotels than any other city in America. The Dauphine Orleans Hotel, for example, has many tales of twisted fates. One of these is the Lost Bride ghost, believed to be the spirit of a young woman, Millie, who was working in May's Place as a courtesan. She met a young Confederate soldier and they fell in love and were set to be married. She became obsessed with the wedding and perfecting her wedding gown. The morning of the wedding ceremony, her groom was shot in a gambling dispute. Millie was told of the news on the way to alter and never recovered from the grief. According to accounts, Millie took to wearing the wedding gown around May's Place and even after her death many years later, Millie still roams the Dauphine hopelessly waiting for her fiancé.
The Hotel Monteleone holds four generations worth of history and there is one tale this family knows well; stories of ghosts wandering the Hotel Monteleone’s halls. Over the years, Monteleone guests have reported the ghostly visions of former employees still tending to their duties to children playing in the halls. Guests report the 14th floor of the Hotel offers a chance to spot the ghost of the mischievous young boy, rumoured to be Maurice. His parents, Josephine and Jacques Begere, were at the famous French Opera House on Bourbon Street, when a carriage accident left the father dead. Maurice’s mother died of a broken heart shortly after. It’s said Maurice’s ghost still roams the halls searching for his deceased parents.
For more information on any of the above email tennessee@deep-south-usa.com.
