The Big Easy turns into The Big Scary around this time of year. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, Halloween in New Orleans is second only to Mardi Gras - and it's 300 year history boasts some really spooky times.
Ghost sightings and hauntings are nothing new in the French Quarter, known for historic sites and centuries-old buildings, some dating back to 1718 when the city was founded. Below you will find three haunted hotels, plus one of the scariest experiences in New Orleans. Read them in the dark for shivery impact if you're not up to staying at the properties.
Hotel Monteleone
Look forward to a restaurant door that opens almost every evening and then closes again, even though it is locked. An elevator that stops on the wrong floor, leading to a hallway that grows chilly and reveals the ghostly images of children playing.
Hotel Monteleone is one of the premier haunted hotels in New Orleans. In March 2003, the International Society of Paranormal Research spent several days there, making contact with more than a dozen earthbound entities. Among them were several former employees; a man named William “Red” Wildemere, who died inside the hotel of natural causes.
Another spirit is a friendly toddler named Maurice Begere. The boy died in the hotel, and his distraught parents returned frequently in hopes he might visit them. Maurice eventually appeared to his mother and comforted her, and to this day guests report seeing him near the room where he died.
Le Pavillion New Orleans, Central Business District
On the National Register of Historic Places, Le Pavillon Hotel opened in 1907, after a two-year construction on the corner of Poydras and Baronne. The 10-story building was originally called the New Denechaud Hotel and run by Mr. Justin Denechaud. The thoroughly modern structure was built to withstand fires, and each of its guest accommodations offered a view.
In 1913, new owners renamed it the Hotel DeSoto. It became a popular destination for visiting dignitaries, and during the Prohibition Era, an underground passage stretching about a block and a half to another building was put to use when discreet exits by politicians and other well-knowns were needed.
From 1928 to 1948, the Penthouse was used as the home of radio station WDSU. In the 1970s, new owners again changed the name, this time to Le Pavillon, in homage to New Orleans' French roots. A renovation began including a hunt for fabulous European antique furniture, art and decorative gems, including the Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers and matching sconces in the lobby. Some furnishings and the marble railings of the staircase are from the Grand Hotel in Paris.
Dauphine Orleans Hotel
The hauntings at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel vary from Civil War soldiers to their well dressed “ladies-of-the-evening.” In the late 1890s and early 1900s, May Baily’s was one of the better known bordellos in the wildly infamous red-light district known as Storyville. Prostitution was legal in Storyville from 1897 to 1917. Today, May Baily’s Place serves as the hotel bar.
More than one ghost lingers inside the bar. One spirit is believed to be that of a Creole soldier, perhaps a patron of the former bordello who wanders through the courtyard wearing a military uniform. Another entity is a female, whimsical and a bit disturbed. Select guests have reported catching a lightning-fast glimpse of her dancing across the courtyard. It’s believed that she might have been employed by the bordello and eventually became an alcoholic.
Parapsychologist Dr. Larry Montz, founder of the International Society For Paranormal Research, conducted an investigation at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel and reported several spirits, among them a soldier, general or other high-ranking officer, wearing a dark uniform that could have been from the War of 1812 or Civil War. His name might be Eldridge. He walked with the investigative team by the pool area and back through to the cottages.
The LaLaurie Mansion, French Quarter
While its not a hotel, the story of Delphine LaLaurie and the heinous manner in which she tortured her slaves is probably the most widely known of the French Quarter’s macabre tales.
Madame LaLaurie, a respected socialite, hosted many a grand event at her opulent home at 1140 Royal Street. Mistreatment of slaves was illegal and society began to shun LaLaurie after a neighbor witnessed the elegant woman chasing a young servant girl with a whip. The neighbor saw the girl leap to her death from the roof in her efforts to avoid LaLaurie. The neighbor summoned the authorities and that was the end of LaLaurie’s social career.
Upon her arrest authorities removed the slaves from LaLaurie’s home. A short time later a fire broke out in the kitchen. In their efforts to thwart the fire neighbors and firefighters stumbled upon a grisly attic torture chamber. Nude slaves, most of them dead, were discovered. Some were chained to the walls, some were strapped to makeshift operating tables, and others were confined in cages made for animals. They had undergone various elaborate forms of torture and mutilation.
When news of the findings was published in the local newspaper an angry mob drove LaLaurie and her family from the city.
Many have claimed to hear screams of agony coming from the empty house. Others have seen apparitions of slaves walking about the property. There are reports of having been attacked by an angry slave in chains.
Though the house has changed hands numerous times and has served as not only a private home but also, among others, a musical conservatory, a school for young women and a saloon, many of the building’s owners have experienced some form of misery or another associated with the house
Actor Nicolas Cage bought the mansion but then lost in foreclosure in 2009. (He probably thinks it's haunted.)
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