New Orleans Official Visitors Guide - 2026 Winter/Spring
New Orleans Culture
2025-12-14 13:00:21
Bayou Bohemia
THE SECRET HISTORY OF NEW ORLEANS’ COUNTERCULTURE
From the supernatural history of the French Quarter to the esotericism of the Garden District, uncover the city’s thriving alt-culture. Learn about the obscure past and present of New Orleans, a city that remains spooky year-round.
VOODOO & VAMPIRES
Exploring the City’s Mystical Heritage
For centuries, voodoo has been alive in the traditions, people, and streets of New Orleans.
Voodoo first came to Louisiana with enslaved West Africans, who merged their religious rituals and practices with those of the local Catholic population. Gris-gris dolls, potions, and talismans are still found in stores and homes throughout New Orleans – a reminder of the city’s fascination with spirits, magic, and mystery.
The most famous voodoo queen was Marie Laveau (1794-1881), a legendary practitioner buried in St. Louis Cemetery No.1. Today you can stay at the Inn on St. Ann in the Marie Laveau Annex, the Creole Cottage she once owned.
Voodoo is still practiced here to help serve others and influence life events in connection with ancestors and spirits. Rituals are usually held privately, but there are various places that will give you a reading or assist in a ritual. The Voodoo Spiritual Temple is New Orleans' only formally established voodoo temple, located across the street from Congo Square.
The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is a great stop in the French Quarter to learn about the voodoo history of New Orleans and its rituals, voodoo altars, and artifacts from Africa, Haiti, and old New Orleans. There are several voodoo shops around the city where you can find candles, charms, and other spiritual items, too.
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A SPIRITED NIGHT'S SLEEP
The Most Haunted Places to Stay
As one of America’s most haunted cities, New Orleans has more than its share of haunted hotels. From the French Quarter to the Garden District, haunted history lies just beneath your pillow.
HOTEL MONTELEONE
One of the most well-known haunted hotels in the French Quarter is Hotel Monteleone. Legend has it that generations of hotel guests and staff have experienced paranormal activity there, from doors that will open at their will to shadows of children playing down the hall. The property is said to be haunted by the ghost of Maurice Begere, a toddler who fell ill and died in the hotel in the 1800s.
DAUPHINE ORLEANS HOTEL
A former brothel that operated during the city’s Storyville era, Dauphine Orleans Hotel’s most famous ghostly resident is an apparition of a bride. People believe this haunting woman, Milly Baily, is the sister of former owner and bordello operator May Baily. Learn more about the building’s history at May Baily’s Place, a bar operated on site.
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