Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans

154 Reviews |

Recommended by 100% of reviewers

|

Badge of Excellence | New Orleans, USA

1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)

Mobile ticket

Offered in: English

Instant confirmation

Overview

“★★★★★ I’ve taken quite a few walking tours in New Orleans and the several I’ve taken led by Edward Simon were hands down the most interesting, surprising, thoughtful, hilarious, deeply creepy, and absolute BEST. - Michael Cerveris, Star of 'Mindhunter'

Wanna get weird? Walk with us, fam.

Curated by parapsychologist Dr. Edward Simon, this adults-only walking tour time machine transports you back through the ill-fated settlement that famed occultist Aleister Crowley referred to as the “Quartier Macabre,” a city lost between life and God.

One night, we’ll uncover Gallatin Street's scandalous past as a bustling red-light district, or we may find ourselves at the doorstep of the city’s first witch coven, whispering legends of magick rituals before getting stirred by vampire lore at the Old Ursuline Convent.

Wherever the road travels, you’ll be led and engaged by a master storyteller tasked to make your stay in our city one you won’t soon forget.

Book fast, or forever rue, boo.

What's Included

A licensed and certified walking tour guide

Alcoholic beverages While permitted in responsible moderation, drinks are not provided on this tour.
Private transportation
Gratuities
We do not go inside of private buildings

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What To Expect

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Old Ursuline Convent Museum

Our ghost tour pauses outside the gates of the Old Ursuline Convent, which has stood here since the early days of our city’s founding. Your guide recounts the legend of the casket girls - young women who traveled here long ago with peculiar chests in tow. According to lore, these cases contained unholy stowaways that still haunt the convent and streets nearby as vampiric beings to this day. As you gaze up at the decaying walls, you might wonder if something cursed still lurks within... Did the casket girls truly first usher vampires into New Orleans? Stand here after dark to hear the story and decide. Before we depart the convent grounds, listen closely for whispers on the wind.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

BK Historic House and Gardens

After leaving the convent, we approach a grand, white-columned mansion that once belonged to Civil War general P.T. Beauregard before housing bestselling author Frances Parkinson Keyes. But not all who traversed this historic home's ornate rooms and parlors met a refined high society end. Over a hundred years ago, this was the site of one of the city's most infamous mafia hits. Some believe unsettled spirits still dwell here, caught in a phantom feud that continuously replays itself. As night falls, you may glimpse shadows of the conflict in the windows or hear faint echoes of the assassination that violently ended the rule of a notorious gangster.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lalaurie Mansion

We pause outside the imposing facade of the stately Lalaurie residence, once occupied by the influential yet nefarious Madame Delphine Lalaurie, until a fateful day exposed her most insidious secrets. As we stand before the intricately wrought iron balcony, our guide recounts whispered tales of the ghastly revelations of diabolical experiments and unimaginable human suffering within these walls. Some say the anguished echoes can still be heard of those who perished by her philosophies. Others report sightings of the Madame herself, presiding still over her estate after death, denied her proper judgment for the reprehensible deeds committed on helpless souls. But we leave it to you to ponder... Do spirits still linger, or does public imagination haunt these grounds more fiercely than any wayward wraith could? What is evident is that this address continues to profoundly disturb anyone who learns of its history - now including those gathered among us on this tour.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

French Market

We linger for a moment at the mouth of the unassuming street that now bears little trace of its debauched and deadly past. Your guide casts their lantern light towards what was once Gallatin Street - a seedy, riotous red light district that lured sailors and slummers to establishments promising every illicit desire in the late 1800s. Despite its allure, danger and predation lurked around every corner. Some tell tales of men lured by sirens into darkened dead ends, never seen again. Others whisper of malevolent gangsters hired by establishments that now mask their murderous history with respectable facades. But listen closely near the cracked sidewalks... Do you hear the distant echoes of raucous laughter turn suddenly to screams? Do wafts of lavender perfume mask the coppery scent of lives lost? We leave you to ponder if the spirits of Gallatin Street still lurk where their earthly vices laid them to rest too soon.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Jackson Square

Before the sprawling green space of Jackson Square took shape, our guide tells us these very grounds bore witness to some of the city’s most shocking and gruesome public executions. Surrounded by armed guards, prisoners would meet their fate by hanging from a crude wooden structure or more barbaric means based on their alleged crimes. For some, the seconds dragged on in slow, suffocating horror witnessed by jeering crowds. Others faced swifter ends on the executioner’s block in view of the stone cathedral. Though carnival tunes float lightheartedly today, we pause to acknowledge the square’s darker times witnessing the end of convicted lives – no matter the reasons or rights. As we take our leave, glance back and ponder if unrest still stirs spirits to linger along these shadows where public punishments once summoned throngs as macabre entertainment. The grounds hold many secrets and seek souls underneath the serene green space of Jackson Square.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

Our guide pauses along the route to indicate an unassuming building that now contains the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. But they share tales passed down through generations about this site’s shadowy role during the plague years. As infections raged unchecked, rumors persisted of the building secretly housing fringe doctors conducting lethal human experiments to identify vaccines via questionable means. Details remain lacking and facts elusive of who or how many may have suffered within these walls in the name of battling our city’s waves of epidemic onslaughts. Yet eerie stories endure of lost souls seen in the windows, nameless victims stolen away never to return home when promising remedy at an unfathomable moral cost. Disturbing rumors alone leave a lingering vileness around our quiet pharmacy museum that not even formal dedications to medical ingenuity can rinse out.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Omni Royal Orleans

We linger outside the stately Omni Royal Hotel, whose polished veneer masks a history of misfortune and sorrow. From fiery disasters to mafia underworld dealings, shadows seem to loom within even its brightest facades. Most chilling is the recent suicide plunge from the high roof amid speculation of deeper anguish, revealing one of the most shocking murders our city has ever seen. Today, travelers mingle cheerfully through the lobby, unaware of the heartbreak these walls quietly enshroud. Your guide may share their own disquieting experiences from nights spent wandering these haunting halls. But we invite you to draw your own conclusions about what pain lingers unfinished and what darker magnet seems to draw occasional chaos into an otherwise refined space. Not all is as bright and welcoming as it may first appear at this storied hotel.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Adults only - 17+
Please arrive 30 minutes prior for check-in. Tours depart at their scheduled times.
Please plan in advance for Ubers, taxis, Lyfts, and travel mishaps. We cannot accommodate late arrivals
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the activity for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the activity start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the activity start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the activity local time (CDT).This activity requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund. Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the activity for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-451976P1

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Reviews

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154 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 154 traveler reviews collected by Cool New Orleans and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars

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The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool New Orleans customers.

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans?

A:

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the activity for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the activity start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the activity start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the activity local time (CDT).
This activity requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Apr 2025

Q: What's included in the price?

A:

The following is included:

A licensed and certified walking tour guide.

The following is NOT included:

Alcoholic beverages. While permitted in responsible moderation, drinks are not provided on this tour.
Private transportation.
Gratuities.
We do not go inside of private buildings.

Apr 2025

Q: What is the weather cancellation policy?

A:

This activity requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Apr 2025

Q: What is the minimum age for this activity?

A:

The minimum age to participate is 17..

Apr 2025

Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?

A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025

Q: Is this an accessible activity?

A:

Accessibility information for the Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans is as follows:

Wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Apr 2025

Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?

A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans will be included in your confirmation email from Cool New Orleans. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

Mar 2024