Sinister secrets shroud the city of New Orleans, making it the ideal Halloween hideaway. Macabre attractions—perfect for the horror buff and light-hearted traveler alike—lie hidden in its winding streets. Add an element of intrigue to your vacation by experiencing the darker side of New Orleans’ history and culture.

For the Ghost Hunter: Muriel’s

The ghost of Pierre Antoine still haunts Muriel’s Seance Lounge. Photo courtesy of Muriel’s Jackson Square

Muriel’s Jackson Square Restaurant offers one of the best dining experiences in New Orleans, boasting contemporary Creole cuisine made from local ingredients. The rich Old World decor draping the nineteenth-century mansion makes you believe the former inhabitants never left. The establishment offers asylum to amicable phantom wanderers, and paranormal investigators have detected a number of presences. But the Séance Lounge is home to the establishment’s main attraction: a ghost named Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, who committed suicide in that very room nearly 200 years ago.
Cost
$31.95 for a three-course meal
Individual items from $6.95
Information & reservations
www.muriels.com

For the Vampire Lover: Vampires Ball
New Orleans has a long tradition of vampire lore, but its most famous connection to the vampiric is the home of Anne Rice, creator of Lestat de Lioncourt, the main character of Rice’s series The Vampire Chronicles. The novels, which have sold over 80 million copies worldwide, have developed quite a fan base.  The Anne Rice’s Vampire Lestat fan club holds an annual Vampires Ball in honor of the title character. This year’s theme, Theatre of the Vampires Ball, will be held on October 28th at the Republic New Orleans Club. The ball is open to the public, so join with hundreds of costumed fans who enjoy this yearly tradition.
Cost
Pricing not available at press time; see website for information
Information & tickets
www.vampirelestatfanclub.com

A grinning Ju-Ju skull used in voodoo ceremonies. Photo Courtesy of New Orleans History Voodoo Museum

For the Misinformed: Voodoo Museum

This small museum acquaints you with the history, rituals, and myths that make voodoo what administrator Jerry Gandolfo calls “a religion, a superstition, folklore, and fakelore.” The museum also offers an intriguing voodoo and cemetery walking tour featuring the tomb of renowned voodoo queen Marie Laveau, modern and historical ritual sites, and an operational voodoo temple—complete with the opportunity to meet an authentic voodoo priestess.
Cost
$5.00 special admission if you mention this article
$19.00 with walking tour
Regular admission: $7.00; with student ID: $5.50
Information & reservations
www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1316

For the Zombie Enthusiast: Swamp Tour
Amid the natural wonders of the Louisiana Bayou, tour guides lure some of nature’s fiercest predators right up to the boat’s edge. But even alligators pale in comparison to the creatures rumored to live there. Local legends speak of a plantation family turned zombie that hunts wanderers in the Bayou. This location was even featured as the site of a “real life” zombie attack in Max Brooks’ The Zombie Survival Guide. Honey Island Swamp tours begin 30 minutes outside of New Orleans and offer a shuttle service to New Orleans hotels, allowing you to discover the natural, and unnatural, wonders for yourself.
Cost
$23.00 adult fare
$45.00 adult fare with shuttle
Information & reservations
www.honeyislandswamp.com

Map of New Orleans. Photo by Infrogmation/wikimedia commons

For the Morbidly Curious: Hermann-Grima House
The Hermann-Grima house is a pre-Civil War mansion nestled in the heart of the French Quarter. It has been restored as a museum, providing visitors a glimpse into the elegant lifestyle of the Creole upper class. At any time of the year it is a historical gem, but from mid-October to early November its tour takes a darker twist. The house dons black drapery to commemorate the death of one of its early inhabitants, giving tourists a chance to experience the mourning customs and funeral rituals of the nineteenth century.
Cost
$10.00 adult regular admission
$8.00 student admission
Information & reservations
www.hgghh.org

—Amy Hoffman