Murder, mayhem, mystery – with a history as storied as ours, it is not hard to find spooks and scares in New Orleans, one of America’s most haunted cities. While you can seek out a goosebump-inducing experience just about any day of the week in NOLA, it is especially easy to celebrate the macabre during Halloween season. Here are the best ways to have a hair-raising experience in New Orleans this fall:

French Quarter building at night lit with red lights — Search for spirits roaming the French Quarter on a ghost tour

Explore the supernatural on a ghost tour

Roam the streets of the French Quarter on a guided ghost tour to find all the most haunted spots. Your guide will share all the ghoulish tales that are sure to send tingles down your spine – from Voodoo queens to forlorn lovers to the rich and powerful whose dark deeds will chill you to the bone, these stories seem to be straight out of a penny dreadful. As you explore our historic streets and hear these sordid tales, you might find yourself looking over your shoulder and wondering if the spirits are indeed walking with you.

Don a costume and join the fray

We love any excuse to wear a costume in New Orleans. Join the fun Halloween night and even in the days leading up to it by throwing on a mask or some glitter and wandering down Frenchmen Street. Locals and visitors alike take costuming very seriously here, so grab a drink and prepare yourself for some of the best people watching you can find in the world! Wigs, masks, glitter, headdresses – from the elaborately handmade to the impulse buy at a big box store, you’ll see just about everything you can imagine and more as Frenchmen Street becomes everyone’s personal Halloween runway. Whether you choose to go for whimsy, satire, or good old fashion gore, you’ll definitely want to dress up if you don’t want to feel left out.

Day of the Dead parade goer in skeleton makeup carrying a lit candle and flowers — Día de Los Muertos parade goer

Celebrate Día de los Muertos

Cultures merge in fantastical ways in New Orleans, and our Día de los Muertos celebrations really showcase that blend. The Krewe de Mayahuel, a group that celebrates Mexican culture in New Orleans, hold an annual Day of the Dead parade, honoring those we have lost and the lives they led, on All Souls Day. What started as a small pub crawl has grown larger and more elaborate each year, incorporating both historically Mexican and New Orleans elements. This parade stands out as one of the most unique experiences in a city known for unique experiences. It includes costumes, candlelight, marching groups, and a rolling altar. Krewe de Mayahuel organizers encourage the public to add their own photos, candles, and object to the altar to honor loved ones who’ve passed on.

Attend the famous Lazarus Ball

Can decadence and doing good go hand in hand? They can in NOLA! For the past several decades, Halloween New Orleans has hosted incredible events to raise funds for Project Lazarus, a home that provides healthcare and support for people living with AIDS. HNO is known as both “one of the most celebrated gay party weekends of the year” and one of the most significant and respected fundraising events in the United States. The full weekend includes a ball and silent auction, a wild costume party, and a jazz brunch, as well as a second line parade through the French Quarter. Great food and drinks, DJs and drag performances, and a renowned costume contest make this slate of events a must!

Snag a spot at a vampire speakeasy

Step back in time at Potions Lounge, an invitation-only speakeasy in the French Quarter that’s equal parts spine-tingling and luxe. You will have to prove your worth first by stopping in at Boutique du Vampyre (709 ½ St. Ann St.) to learn the password, but once you are in, you can enjoy some locally-made absinthe, sip on a specialty cocktail like the Broken Mirror or the Blood Drop Martini, and even have your tea leaves read. Will you meet any true vampires? Who is to say, but you will definitely have an unforgettable experience.

Make a pilgrimage to the Chapel of the Santísima Muerte

A Mexican folk saint with a cult following, Santa Muerte is depicted as a female skeletal figure robed in either white, red, or black, and holding a scythe. While her history dates back to Spanish colonial times in Mexico, when the Mesoamericans blended the European image of the grim reaper with local deities personifying death, Santa Muerte’s popularity has grown exponentially in both Mexico and the United States in recent years. Santa Muerte has clear ties to Catholicism while also drawing veneration from those outside the Catholic Church because of her broad appeal. Those who make petitions to the saint say she is swift to grant miracles, and the New Orleans shrine has existed for over a decade. Now located inside Botanica Macumba (3154 St. Claude Avenue), not far from the French Quarter, the shrine welcomes visitors and followers of the saint who come to pay respects and make their petitions.

Scary doll with metal mask in a haunted house — Tour one of the many haunted house experiences around the city

Tour a haunted house

If you’re looking for a good scare, look no further than the haunted house experiences around New Orleans! Whether you want to delve into the truly terrifying or just want to feel that knot in the pit of your stomach tighten, there is something for everyone interested in haunted houses. The Mortuary, one of the city’s most celebrated haunted house experiences, is set in a neoclassical mansion built in 1872. What began as a family home eventually became a place for full funerary services – autopsies, embalming, cremation, and more. After hosting thousands of funerals, the mansion fell into disuse until it became the Mortuary, a true New Orleans experience. Now thrill seekers from all over the country can come for the incredible Hollywood-style haunts and special effects that are sure to shock and horrify!

Follow in the footsteps of Daniel Molloy

Perhaps one of the best-known books set in New Orleans is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. The gripping, gothic tale of Louis de Pointe du Lac, a plantation-owning vampire who shares his life story of love and loss with Daniel Molloy, a young reporter, has captured fans for decades. Whether you are trying to find bloodsuckers in the darkened corners in the French Quarter or attending the world-famous Endless Night Vampire Ball, you will definitely walk away with more than a few stories to tell.

Skeleton dressed as a waiter — Swing by the Skeleton House for some spooks and some laughs

Search for skeletons

One of the best traits of New Orleans that locals and tourists alike can appreciate is that we do not take ourselves too seriously. Nowhere is that more apparent than the elaborate Halloween display created by the Berger family who own the uptown mansion affectionately known as the Skeleton House. Located at 600 St. Charles Avenue, the Skeleton House boasts a vast front yard ornately decorated with skeletons arranged in various tableaus. Each skeleton is accompanied by a witty pun, sometimes satirical, and sometimes just silly. Visitors line the sidewalks day and night leading up to Halloween to see the displays, grab a selfie, and chuckle at the undeniable humor of skele-brities such as SKULLett O’Scara, MARROWlyn Monroe, and Napoleon BONE-apart.

Catch some throws and some scares with the Krewe of Boo

Here in New Orleans, we really do have a parade for just about everything, including Halloween! Dance groups, marching bands, costumed riders, and revelers come together to create the city’s only official Halloween parade, complete with huge handcrafted floats that display some of NOLA’s spookiest artistry. Parade-goers dress in costumes ranging from simple to over-the-top and catch the “throws” (beads and treats) tossed out by those riding, walking, or dancing in the parade. It is hard to say if people love the Krewe of Boo because it promises a frighteningly good time or because it offers a parade experience to hold us over until Mardi Gras.

Scary statue representing the rougarou legend — Have you seen the Rougarou?

Hunt for the Rougarou

Ask any Cajun you meet, and they are sure to have a story or two for you about the Rougarou, South Louisiana’s answer to the traditional werewolf tale. Or you could go on the hunt for your own story - take a walk on any of the trails in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve just outside of the city. You can explore the “living laboratory” the park offers in its trails and waterways, boasting of hundreds of different species of animal and plant alike. And while you are there, peer behind each cypress tree and keep an eye on the swaying Spanish moss to see if you find the swamp creature so feared by Cajun children. If a stroll on the trails just is not enough, be sure to book a swamp tour where you can get up close and personal with the flora and fauna of South Louisiana in an easy ride on a pontoon boat or a fast-paced airboat adventure!

Whether you are seeking thrills or chills, fantasies or frights, Gators and Ghosts can help you make the most of your time in New Orleans. We offer a wide variety of NOLA sightseeing tours, including airboat swamp, ghost, plantation, and city tours. Book yours today!

Best Halloween Spooks and Scares in New Orleans