Bourbon Street- There has been reports, by several witnesses, of seeing a mob of ghostly apparitions engaged in a brawl in the middle of the street.
The LaMothe Hotel- Many guests have reported seeing the mysterious ghostly figure of a woman emerging from the closet of one of the rooms. She comes out of the closet and then vanishes.
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre- Several theater patrons have reported seeing a young girl in a wedding gown standing on the second floor staring down at the courtyard. The girl apparently committed suicide from the second floor on her wedding day. People have also experienced cold spots in the courtyard. The apparition of an elderly man dressed in 1700’s attire has been sighted sitting in the theater reading a newspaper.
The Morgue Bar and Lounge- Located at 626 St. Phillip Street this site was built in 1849 and was originally used as the city’s first mortuary. The site is said to be haunted by the mortician’s daughter who was known to steal jewelry from the dead that were brought into the morgue. She is said to frequent the main bar area and also the ladies restrooms.
Pirates Alley- The ghost of Jean LaFitte, the famed pirate, is said to have been sighted several times in the early morning hours around 3:00am wandering in the alley.
The Fairview Hotel- Ghosts have been seen on several occasions wandering through the establishments’ hallways.
Voodoo and Black Magic
This unknown religion can be traced back to Africa before 1100 AD. It was first practiced in New Orleans in the early 1800’s. Voodoo is a religion based on one main god or deity and several demi-gods called Loas. The Loas are like saints in the catholic religion. Several tribes believe that the Loas have the ability to enter a worshipper’s body. This is seen as a very valuable experience towards warding off illness’s or bad luck. The very first Voodoo Queen in New Orleans was Sanite’ Dede. She had come to New Orleans from Santo Domingo. The priestess held rituals in her courtyard on Dumaine and Chartres Streets.
The ceremonies were loud and mysterious and the Catholic Church began to frown upon the practice of Voodoo within the city’s boundaries. It was decided that any religion other than the catholic religion was not aloud within the city’s limits. Indiviuals who broke the law were arrested and tried. This law was revoked in 1830. In the Voodoo religion animals were used quite frequently to cast spells or hexes. One of the most powerful animals to use in ceremonies was the black cat. Voodoo is still practiced by certain individuals in New Orleans today and still retains all of its mysticism as in centuries before.