Go ghost hunting at these 13 haunted places in Louisiana... if you dare
With Halloween right around the corner, whether you believe in the paranormal or not, it can be fun to indulge in tales of ghosts and haunted places.
With Halloween right around the corner, whether you believe in the paranormal or not, it can be fun to indulge in tales of ghosts and haunted places.
Brave souls, thrill-seekers and macabre enthusiasts may even go as far as venturing to some of Louisiana's supposedly haunted locations in pursuit of a fright this Halloween season.
Since Louisiana has no shortage of places steeped in shadowy tales and tragedy, it often attracts those seeking contact with the spectral realm.
Most haunted places in Louisiana
Whether you believe in these urban legends and haunting folklore or not, they serve as entertaining tales that fit the Halloween spirit. Here are 13 places in Louisiana that are widely known for their backgrounds of the unexplainable.
Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville
The most haunted place in Louisiana is said to be Myrtles Plantation, located in St. Francisville. While Myrtles Plantation now serves as a hotel and tourist attraction, the property's twisted history cannot be escaped. The plantation's supernatural story begins with the Woodruff family's deaths, as well as the execution of a young female slave named Chloe. Many more gruesome deaths would follow, with Myrtles Plantation serving as the setting.
The spirits of residents, and captives, long-since passed are said to haunt the home, and around the land it sits upon. If you dare to spend the night inside the plantation home, and chance a glance into the grand hallway's mirror, you may just see the Woodruff children staring back at you.
Madame LaLaurie's Mansion in New Orleans
Madame LaLaurie's Mansion is perhaps the most infamous haunted spot in the city of New Orleans, and many people claim that the mansion is cursed. In the 1830s, after a fire broke out during a high society party, firefighters discovered chained and brutally tortured enslaved people in one of the home's chambers.
For nearly 200 years, countless paranormal occurrences have been documented. Many of these supernatural events are attributed to the room where she had tortured hundreds, which is also where visitors often hear chilling moans coming from. The negative energy, left in result of Madame LaLaurie's cruelty is said to be palpable.
The Old Absinthe House in New Orleans
The Old Absinthe House is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings located in the French Quarter. Built in 1752, this historical bar was frequented by many infamous individuals, such as the pirate Jean Lafitte, former president Andrew Jackson, writer Mark Twain and General Robert E. Lee. Numerous patrons have claimed to have seen apparitions of Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson and voodoo queen Marie Leveau making ghostly visits to The Old Absinthe House.
Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans
Hotel Monteleone, located in The French Quarter, is a 19th century hotel that has a rich and expansive history within the city. The opulent beaux-arts style building acts almost as a time capsule for the Victorian Era, and the spirits seen wandering throughout the building still wearing 19th-century clothing certainly add to the hotel's time-capsule effect.
The hotel's most notable spirit that haunts the halls is the apparition of a boy named Maurice Begere who is most often seen on the 14th floor, or in room 930, which is where he died in the hotel in 1890. Another identifiable spirit found within the building is the hotel's founder, Antonio Monteleone, who has reportedly been seen roaming the lobby and hallways donned in Victorian-style attire.
The Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport
In Shreveport, The Municipal Auditorium, the old Ellerbe Road School and the abandoned Penal Farm Prison, are said to be a few of the city's most haunted places.
The Municipal Auditorium, constructed in 1929, is a historical Shreveport landmark and played a pivotal role in the city's entertainment scene. However, tragic incidents have occurred underneath the building's ornate roof, and these tragedies left behind restless spirits who exist within the walls of the building.
Legend claims that three distinct spirits inhabit the auditorium, one being 'the lady in white' who often wanders the building or sits in an empty seat, the second is 'the crying child,' and the last being 'the phantom pianist' who softly plays his melodies. Some visitors of the Art-Deco era building recall a distinct, mysterious feeling of being watched, some say they heard inexplicable sounds and others claim they saw shadowy figures lurking within the shadows backstage.
Calcasieu Courthouse in Lake Charles
At Calcasieu Courthouse in Lake Charles, the spirit of Toni Jo Henry is said to haunt the area of the courthouse's holding cell. In 1939, Henry planned to break her husband out of prison, stealing a car for a getaway and murdering its owner, Joseph Callaway.
After facing three trials for murder, Henry was the first and only woman executed in the electric chair in Louisiana. Some jail officers and workers said they encountered unexplained electrical malfunctions, smells of burnt hair and perfume, as well as some claiming they heard a woman screaming from the stairs, according to Explore Louisiana.
Penal Farm Prison in Caddo Parish
The Caddo Parish Penal Farm Prison was built in 1905 and, at the time, held some of the most violent criminals in the state. Here, the inmates farmed acres of land and the crops they harvested served as their only source of food. As time went on, it was apparent that inmates were starving to death, and suffered brutal beatings at the hands of prison guards.
There is a cemetery for deceased inmates located on the prison grounds, named Potters Cemetery, but rumors speculate that the bodies of prisoner's who died by strange circumstances may be buried all throughout the land. Individuals who have visited the abandoned Penal Farm have reported hearing sounds of crying and moaning, as well as seeing shadowy phantoms.
The grave of Sallie Baker in Catton Valley
In another region of Northwest Louisiana, a lesser-known haunted site is the grave of Sallie Baker, located in Cotton Valley. Located off a two-lane road, deep within the woods, Sallie Baker's grave can be found with a single slab of concrete serving as the marker for the site. Midnight visitors have often spun stories of being terrorized by the ghost of Sally Baker.
Sallie Baker is said to have murdered her multiple husbands, one by pouring hot lead down his ears and another by poisoning his food. Over time, the urban-legend has spiraled to include the presumption of Sallie Baker practicing witchcraft. While the urban-legend of Sally Baker has fallen out of popularity, her spirit is believed to still be haunting the woods surrounding her grave.
Bonnie and Clyde ambush site in Gibsland
Another area in Louisiana that is tinged with both history and haunting is the site where Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and shot-to-death in 1934 in the town of Gibsland. The exact location of the ambush can be found seven miles south of the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum on Route 154. Today, tall tales declare that echoes of phantom gunshots still ring-out, and that the ghosts of Bonnie and Clyde still linger within the woods of where they met their demise.
The Old American Cemetery in Natchitoches
The Old American Cemetery in Natchitoches is said to be the oldest cemetery within the Louisiana Purchase, with some grave sites dating back to the colonial era. Tales have been told of audible screams ringing throughout the cemetery at nighttime, and some visitors have recounted witnessing the apparition of a woman hanging from the branch of a tree.
Hotel Bentley in Alexandria
In Alexandria, The Hotel Bentley is believed to be the most haunted place in the city. The hotel was built in 1907 by Joseph Bentley, who resided in an apartment on the hotel's second floor up until his death. Bentley's spirit apparently can be seen wandering within the hotel in broad daylight.
Other ghost sightings have been of the Generals Patton and Bradley, who have been seen engaging in a discussion inside the Mirror Room Lounge. Another sighting has been of the apparition of a seven-year-old-girl who reportedly fell down an elevator shaft and died, some guests claim the young girl tugged on the legs of their pants.
E.A. Conway Memorial Hospital in Monroe
In Monroe, the abandoned E.A Conway Memorial Hospital remains a popular destination for ghost-hunters. The hospital was built in 1941 and was abandoned 40 years later, it's speculated that there were several instances of malpractice while the hospital was still open.
As visitors have walked through the vacated hallways, they report having allegedly seen the ghosts of long-deceased patients, or having heard the slam of door closing and the creaking of rusted hospital beds as if they're being moved across the floor.
The Hanging Jail in DeRidder
The Gothic Jail of DeRidder, built in 1915 and known for its Gothic architecture, is believed to be haunted by two inmates who died there and an old jailer who stands on the front porch, smoking his pipe and drinking coffee, says Louisiana Myths and Legends.
In the '20s, Joe Genna and Molton Brasseaux were convicted for killing a taxi driver and were sentenced to death. They were hung from the jail's third-floor gallows in 1928, which is how the jail got it's name "The Hanging Jail." The jail features a spiral staircase that circles around a noose that hangs ominously, as well as an underground tunnel that allowed prisoners passage to the courthouse next door for trial. Visitors of the jail have claimed to capture photos of ghostly beings, according to Explore Louisiana.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Go ghost hunting at these 13 haunted places in Louisiana... if you dare
