New Orleans cemeteries’ tell the morbid tale of the city’s history. Victims of plague, leprosy and yellow fever can be found here, along with a voodoo priestess and Anne Rice’s Lestate and Louis. The most famous is St. Louis Cemetery No 1 (There are a few of these so if you go make sure you have the right one.) The most famous resident is voodoo priestess Queen Marie Leveaux. It is said that her spirit lives on in the cemetery and will either bless those she deems fit or curse those that she does not.  Followers of Queen Leveaux bring gifts to her tomb in hopes of receiving a blessing including money, candles, dolls, etc. If she is pleased she will appear, often with a host of naked spirits. But don’t dare mock her tomb or try to take any of her offerings. If you do, she may just curse you. Visitors are warned to not turn their backs on a black cat because it is Leveaux at her most vengeful. If you turn your back she has you cursed for sure. Instead, stand still and cross yourself three times.

The Lalaurie House was the scene of horrific torture to slaves. Dr. Louis Lalaurie and his wife Delphine were at the height of society in 1834.  The couple were well liked and looked up to. They threw lavish balls and were involved in several charities.  A house fire was the cause of their undoing. Firefighters found a hidden room that contained slaves that were starved and badly beaten. But that was nothing compared to the upstairs attic. There they found a macabre laboratory. Those that were lucky were dead. The unlucky ones suffered amputated limbs and limbs that had been tied or chained to make them deformed. There was also a collection of preserved organs.

The Haunted Mortuary was built as an elegant Victorian home in the 1800s. It was eventually turned into a mortuary. It was unique in that it provided full service to grieving families in a very home like atmosphere including apartments with maid service and an onsite cook for meals. It was eventually sold to another company that let it fall into decay. In 2007 it was brought and remodeled into a multimillion dollar haunted attraction. Except that, many of the specters are real. The ghosts of two children run through the halls. In the basement (where the embalming took place) the specter of a mortician can be seen with bloody hands.  Visitors are welcomed to visit The Haunted  Mortuary in one of two ways: take a tour through the pretend house; or take a paranormal tour through the real haunted funeral home.