USA Haunted Towns or Halloween, Samhain, Spooky Season Part 2

Welcome back my adventurous friend,

As promised, here is Part 2 of Samhain -- Halloween post. Read Part 1 here. 👻🎃

Spooky decor

Again, this is great for next year, since I was late posting it 😅. As it's great to have ideas for the times ahead. There is plenty of time to think and figure it out, but it’s nice to know your options instead of decorating your house yet another year. Don’t get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with that if it brings you the ultimate joy! But it’s nice to switch things up sometimes. And the great part is - you don’t need to go abroad to get into the festive spooky mood (if you live in the U.S., that is). Stay in the states! Or come on over if you live somewhere else, to experience the supernatural of these lands. 

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Without further ado, let’s dive into the haunted capital of the USA -  New Orleans aka NOLA. 

New Orleans

Absolutely one of the best cities to visit if you are into the supernatural but also spiritual. From ghosts to witches, this city is nothing short of mystical at every corner, every haunted hotel, and every cemetery.

NOLA is speculated to be so darn haunted due to its historically deadly epidemics, murders, and executions. One of such epidemics was the Yellow Fever. Ravaging through the streets of the city from the mid 19th century to the early 20th, thousands and thousands of people lost their lives. The dead were collected by the wheelbarrow and a lot of times buried quickly in mass graves to suppress the spread of the deadly disease. 

New Orleans. Photo by Jimmy Woo

Ah, and of course -  Voodoo. The mystical rituals, tinctures, spells, and talismans - we’ve certainly heard about it. But what is it really?

Let’s dive into a little bit of history. The city of New Orleans was founded in the early 18th century by the French. It was established and built on an important, centuries old, Native American’s gathering site,  only to fall under the Spanish rule a few decades later. Though becoming a part of the U.S. in the year of 1803. Yet, the city was truly shaped by the enslaved from the moments they were brought over from Haiti and West Africa by the French. Today we see this in the city itself, the food, the music, and the culture. It’s no surprise that their spiritual beliefs and practices crossed over with them as well. Blending with Catholicism - creating the “magic” of voodoo. From tinctures, to ritual dances, prayers, and talismans - voodoo is not magic or witchcraft, its faith, a religion that has ancient roots.

🕸 Things to do and see:

Anne Rice Vampire Annual Ball, Marie Laveau’s House, Tremé Fall Festival, The Mortuary, New Orleans Nightmare, French Quarter Phantoms, French Quarter Ghost & True Crime Tour, Ghost-Crime-Voodoo-and Vampires Tour, Voodoo Queen Tour of French Quarter

✩ Visit the LaLaurie Mansion - known as the most haunted location in New Orleans. The story goes that the socialite that lived there was a very cruel woman who was very cruel to her slaves. When the word of this got out, less and less people would come to her house and her parties. Eventually, a fire started that burned part of the house, with the lady of the house escaping. But what the firefighters found in one of the rooms was beyond gruesome and inhumane, the slaves locked up there, were horribly mutilated. After the fire, the house was boarded up and stood empty for many years. Nicolas Cage eventually purchased it in early 2000s, only to sell it a year later. 

Though you cannot go inside the house as it is now a privately owned residence, you can still stop by on one of the tours and hear the full bone chilling story from a tour guide. And pay respects to those that suffered there. 

✩ Stay at one of many haunted hotels - NOLA has no shortage of them. If you want a truly haunted experience you can pretty much pick any hotel in the French Quarter, here are some recommendations: 

👻 Place d’Armes - the original buildings, said to be a school, was burned down with the children still inside. 

👻 Olivier House Hotel - if you always wanted to see a ghostly cat, this is your place. Though, the cat is not the only resident spirit of this hotel. It shares the space with an elderly lady and a Confederate soldier. 

👻 Hotel Monteleone - said to be haunted by quiet a few spirits, the most notable one is a boy named Maurice who fell mysteriously ill one evening.

👻 Bourbon Orleans Hotel - originally, a theater and ballroom, and later a convent. One can experience quiet a few paranormal activities and sights here. From nuns, children, a lonely dancer, and, of course, a Confederate soldier. 

👻 Hotel Provincial - there is no shortage of Confederate soldier hauntings in the country, and NOLA is no exception. Originally a Confederate hospital, I think you can guess who haunts this hotel the most. The most reported are sightings of blood and wounded soldiers. 

🕸 Other famously haunted U.S. cities:

1. Bodie, CA - a ghost town full of ghosts. Visit this old, abandoned mining town if you dare, but don’t take any “souvenirs” back with you. It is said if anyone removes any items will be cursed with “a curse of Bodie” causing strange accidents, health problems, and other misfortunes.

2. Salem, MA - who hasn’t heard of the Salem Witch trials and the 19 innocent people that died. Salem is said to have a high paranormal activity especially at the cemetery, and a few buildings around town. 

3. Charlestone, SC - a past full of tragedy, pirate history, slave trade, natural disasters, and wars. From the Old Exchange building and Provost Dungeons where many enslaved were held and sold, while the dungeons held imprisoned patriots during the Revolution. To the Old City Jail that saw many executions of pirates and Civil War soldiers. 

4. Gettysburg, PA - as many know, the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War was a very tragic event that claimed  over 50,000 victims. Many burried en mass where they fell. There is no shortage of ghost sightings nor haunted places here.

5. Savannah, GA - the city believed to have been built over many burial grounds. But let’s also remember wars, deadly epidemics such as Yellow Fever, murders, and more. There is no shortage of ghost stories in this old city. 

There is honestly, no shortage of haunted towns in the USA that you can visit. Get curious and explore!

Happy spooky travels!