Haunted America: Eerie legends and paranormal truths from Louisiana

Louisiana’s long and storied history is full of ghostly sightings and paranormal encounters. Some of the most haunted sites are available for a visit across the state.St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New OrleansVoodoo priestess (or mambo) Marie Laveau is one of the many famous residents buried in and said to haunt New Orleans’ oldest cemetery.

Hoards of followers have left offerings and marked three “X’s” on her crypt in hopes of having their wishes granted.

Built in 1789, the cemetery spans only a block but supposedly houses 100,000 of the city’s dead, many of whom are thought to still walk the cemetery’s grounds. Take a cemetery tour to get insider knowledge and a glimpse into New Orleans’ past.LaLaurie Mansion, New OrleansMystery, intrigue and bone-chilling true crime stories have surrounded this home since the 1830s.

The influential, French-Creole Delphine LaLaurie was a well-respected member of society known to throw lavish parties. When fire engulfed the house, Madame LaLaurie’s image crumbled, revealing horrifying secrets of tortured slaves whose souls are said to still haunt the mansion. Future owners, plagued by ghosts, each left soon after buying the property.Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie

In Oak Alley Plantation, the staff has seen a ghostly shadow gazing out of a window and heard the distinct sounds of an invisible horse and carriage coming up the alley.

Perhaps the strangest experience occurred when 35 visitors touring the mansion saw a candlestick fly across the room. The TV show Ghost Hunters was filmed on location there in August 2008. Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, Baton RougeGreat orator and defender of the common people, Avoyelles Parish Legislator Pierre Couvillon suffered a heart attack in the capitol’s chambers after a spirited speech about corrupt politicians. Couvillon’s large footprints have appeared on the Senate floor, and a rumpled bed in the exhibit hall could have been his resting spot for the night.

While making rounds, a security guard felt a tap on his shoulder and heard invisible people moving around in the dark.

Others have seen the motion detectors going off but when they went to investigate no one was there and nothing was caught on security tapes.Arnaud’s Restaurant, New OrleansThe ghosts at this upscale restaurant are some of the most popular ghostly entities in New Orleans. Count Arnaud, who is said to appear in the main dining room dressed in his tuxedo, surveying the guests and smiling at the energetic atmosphere.

Guests have reported seeing a woman in a hat stroll through the dining room only to disappear into a wall, apparently seeking to ascend the staircase that was once there before the wall was added.

Another group of well-dressed ghostly gentlemen enjoys themselves at the bar after hours. Calcasieu Courthouse, Lake CharlesToni Jo Henry’s crime of passion to break her new husband out of prison made her the only woman ever executed in Louisiana’s electric chair.

75 years after her death, jail officers think Toni Jo’s spirit still hangs around the holding cell in Calcasieu Courthouse. Workers encounter unexplained electrical malfunctions, random wafts of burnt hair and cheap perfume, and some have claimed to have heard the screams of a woman echoing from the stairs.Magnolia Plantation, Natchitoches

During the 2009 investigation by Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, investigators heard chanting of voodoo rituals, tapping noises, and unexpected lights while filming in a former slave cabin.

Those who live and work here tell a story of an overseer murdered by Union soldiers when they took over the main house. Meanwhile, the spirits of former slaves haunt the plantation’s hospital and a cabin where anthropologists have found evidence of voodoo.

Today, the mansion is a private residence, but the National Park Service owns the remainder of the complex and it is open for tours.Loyd Hall Plantation, CheneyvilleThe black sheep in his London-based family, the original owner of Loyd Hall Plantation brought his money stateside around 1820.

He did well for himself until the Civil War when his dealings as a double spy led to his hanging by Union soldiers. He was the first of several tragic deaths on the property, including a Union soldier deserter discovered in the attic and a slave nanny reputedly poisoned. Their spirits show up to ring doorbells, move tableware and play the violin during a full moon.

Bed and breakfast guests are in for a spooky surprise. Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, ShreveportWatch out, ladies! “Sarge” loves to play with women’s hair, ruffling shorter hair in an upward pattern, while longer hair is stroked.

Another young girl runs around the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium arena floor and opens and closes doors. This occurrence has been caught on video by visiting guests on a tour. “Mary” walks about on stage, and others have shown up in photographs sitting in the otherwise empty arena seats.

Dauphine Orleans Hotel, New OrleansTales of twisted fates are retold through the generations at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel and its bar, May Bailey’s Place. Through sightings, paranormal research and documented letters, there seem to be four main characters who keep establishing their presence from beyond the grave.

Do not miss May Bailey’s, it has been the site for two different & overnight lockdowns & by the hosts of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures TV series.The Mortuary, New OrleansThe Mortuary, originally built in 1872, is a mansion that operated for about 80 years as an actual mortuary. Since it first opened its doors as a haunted attraction in 2007, it has been featured on top ghost-hunting shows including Discovery Channel’s Ghost Lab, Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters; Ghost Hunters's International, and The Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures.

While the venue is famous for its Haunted Mansion during the Halloween season, you can get your chills and thrills year-round at the Mystere Mansion and play live escape games at the Mystere Escape Rooms.The Hanging Jail, DeRidderBuilt in 1915, the Gothic Jail of DeRidder is believed to be haunted by the two men hanged for the slaying of their taxi cab driver – hence the nickname “The Hanging Jail.” After murdering taxi driver Joe Brevelle and dumping his body in Pickering Mill Pond, Genna and Brasseaux were convicted and hanged in 1928.

The jail features a spiral staircase circling around a noose that hangs ominously and an underground tunnel that allows prisoners to get to the courthouse next door.

It has even been featured on The Travel Channel because of its peculiar reputation.Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville

It is said the hauntings began with Chloe who was a slave punished for eavesdropping on the family. For her revenge, she baked a poisoned birthday cake, killing three family members. Chloe’s ghost is still reported to haunt the Myrtles Plantation. Subsequent owners suffered death and murder tragedies in the years that followed. The ghosts of these former residents have been documented in photos, featured in national TV shows, and witnessed by residents and tourists alike.

Stay the night in one of the most haunted homes in the country or take a mystery tour on Friday or Saturday evening.