Who said haunted houses were saved for Halloween? That’s right, no one, because if they’re haunted, they’re haunted all year round. When it comes to New Orleans, we’ve got deep roots in these fertile sandy loams. With roots comes a wide history of spooky tales carried on through the years that can be heard in the walls of our historic buildings. So, you came to New Orleans to hear some spooky stories; nothing like a New Orleans hotel brings the mystery. We’ve got just the spots for you.
This 18th-century European-style hotel is in the lively area of Bourbon Street and is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. You know what that means… This baby’s haunted. The Andrew Jackson Hotel is so haunted that it’s first up on our list. The history of the Andrew Jackson Hotel started when it first opened as an orphanage and boarding school for boys run by the Spanish Colonial Government. The boys had lost their parents to yellow fever in 1792. If that tragedy wasn’t enough to bring on a flock of tormented souls, the building then went on to be engulfed in flames by the New Orleans fire of 1794, all while four of the school’s boys were trapped inside. After the fire, the building was rebuilt into the U.S. Federal Courthouse, and in came Andrew Jackson, who was held in contempt of court and charged with obstruction of justice. The courthouse, along with Andrew Jackson’s criminal charges, was demolished and rebuilt in the 1890s. Today, the Andrew Jackson Hotel is reportedly one of the most haunted in New Orleans. Over the years, there have been reports of the ghost of young “Armand,” waking up guests with laughter or pushing them out of bed. Others report seeing the caretaker of the orphan boys playing with pillows and cleaning the rooms. Go and see this spooky place for yourself, if you dare.
Next up, we bring you a familiar name within the Orleans Parish, particularly if you like parks. Here in New Orleans, one of our most treasured parks is the Audubon, named after, if you could guess, John James Audubon, who was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. This boutique hotel is kind of a two-in-one package deal being that it is part of the bigger hotel adjacent to the Dauphine Orleans hotel (we’ll get to that one later). The seven cottages were built shortly after the fires in New Orleans, as mentioned earlier. The cottages were built as a home for John, and today hold years of secrets that echo from John and his time there. Each of the cottages is uniquely themed to various events in the area’s history. When it comes to hauntings, the ghosts have a preference for cottages two and four, it would seem. Visitors report chilling stories of whispers and being touched. Cottage Four is also said to have a Confederate soldier who plays the radio with a love for country music. Go and stay in one of the cottages for its beautiful premises and prepare to be spooked.
Known as a sort of sister hotel to Audubon Cottages, the Dauphine Orleans Hotel holds a story so mysterious, the questions of who’s and why’s are still up for speculation. Don Andres Almonester y Roxas has been said to be the original owner of this property around the 1780s and at some point, donated a part of the property to Charity Hospital. The significance of this hospital for the time was that New Orleans was, for the most part, disease-ridden. Eventually, Charity Hospital sold the land surrounding 415 Dauphine. Over the next few years, the property was owned by a slew of wealthy families, some of which included Chauvins, Broutins, Trepagniers, and Bonabels. In 1857, things got… interesting. May Baily’s Place opened and was referred to as a “sporting house”; let’s just call it what it was, a brothel. May Baily had built this business out of necessity; her father had died from the infamous yellow fever, and she needed to make ends meet. Although brothels were illegal during this time, May had something very significant under her belt, an “Ordinance Concerning Lewd and Abandoned Women,” which in a nutshell allowed them to do whatever they wanted and legally too. The Dauphine Orleans Hotel that we know of today was built in 1969 and the interior holds a historic charm with added modern luxury. It is said by both the people who work at this hotel and guests that the ghost of May Bailey’s suitors roam the halls along with a man in Confederate attire that they call the ghost of the Rebel. Go and enjoy May Bailey’s place with a nice New Orleans cocktail and feel the spirit of those before.
When it comes to our list of the most haunted hotels in New Orleans, you’re bound to have a chilling, yet fun time. So, bring all your favorite superstitious friends and get in the spirit while drinking some New Orleans spirits and enjoying the adventure.
Once you’re situated, why don’t you let us handle the logistics of your trip? Our plantation tours, swamp tours, and city tours include transportation.
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