New Orleans Cocktails, History, Voodoo & Paranormal Tour

New Orleans has no shortage of ghost stories, but this two-hour walk takes a darker route, mixing true crime and paranormal lore with the city’s bar culture. You’ll hear about pirates, felons, prostitutes, unsolved murders, voodoo traditions, and notorious French Quarter homes while your guide leads you from one story site to the next.

I like the low price, $23, and the fact that the guides are professional storytellers with more than a decade of tour experience. I also like the unusual mix of subjects: local history, Cajun superstition, Hollywood locations, cocktails, and a real EMF meter used for entertainment.

The main caution is that drinks are not included, and the route may feel less substantial than the description suggests. One past booking covered only a few outdoor stops, while another had no voodoo discussion at all. Go for the stories and atmosphere, not a guaranteed visit inside every landmark or bar.

Key points to know before you book

• The meeting point is outside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar: Meet your guide on the sidewalk by the courtyard gate at 941 Bourbon Street, not inside the bar.
• True crime is the main theme: Expect stories about the Sultan’s Palace, the LaLaurie Mansion, the 2006 murder-suicide, and the tragic case of Zach and Addie.
• Drinks cost extra: The $23 price covers the guided walk, but you buy any cocktails or other drinks yourself.
• The route includes famous French Quarter landmarks: Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytère, St. Anthony’s Garden, and the Ursuline Convent are among the places covered.
• Paranormal equipment is part of the show: The guide uses an EMF meter, and you are responsible for returning it without damage.
• The content can vary: One guide may focus on crime and local history, while another may give more attention to voodoo or ghosts.

A boozy walk through New Orleans’ darker side

This is not a standard French Quarter history walk. The tone is informal, adult, and designed for people who enjoy murder cases, haunted buildings, folklore, and a drink in hand.

The walk uses the neighborhood as a stage. Instead of simply pointing out architecture, your guide connects buildings and streets to stories about crime, punishment, scandal, and superstition. You’ll hear how New Orleans grew from a rough port city into one of the most distinctive places in the United States, with French Quarter history used as the backdrop for the darker tales.

The tour is conducted in English and lasts about two hours. It is a walking experience, so you should expect old, uneven streets and outdoor storytelling rather than a seated presentation. Since drinks are not included, you can decide how much or how little alcohol suits you.

That flexibility matters. You can buy a cocktail, beer, or another drink along the way, but the tour is not a package with drinks built into the price. At $23, I consider it a reasonably priced introduction to the French Quarter’s less respectable past, provided you understand that you are paying separately for refreshments.

Starting at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street

The tour begins on the sidewalk outside the legendary Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street. Look for the gate to the attached courtyard. Do not go inside the bar expecting the staff to check you in, since the bar and tour company are separate businesses.

This is a useful detail, especially in a crowded part of the French Quarter. Arrive a few minutes early, find the courtyard gate, and wait outside for the guide. The operator allows check-in only before departure, and late arrivals are not eligible for a refund.

The meeting point puts you right in the middle of the neighborhood’s nightlife. Bourbon Street supplies the noise and spectacle, while the tour promises a look at the crimes, myths, and characters behind the polished visitor image.

Jackson Square and the civic heart of the French Quarter

The route covers Jackson Square, one of the best places to understand New Orleans’ public history. The square is framed by the St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Presbytère, giving your guide plenty of material about religion, government, law, and the city’s changing identity.

You are not visiting these buildings as an indoor museum tour, so keep your expectations clear. The value here comes from hearing the guide connect the landmarks to the surrounding stories. The cathedral and old government buildings provide a serious counterweight to the tour’s more sensational material.

St. Anthony’s Garden and the Ursuline Convent also appear on the route. These sites add religious and architectural context to the French Quarter, while the guide’s stories bring in superstition, local customs, and older beliefs about spirits and the dead.

I like this part of the route because it gives the tour a broader base. Without these landmarks, the experience could become a string of murder stories. The historic squares, gardens, and buildings help explain why the French Quarter has such a strong sense of place.

LaLaurie Mansion and the limits of haunted-house lore

The LaLaurie Mansion is one of the tour’s major stops. It is widely known as one of the most haunted houses in New Orleans, and its reputation is tied to brutal stories about the LaLaurie household.

Expect to hear the dark details from outside. The tour does not promise entry into the mansion, and that is important because the building is a private property rather than a regular museum stop.

The LaLaurie story is a good example of how this experience handles the city’s past. You get crime, social history, folklore, and ghost lore in the same tale. A strong guide can separate documented events from later legends, though the exact balance may depend on who leads your group.

The subject matter is grim. This is not a light ghost walk suitable for every child or every adult. If you prefer architecture, food, or music history, you may find the focus too heavy. If you enjoy notorious cases and old urban legends, this is likely one of the most memorable stops.

The Sultan’s Palace and an unsolved mass murder

The Sultan’s Palace is another dramatic address on the route. The mansion is connected with the largest mass murder in New Orleans, a crime that remains unsolved.

This stop shows why the tour appeals to true crime fans. You are not hearing an abstract account in a classroom. You are standing near the setting of a real case, looking at a grand French Quarter building while the guide explains what happened and what remains uncertain.

Still, the experience is about storytelling rather than investigation. You should not expect access to police files, a formal case analysis, or new evidence. The appeal is the combination of place, atmosphere, and an unresolved story.

The guide may also discuss the tragic 2006 murder-suicide in the French Quarter. The tour description links this case to one of the locations along the route, so expect a modern crime story alongside older tales of pirates, criminals, and haunted homes.

Zach and Addie, a more personal tragedy

The story of Zach and Addie is presented as one of New Orleans’ most infamous murder cases. Unlike a broad tale about a notorious building, this account centers on two people and the heartbreak surrounding their deaths.

That human scale can give the walk a different mood. The LaLaurie Mansion and Sultan’s Palace stories are tied to famous places, but Zach and Addie’s story brings the emotional weight closer to ordinary human relationships.

Because the tour covers several cases in two hours, the guide cannot spend unlimited time on each one. You’ll hear selected details at the relevant location, then continue through the neighborhood. If you want a long, careful examination of one case, this is not the right format. If you like a varied series of short stories linked by a walk, it makes more sense.

Voodoo, Cajun folklore, ghosts, and vampires

The experience promises stories about voodoo, Cajun superstitions, ghosts, and vampires. These subjects are central to the way New Orleans is marketed, but they also need care and context.

A strong guide can explain how folklore, religion, local custom, tourism, and popular fiction overlap. You may hear legends that have circulated for generations, along with stories about how people in Louisiana understood luck, death, spirits, and protection.

The important warning is that the content is not guaranteed to give equal time to every theme. One past tour had no discussion of voodoo at all and focused more on the guide’s personal life and general local history. If voodoo is your main reason for booking, contact the operator before paying and ask how much of the current route is devoted to it.

The same advice applies to vampires and paranormal claims. Treat the EMF meter as entertainment, not scientific proof of a haunting. That approach lets you enjoy the suspense without expecting the tour to settle questions about ghosts.

The EMF meter and the paranormal element

A real EMF meter is used during the tour as a ghost and paranormal detector. It gives the walk a hands-on feature and can make a quiet stop feel more playful and suspenseful.

You may be allowed to handle or help use the equipment, but the supplied information does not promise exactly how it will be passed around. If you do use it, take care of it. The operator lists a $250 charge for lost or damaged paranormal equipment, and it must be returned to staff.

This is a small but important practical point. The EMF meter adds fun, but it also creates a responsibility that you do not have on an ordinary sightseeing walk. Keep track of the equipment and return it before leaving.

Cocktails are part of the mood, not part of the price

The tour’s central idea is simple: listen to dark New Orleans stories while enjoying an adult drink. That can make the experience feel relaxed and social, especially after a day of conventional sightseeing.

The price is $23 per person, which is fair for a two-hour guided walk with a professional storyteller. But your real spending will be higher if you buy cocktails along the route. Since the drinks are not included, the final cost depends on your choices.

You also need to pace yourself. The operator can refuse service to anyone who is extremely intoxicated, disruptive, or disrespectful. That rule is sensible, and it protects the rest of the group. A drink or two may fit the mood, but arriving already drunk can end the evening before it starts.

The walk takes place on old, uneven streets, so watch your footing. The operator is not responsible for injuries from the streets or for lost or stolen belongings. Keep your phone and wallet secure, and do not let the stories distract you from where you are stepping.

Hollywood homes and French Quarter atmosphere

The route also points out places where Hollywood stars have chosen to live and locations used in films. This gives the tour a lighter side between the murder cases and ghost stories.

These movie and celebrity details may appeal to you if you like seeing how the French Quarter functions as a real neighborhood as well as a film backdrop. They also broaden the experience beyond crime. New Orleans is not only a city of haunted mansions and unsolved cases, and these stops show its role in popular culture.

The exact locations and amount of time spent on them can vary. Think of them as added color rather than the main purpose of the tour.

How the guides shape the experience

The company uses guides and storytellers with more than ten years of tour experience. Past bookings identify guides named Cody and Coty, with strong praise for their friendly delivery, local history, and ability to keep the walk moving.

That matters because this format depends heavily on the person holding the group’s attention. A good storyteller can make a doorway, courtyard, or street corner feel important. The guide also has to manage a delicate mix of grisly crime, folklore, alcohol, and humor without becoming careless or disrespectful.

The feedback is not uniformly positive. One booking reported that the guide never arrived and gave no warning. That appears to be an operational failure rather than a comment on the normal content, but it is still worth knowing. Since the activity is non-refundable and weather-related cancellations do not receive refunds, keep an eye on any messages from the operator before setting out.

The company can cancel if too few people book and can reschedule for bad weather. If that happens because the operator cancels, a full refund is issued.

Who should book this two-hour walk?

I would recommend it most strongly to adults who enjoy:

• New Orleans crime stories and unsolved cases
• Ghosts, folklore, and paranormal entertainment
• Informal walking tours with a social bar component
• French Quarter architecture with a darker historical angle
• Short stories delivered by a lively local guide

It may not suit you if you want museum admissions, long indoor visits, a strictly academic history lesson, or a guaranteed focus on voodoo. It may also disappoint you if you expect to enter many buildings. The route appears to rely mainly on outdoor stops and storytelling from the street.

The tour is a good fit early in a New Orleans stay because it can help you recognize important French Quarter sites afterward. It also works as an evening activity, although the listed details do not guarantee a specific start time, so check availability when booking.

Should you book the New Orleans Cocktails, History, Voodoo & Paranormal Tour?

Book it if you want a low-cost, adult-oriented French Quarter walk built around true crime, ghosts, and local legends. The $23 price is attractive, and the mix of famous landmarks, murder stories, cocktails, and an EMF meter gives the experience a clear personality.

Go in with realistic expectations. Drinks cost extra, buildings may be viewed only from outside, and the balance between voodoo, crime, and paranormal stories can depend on the guide. Ask about the current route if voodoo is essential, arrive early at the sidewalk meeting point, and do not book it expecting a refund if you arrive late or cancel.

For the right audience, this is a spirited way to see the French Quarter after dark. For a more formal, site-heavy tour, choose something else.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The walking tour lasts two hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $23 per person.

Are drinks included?

No. Drinks are not included, so you buy any cocktails or other beverages separately.

Where does the tour meet?

It meets on the sidewalk outside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar at 941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116.

Should I go inside Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar to check in?

No. Meet your guide at the gate of the courtyard attached to the bar. The tour does not meet inside, and the bar staff do not operate the tour.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Does the tour include voodoo stories?

Voodoo, ghosts, vampires, Cajun superstitions, folklore, myths, and legends are included in the tour description. However, the exact balance can vary, so contact the operator if voodoo is your main interest.

Which places are covered on the route?

The route includes Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytère, St. Anthony’s Garden, the Ursuline Convent, the LaLaurie Mansion, and the Sultan’s Palace, along with other French Quarter locations.

Is the EMF meter included?

Yes. A real EMF meter is used during the tour as a paranormal detector. It must be returned to staff, and a $250 fee applies if the equipment is lost or damaged.

Can I record the tour?

No. Video recording and audio recording are not allowed.