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New Orleans is often hailed as the most haunted city in America with reports of hauntings and ghost sightings all over the city. Known for a dark history, New Orleans is no stranger to the unusual — vampires, ghosts, and voodoo.

While you can take many tours to learn about these creepy parts of New Orleans, there’s something special about staying in a piece of history. So if you’re looking for a paranormal experience or simply want to discover more about what makes New Orleans so spooky, these are the top 15 contenders for the most haunted hotel in New Orleans.

Why is New Orleans so haunted anyway?

The short answer is that New Orleans has had a wild, deadly history full of epidemics, fires, hurricanes, and violence. Yikes. Plus, the City of the Dead has connections to voodoo religion, vampires, and the occult. Let’s go through a brief history so you can truly understand why New Orleans is so haunted.

To start, Native Americans inhabited the land for 1400 years before those pesky Europeans made their way over. Trade routes and markets were established prior to any colonization, which made the area a prime settlement territory in the eyes of French colonizers who arrived in the 1690s. Cue Europeans treating native settlers horribly.

New Orleans was founded in 1718, but white settlers struggled to adjust to the swamp lands having trouble growing wheat. The first tragedy from Mother Nature struck by way of a hurricane in 1722 and that was only the beginning.

New Orleans was ceded to the Spanish in 1762 and in 1788, New Orleans had its first Great Fire that destroyed 856 buildings. Just 6 years later another fire destroyed another 212 buildings. They finally got the message and switched to brick construction. The French gained control of New Orleans again in 1803 and over the next few decades, New Orleans saw in influx of cultures including refugees and their enslaved peoples from the Haitian Revolution.

Hundreds of enslaved people revolted in an uprising called the German Coast Uprising in 1811 and although they only killed two white men, 95 black people were executed in the aftermath as punishment. Bodies and heads on pikes were displayed in public places (including hotel #7 on this list) to deter further uprisings.

Because New Orleans was not up on their sewage system innovation (praise be for 21^st century luxuries), a string of yellow fever outbreaks beginning in 1817 killed more than 41,000 people! And just to paint the picture a bit, yellow fever was not a pretty way to go. Spread by mosquitos, victims would experience headaches, fever, chills, jaundice, and would even bleed from their eyes, ears, and nose before throwing up blood just before dying. AW-FUL.

Yellow fever created a social hierarchy based on those who were likely (or not likely) to survive, which created terrible social and political conditions for immigrants and enslaved people. Read more on this from NPR here.

Not only that, but during yellow fever epidemics, buildings were converted to hospitals and space was running out to house bodies so they turned to piling bodies in the streets. What a gruesome scene it created.

Somehow despite the health crises, New Orleans continued to grow as did its sordid history with more floods, fire, and war.

After all that, it makes sense that New Orleans is a mecca for haunted activity. So, if you’re looking to learn more on your trip to New Orleans and want to experience that side of history up close, consider staying at one of the most haunted hotels in New Orleans.

Map of New Orleans’ most haunted hotels

On this map of the top contenders for New Orleans most haunted hotel, you’ll find the properties organized by location where a bunch are located in the French Quarter, but there are also a couple in the Central Business District and in the Garden District.

Haunted Hotels in the French Quarter

1. Hotel Monteleone (the most haunted hotel in New Orleans)

If you had to pick a single most spooky place to stay in New Orleans, most people would say Hotel Monteleone. Since opening its doors in 1886, Hotel Monteleone has attracted hotel guests from across the world. Still, reports of hauntings have occurred for generations!

One occurrence is that a restaurant door opens and closes on its own every evening despite being locked. Some say it’s a feud between the ghost of a chef and waiter, one who prefers the door open and the other who prefers it closed. Sometimes an elevator will lead guests to the wrong floor, but once they exit, the hall gets cold and images of children playing appear. Creepy!

One of the most famous stories that the hotel shares is of the death and haunting of Maurice Begere, a toddler who passed away from illness in his family’s hotel room while his parents were at the opera. His parents revisited the hotel frequently hoping to see the ghost of Maurice and eventually they did! He still haunts the 14^th floor to this day and has been seen by other guests.

This hotel is also an interesting one because it was formally investigated by the International Society of Paranormal Research in 2003 and they determined the 14^th floor was a hotspot for paranormal activity.

Address: 214 Royal Street

Price: $200+/night

How to visit: You can walk throughout the lobby on your own. In fact the Carousel Bar is a great spot to grab a drink and spin (very slowly) around the room. To visit the other floors, you’ll need to stay the night…if you dare.

2. Cornstalk Hotel

While this one tends to fly under the radar, the Cornstalk Hotel has had some creepy hauntings in the books. The current structure was built in 1816, as the original homes built on the land burned in the Great Fires we learned about earlier. The iconic cornstalk fence was commissioned for the home owner’s wife as she missed the corn fields back home in Iowa.

Famous guests of the hotel include Harriet Beecher Stowe, Elvis Prestley, Liz Taylor, and even Bill and Hillary Clinton. Inside the property, you’ll find fourteen guest rooms and lavish Victorian and Southern décor.

The most common ghost sightings are of a woman in black Victorian clothing and her hair in a tight bun who roams the property both inside and out. Guests have reported things moving their room, hearing voices when no one is around, and strange supernatural energy surrounding the iron fence.

Address: 915 Royal Street., New Orleans, LA

Price: Due to the pandemic, the Cornstalk Hotel is temporarily closed to guests.

How to visit: You can still walk up to the property (and fence) on Royal Street to look at the building and maybe even spot the woman in black.

3. Andrew Jackson Hotel

Located in the French Quarter, the Andrew Jackson Hotel is one of the most popular haunted hotels for ghost sightings and paranormal experiences.

The hotel was originally a boarding school and orphanage for boys who lost their parents to Yellow Fever (remember all the outbreaks from our history lesson). The first deaths on property were of 5 boys who perished in a fire.

After the fire, the property was rebuilt and used as a courthouse where General Andrew Jackson was held in contempt of the court and charged with obstruction of justice. Eventually the courthouse was demolished and in 1890, the current structure was erected.

Guests frequently report seeing the ghost of young “Armand” who has woken up guests by laughing, turning the faucets and lights on, pulling the bedsheets, and even pushing them out of bed (rude). The ghosts of the 5 young boys who died in the fire bother guests with their ghostly hijinks like turning on the lights or TV at night.

Another frequently spotted ghost is of the caretaker of the orphanage or maybe the hotel itself (her true identity is unknown). Guests report seeing her fluffing pillows and cleaning up rooms (she sounds delightful and is welcome in my home anytime).

You might even see the ghost of Andrew Jackson himself!

The most haunted room is 208 where Armand himself was killed mysteriously.

Address: 919 Royal Street

Price: $140+ per night

How to visit: You can either book a stay in the hotel or book a ghost tour, which frequently stops at the Andrew Jackson Hotel to tell the stories.

4. Dauphine Orleans Hotel

While some structures of Dauphine Orleans date back to 1775, one of the most prominent was part of May Baily’s Place, which was the first brothel in New Orleans in the mid-1800s. Now, it’s a haunted bar where one of the working girls is said to haunt the premises. Her signature haunting is rearranging the liquor bottles at the bar. Customers also report seeing her shadow in mirrors.

The hotel itself consists of a Main House, Carriage House, and Hermann House where you can stay now.

The courtyard is a hot spot for paranormal sightings. The most common ghost spotted there is a Creole soldier wearing a military uniform who just wanders the courtyard. A female ghost also has been seen dancing in the courtyard. She is believed to have worked at May Baily’s Place.

Address: 415 Dauphine Street

Price: $150+ per night

How to visit: The easiest way to visit is to go to May Baily’s Place for a drink. You can stay at the hotel as well by booking here.

5. Jean Lafitte House

Not to be confused with Lafitte’s Guesthouse, Jean Lafitte House is known as one of the most haunted hotels in New Orleans because of pirates (yes, GHOST PIRATES).

Back in the early 1700s when the founder of New Orleans was setting up the streets as his own, he used Esplanade Ave as a major road to connect the Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain (even though the Native Americans definitely were already using this exact passage…but sure great discovery European man). Anyway, because Esplanade was used to connect the river and lake, it was also used by pirates!

Jean Lafitte was a very famous (infamous?) pirate who set up his captain’s quarters at what is now the Jean Lafitte House Hotel.

It’s actually really neat how this was discovered to be an important spot for Jean Lafitte. In the 1980’s, they wanted to put in a pool for the hotel guests and began construction only to find a secret underground tunnel that was possibly an escape route or smuggling passage for the pirates.

Then to compound the tunnel discovery, construction led to a discovery of beams that were actually ship lumber. And then to get to a sewage pipe in Unit 1, the construction worker (his name was Jason) dug and dug and turned up a bunch of dare I say pirate treasure. Okay to archeologists that’s what it was. He found medicine bottles and coins.

Now for the ghosts! The most haunted guest suite is Unit 1 (our archeologist’s treasure site). The owner of the hotel in the 1980’s had a paranormal experience there where he witnessed objects moving on their own.

Guest report hearing voices in the night and when guests try to find the people talking…they can’t.

Finally, a woman in white has been spotted multiple times in an upstairs corner room, which even led some housekeepers to quit!

Address: 613 Esplanade Ave

Price: $140+ per night How to visit: Sometimes ghost tours pass by the guest house, but to really get a look around, you’ll want to book a room far in advance here.

6. Bourbon Orleans Hotel

If you’re looking for the one true most haunted hotel in New Orleans and even in the entire US, this one pops up again and again on many lists. So here’s the deal.

The Bourbon Orleans Hotel was actually originally a theatre and ballroom in the early 1800’s. In 1881, it was converted into a convent, orphanage, and school by the Sisters of the Holy Family, an African-American religious group. By 1964, they outgrew the property so it was sold to a contractor who turned it into a hotel and restored the original ballroom, making it the lobby, bar, and salon.

Sounds pretty PG, right? So where are the ghosts?

It’s no wonder that a property with so many different stories has some ghosts. First, there’s a confederate soldier who is often seen limping through the 3^rd and 6^th floors. There’s a little girl rolling a ball and chasing it on the 6^th floor. 6^th floor is sounding extra spooky.

Yellow fever hit the orphanage pretty badly so there are ghost children often spotted or heard in the hotel. Guests often report instances of children laughing or pulling their shirts.

The ballroom is another site of hauntings. There is a lone ghost dancer who still dances under the chandelier without her partner. Sometimes a bloodstain appears on the carpet, thought to be a remnant of a duel back in the day. There are also reports of a ghost hiding behind the drapery in the ballroom.

The most haunted room is allegedly room 644, where a nun of the Sisters of the Holy Family committed suicide. Guests have been woken up to find a nun at the foot of their bed or have heard anguished yelling from the room.

Spooky stuff!

Address: 717 Orleans Street

Price:$170+ per night

How to visit: You can book a room to get close and personal with these ghosts or visit Bourbon “O” Bar and try their famous Ramos Gin Fizz.

7. Place d’Armes Hotel

Before it became a hotel, the site of Place d’Armes was a military station and then a school. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the school killing the headmaster and several students.

Now ghosts inhabit the halls of Place d’Armes Hotel. The most common are the spirits of children from the school. Guests report hearing children playing when no one is there. They have also been privy to kid’s pranks like moving belongings. There are still encounters in some current Trip Advisor reviews.

My favorite story is that of an elderly man with a long beard dressed in clothes of the 19^th century who once spotted just nods at guests then disappears. Nothing like a polite greeting before vanishing into the void.

And do you remember the 1811 German Coast Uprising where those who rebelled were brutally killed having their heads displayed on pikes…yeah some of them were displayed in this hotel. Yikes.

Address: 625 St. Ann Street

Price: $160+ per night

How to visit: Reserve a room at Place d’Armes Hotel if you dare.

8. Hotel Provincial

Before becoming a hotel in 1961, and like many of the hotels on this list, Hotel Provincial was used during wartime. In this case, what is now Building 5 was used as a hospital beginning in 1722. Now guests report seeing and hearing screams of agony from injured soldiers. Guests have also seen surgeons, nurses, and blood stains…and even full hospital scenes playing out in front of them. HARD PASS for me.

You can read a full, very detailed encounter in this Trip Advisor review. Sounds very spooky and they certainly gave it WAY more time than I would have.

Address: 1024 Chartres Street

Price: $145+ per night

How to visit: Book a stay here. You can also visit their bar, Ice House Bar, located right next to the hotel lobby. They even have happy hour from 3-6pm, although I don’t know if the ghosts will come out to play during the daytime.

9. Audubon Cottages

For a more unique stay, the Audubon Cottages are a collection of seven private cottages surrounding what is said to be the oldest pool in the French Quarter. However, only cottages two and four are said to be the haunted ones.

Not much is known about the hauntings of Cottage Two, but they claim that a Confederate soldier who loves country music haunts Cottage Four. He often turns on the radio (hey, he’s just looking for a good time it seems).

The Audubon Cottages are actually part of the Dauphine Orleans Hotel (#4 from earlier).

Address: 509 Dauphine Street

Price: $272+ per night

How to visit: You can reserve a cottage here.

10. Hotel Villa Convento

For a more personal touch, Hotel Villa Convento is actually a creole townhouse from the 1833 that is rumored to be the House of the Rising Sun (from the Animals song from 1964).

The land was originally purchased from the Ursulines nuns and over the next 70 years was passed from owner to owner. The Taromina family lived on the property from 1902 to 1946, and it was rumored to be a popular brothel during this period. And just a note that popular does not mean safe. Women were treated very poorly, men often had their belongings stolen and were even sometimes killed (and you just know diseases were running rampant).

The rooms were converted to apartments and even housed Jimmy Buffet as a tenant in room 305. In the 1970’s, the building opened as a hotel.

The first ghost you may spot is a madam from the brothel. She tends to be apparent to men only and will disrupt couples’ intimate moments by showing herself.

Rooms 209, 302, and 305 are said to be the most haunted. A man allegedly committed suicide in room 209 so it’s no wonder guests have reported hearing voices, having their belongings moved, and seeing apparitions.

Address: 616 Ursulines Avenue

Price: $91+ per night

How to visit: To stay at the infamous House of the Rising Sun, book a room here.

11. Omni Royal

Originally known as the Saint Louis Hotel, it was built in 1838 and was a center of nightlife and the high-class social scene. Unfortunately, it was also a location where enslaved people were purchased and sold before the Civil War.

A fire destroyed the hotel in 1841 and the building was rebuilt. Quickly it became a military hospital during the Civil War. Post-Civil War, the hotel was passed from owner to owner and eventually rebuilt in 1960 and named Omni Royal Orleans.

Given its seedy history, the Omni Royal Orleans is considered one of the most haunted hotels in New Orleans.

Guests have reported seeing the ghost of a maid who tries to make guests more comfortable by tucking them in or running a bath.

More often, though, guests hear miserable sounds reminiscent of the wartime hospital and slave trade agony.

Others have seen a Confederate soldier on the 7^th floor.

Address: 621 Saint Louis Street

Price: $180+ per night

How to visit: Book a stay at this haunted hotel here.

12. Haunted Hotel

This hotel was built in 1829 and has been the site of nearly a dozen murders…or so they say.

It’s most famous for being the location where the infamous Axeman of New Orleans lived during his spree. He was known for sending the newspaper a letter in 1919 that claimed on the following Tuesday, he would kill anyone who did not have a jazz band in full swing in their home. No one was murdered that night, but what a statement.

The Haunted Hotel found a bloodied axe hidden in their attic and have it displayed in their lobby for guests to see.

They really lean into the haunted experience with a “blood” fountain and fake bloody footprints throughout. Not really my jam, but if you’re looking for a scary stay, this might be it!

Address: 623 Ursulines Avenue

Price: $225+ per night

How to visit: You’ll have to book a room and hopefully make it out alive!

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Central Business District Haunted Hotels

13. Le Pavillon Hotel

This hotel was built in 1907 and possibly over dangerous land riddled with criminal activity. Still, it boasted some of the most extravagant amenities with authentic Parisian furniture and the first hydraulic elevators and electricity in New Orleans.

A paranormal investigative team visited Le Pavillon and concluded the hotel had almost 100 ghosts and that the hotel may actually be sitting on a portal to another universe.

There are a few commonly spotted ghosts. First, a couple from the 1920’s haunts the 2^nd floor, particularly room 221. This one is odd because there is no record of a couple dying on the property during the 1920’s.

Like many other ghosts at the other hotels on this list of haunted New Orleans hotels, Le Pavillon has its own prankster on the 3^rd floor. He likes to pull bedsheets, move guests’ belongings, and hide cleaning supplies.

The last most well-known ghost is that of a young girl who occupies the 9^th floor, especially room 930. There is a report of a girl who was killed by a passing carriage just outside the front doors of the hotel. While there are reports of seeing her at the hotel, she doesn’t seem to interact with guests.

The most haunted floor is supposedly the 9^th so be sure to request that floor if you want a better chance at seeing the hotel’s ghostly residents. You can also request a pamphlet to learn about the hotel’s haunted history. I love that they’re embracing it!

Address: 833 Poydras Street

Price: $140+ per night

How to visit: Book your stay here and be sure to request the 9^th floor in the notes.

14. Troubadour Hotel

Located in the Central Business District, what is now the Troubadour Hotel used to be the Rault Center, which faced a brutal history.

You’ll find the city’s first high-rises in the Central Business District and The Rault Center was one that people coveted access to. They had a members-only nightclub on the 16^th floor that was very popular, but in 1972 a fire engulfed the top 3 floors including that of the nightclub and a beauty salon on the floor below.

Firefighters tried to reach them, but their ladders were too short. Women from the beauty salon took matters into their own hands and tried jumping to safety but three of the five instead fell to their death.

Miraculously, only six people perished in the fire. But, did their spirits stick around?

Hauntings are reported to this day.

Address: 1111 Gravier Street

Price: $115+ per night

How to visit: You can reserve a room at the Troubadour Hotel to try your luck at seeing their spooky entities or at the very least pay your respects to those lost in the tragic Rault Center fire.

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The Most Haunted Hotel in the Garden District

15. Magnolia Mansion Hotel

This home located in the Garden District has a history of 150 years of various owners and uses. First the mansion was commissioned in 1857 by the Harris family where they lived. In 1869 two of the four (adult) Harris brothers died to yellow fever. Their widows did not get along and eventually the property was sold to the Maginnis family, and it also did not fare well for them.

The man of the house was struck and killed by lightning (what are the odds?!). Another member of the family died mysteriously.

The house was occupied from 1939 – 1954 by Red Cross volunteers during World War II and the Korean War. After this period, the home was sold and became a residence and eventually hotel.

The innkeepers have noticed their TV turning on, locks unlatching, doors opening, and lights turning on.

The hotel has an especially haunted room called the Vampire Lovers’ Lair where orbs have been caught on camera and witnessed by guests. Apparitions have been spotted in mirrors and guests are frequently woken up at the witching hour (3 AM) to something touching them (keep your hands to yourselves, ghosts!).

Ghosts of children are also frequently spotted or heard even though the hotel is adults-only.

Address: 2127 Prytania Street

Price: $130+ per night

How to visit: You can stay at the Magnolia Mansion by booking a room (ask for #3 to try for a spooky experience)

BONUS: the most haunted Airbnb in New Orleans – Parks Bowman Mansion

Little did I know that when I booked this Airbnb for our 4-day New Orleans trip that I actually booked a haunted hotel. While I didn’t really experience anything, my boyfriend says he saw some friendly apparitions (oooh).

The Parks-Bowman Mansion is over 130 years old and was once a home for a large family with seven daughters and two sons.

One of the daughters died at a young age and hasn’t left the property. She has dark hair and wears a yellow dress. She likes to pace, hums lullabies and sometimes hide glasses. Thankfully our glasses were accounted for…prescriptions are expensive!

The Parks-Bowman Mansion frequently makes top haunted Airbnb lists so be sure to stay in the Haunted Bedroom. We stayed in the Library Room and it was really beautiful with a private balcony and tall ceilings.

Address: 2705 Chestnut Street

Price: $120+ per night

How to visit: You can walk up to the outside on a Garden District tour, but to get inside, you’ll need to book a room. The haunted one is here, and the library room (where I stayed) is here.

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