Our First Day in Haunted New Orleans: Vampires, Ghost Tables, and Bourbon Street

Hello, spooky cats, and welcome to New Orleans—one of the most famously haunted cities in America.

Over the next few days, we planned to explore haunted hotels, historic streets, legendary ghost stories, and some of the strangest places we could find. We also hoped to put a few paranormal claims to the test with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Our first day in the Big Easy involved vampires, haunted restaurants, Bourbon Street, mysterious staircases, ghost toys, enormous meals, and a late-night search for the most haunted room in our hotel.

In other words, we wasted absolutely no time getting spooky.

Lunch at the Vampire Apothecary

Our first major stop was the Vampire Apothecary.

The moment we walked inside, I knew this was my kind of place. It was dark, theatrical, witchy, and filled with vampire artwork, moons, coffins, candles, unusual decorations, and mysterious corners that demanded investigation.

Even the bathroom was committed to the theme.

It was dark, dramatic, and contained a solid black toilet.

I do not know why more bathrooms fail to embrace gothic interior design. Nothing says luxury quite like feeling as though Dracula personally approved your plumbing fixtures.

We stopped for lunch because we had a much larger dinner planned later at Muriel’s Jackson Square.

I ordered a drink made with bourbon and milk. It was certainly interesting, although I am still not sure whether “bourbon and milk” sounds like a cocktail or something a vampire would drink when trying to appear human.

For food, we shared pork wings, which were very good. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with hummus because I did not want to fill up too much before dinner.

That plan would eventually fail spectacularly.

Exploring the Vampire Apothecary

Our server was extremely friendly and gave us a mysterious card connected to something else nearby.

We did not completely understand what the card was for, but receiving an unexplained invitation inside a vampire-themed restaurant seemed appropriately ominous.

Apparently, there were additional rooms upstairs, so we went exploring.

The upper area had even more artwork and strange décor. There were vampire paintings, moon decorations, a coffin, shadowy rooms, an old telephone, another spooky bathroom, and what appeared to be some type of altar.

There was also a table covered in sand or some similar material.

Naturally, my first thought was that it could be used to conjure demons.

There is no evidence that demons were actually being summoned in the Vampire Apothecary. But when a room contains candles, altars, coffins, and mysterious sand tables, questions must be asked.

We left a dollar at the altar, mostly as insurance against being attacked by vampires during the rest of our trip.

So far, it seems to have worked.

The Vampire Apothecary was one of the most unusual places we visited in New Orleans. It is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but it was definitely my cup of tea—preferably served in a black goblet beside a coffin.

Checking Into the Haunted Bourbon Orleans Hotel

After lunch, we headed to our first hotel, the Bourbon Orleans.

The Bourbon Orleans Hotel sits directly on Bourbon Street, placing it in the middle of the French Quarter and within walking distance of many of New Orleans’ most famous attractions.

It also happens to be one of the city’s best-known haunted hotels.

According to the history presented during our visit, the property has existed in different forms for roughly two centuries.

The site once held a theater where guests attended operas, performances, masquerades, and social events. The building was later associated with a convent, school, and orphanage operated by religious sisters.

After fires, rebuilding, and decades of change, the property eventually became the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

That combination of theater history, religious history, orphanage stories, tragedies, and fires has naturally produced quite a collection of ghost legends.

Reported spirits connected to the hotel include children, a ballroom dancer, a soldier, and a sorrowful nun. We planned to explore those stories more thoroughly during our stay.

But first, we needed to see New Orleans.

Exploring Jackson Square

Near our hotel, an art fair was taking place around Jackson Square.

Artists had displays set up throughout the area, selling paintings, drawings, and other handmade work. I was especially interested in the spooky skeleton artwork, because apparently I cannot travel anywhere without being distracted by skeletons.

We also noticed several people sitting with typewriters.

They appeared to be writing poems or custom pieces for visitors, which was one of the more unusual artistic setups we encountered.

Jackson Square was busy, colorful, and full of people. Street performers, artists, tourists, horse-drawn carriages, and historic buildings surrounded the area.

The large cathedral overlooking the square created one of those unmistakable New Orleans views.

You see the cathedral, the iron balconies, the crowds, and the artwork, and you know exactly where you are.

We also passed Café du Monde, although we saved that visit for the following morning.

There are limits to how much food even we can consume in one day.

Allegedly.

The Mississippi River

From Jackson Square, we made our way toward the Mississippi River.

The river may not be the prettiest body of water in the world, but it is a major part of New Orleans’ history and atmosphere.

It was muddy, wide, and busy, with ships and boats moving along the water.

From the riverfront, we could also see another hotel we planned to visit later in the trip: Caesars New Orleans.

That particular hotel was selected partly so my husband could have a little casino time.

Marriage is about compromise.

I get haunted hotels. He gets gambling.

Drinking a Hand Grenade on Bourbon Street

You cannot visit Bourbon Street without at least walking through the crowds, listening to the music, and observing the strange collection of bars, signs, balconies, and people carrying enormous drinks.

One of the most famous Bourbon Street drinks is the Hand Grenade from Tropical Isle.

It is a bright green cocktail served in a tall novelty container shaped like a grenade.

Naturally, we had to try one.

The drink was sweet, strong, and surprisingly good. It is also the type of cocktail that can make walking through New Orleans feel much more adventurous than it did ten minutes earlier.

Whether it is truly something every visitor must try is debatable.

But if you enjoy giant green drinks served from a grenade-shaped cup, it certainly deserves consideration.

Dinner at Muriel’s Ghost Table

That evening, we had reservations at Muriel’s Jackson Square.

We were not sitting at an ordinary table.

We had specifically booked the ghost table.

Muriel’s keeps a table set in honor of its alleged resident spirit, Pierre Antoine. His place includes a chair, table setting, bread, and wine.

We left his chair open and invited him to join us.

I also brought a couple of small paranormal trigger toys, hoping Pierre might interact with them during dinner.

The main challenge of sitting at the ghost table is that everyone knows you are sitting at the ghost table.

People outside look through the windows. Ghost tours stop nearby. Visitors walk past on their way to see the séance room upstairs.

You may begin dinner feeling like a paranormal investigator and end it feeling like part of a haunted restaurant exhibit.

Unfortunately, the séance room was closed during our visit because of a private party.

We could see the mysterious staircase leading upstairs, but we were not allowed to explore.

Very disappointing.

Apparently, private parties do not consider the needs of visiting ghost hunters when making their reservations.

Eating With Pierre

Once we settled in, a gentleman told us the story of Pierre and the ghostly activity associated with Muriel’s.

We then invited Pierre to communicate with us.

He could touch one of the toys, make a noise, affect a light, or simply tell us to order another round of drinks.

Pierre remained quiet.

Perhaps he was shy.

Perhaps he was not there.

Perhaps he had already heard the same ghost tour fifteen times that evening and needed a break.

One of our friends did take a photograph showing an unusual effect near a wall light. It looked interesting, although unusual light effects in photographs can be caused by reflections, camera movement, exposure, or lens flare.

It was worth examining, but it was not enough to declare that we had photographed a ghost.

Even at a ghost table, a strange photograph still needs a normal explanation ruled out first.

The Food at Muriel’s

For an appetizer, I ordered shrimp gumbo.

For my main course, I chose shrimp and grits. I had never really eaten grits before, so New Orleans seemed like the proper place to try them.

The food was excellent.

My husband ordered chicken, which also looked very good. He may not have been as enthusiastic about communicating with Pierre as I was, but he definitely enjoyed dinner.

Unfortunately, we underestimated how filling the meal would be.

By the end, I had one shrimp left and could not manage another bite.

That was a problem because dessert was still coming.

Crème Brûlée and Poor Decisions

The crème brûlée arrived looking beautiful.

It had a crisp caramelized top and creamy custard underneath. Under normal circumstances, I would have happily eaten the entire dessert.

These were not normal circumstances.

We were completely stuffed.

I ate as much as I could before offering the rest to Pierre.

He did not help.

It is a little rude to reserve a permanent seat in a restaurant and then refuse to assist with dessert.

Despite our physical suffering, the meal was wonderful. The gumbo, shrimp and grits, chicken, and crème brûlée were all delicious.

We thanked Pierre for allowing us to eat in his house and told him we also aspired to never work again.

So far, that dream has not been achieved.

The cats expect a certain standard of living.

Returning to the Bourbon Orleans Hotel

After dinner, we returned to the Bourbon Orleans feeling terrible.

Not because the food was bad.

The food was excellent.

There was simply too much of it, and we had made the classic vacation mistake of trying to consume every famous New Orleans dish within the same twelve-hour period.

We retreated to our hotel room to recover.

Eventually, we found the strength to leave the room and explore the hotel at night.

Our first goal was to find Room 644, which is often described as one of the most haunted rooms at the Bourbon Orleans.

Stories connected to Room 644 involve a sorrowful nun who is said to haunt the area. Versions of the legend differ, but guests have reported unexplained sounds, strange sensations, and sightings near the room.

We found the door and filmed the hallway, although we did not attempt to disturb anyone staying there.

Paranormal curiosity does not excuse knocking on a stranger’s hotel room at night.

Even ghosts deserve boundaries.

Exploring the Hotel After Dark

We also walked through the Bourbon Orleans’ pool and courtyard area.

The pool was surrounded by balconies, creating a peaceful interior space that felt very different from the noise and crowds of Bourbon Street.

From the courtyard, we could see the window of our room.

Our room had slanted walls that I repeatedly hit my head against during the stay.

If anyone heard mysterious thumps coming from our room, I can confirm that at least some of them had a natural explanation.

It was me.

We continued through the hotel, passing the bar and several balconies before heading outside for another look at Bourbon Street.

At night, the street had completely transformed.

Lights flashed from bars and storefronts. Music spilled into the street. People crowded beneath the balconies carrying drinks, wearing costumes, and occasionally making choices they would probably reconsider in daylight.

New Orleans nightlife does not arrive quietly.

Bourbon Street at Night

We walked through the crowds, taking in the neon lights, music, skull decorations, and strange storefronts.

Some areas were bright enough that we looked like ghosts on camera.

That is one of the easiest ways to create a paranormal image: stand directly beneath an overexposed streetlight.

The Bourbon Orleans looked even more impressive at night. Its balconies and illuminated exterior gave it the dramatic appearance you would expect from a historic haunted hotel in the French Quarter.

The city around it was loud, energetic, and slightly chaotic.

Meanwhile, somewhere inside the hotel, the ghosts were apparently expected to perform over the sound of Bourbon Street.

No wonder they sometimes prefer the upper floors.

A Mysterious Ending to Our First Night

Near the end of the evening, we noticed something unusual happening inside a fascinating room.

We could not immediately tell what was going on, but it was interesting enough to catch our attention.

Eventually, we did discover what was happening—and we even got to experience it for ourselves.

But that story belongs in another video and another blog post.

Our first day in New Orleans ended with mystery, which seemed completely appropriate.

Was Our First Day in New Orleans Haunted?

We did not capture any evidence that proved we encountered a ghost.

Pierre did not activate our toys at Muriel’s. Nothing dramatic happened outside Room 644, and the strange photograph near the restaurant light had several possible natural explanations.

But dark tourism is not only about capturing paranormal evidence.

It is also about exploring the history, folklore, architecture, tragedies, and unusual traditions that give a location its character.

Our first day gave us all of that.

We visited a vampire-themed restaurant, explored Jackson Square, walked along the Mississippi River, drank a Hand Grenade on Bourbon Street, ate dinner beside a ghost’s reserved chair, and searched for the most haunted room in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

That is a successful day of dark tourism, even without a full-bodied apparition joining us for dessert.

Tips for Planning Your First Day in New Orleans

Stay somewhere within walking distance of the French Quarter if you plan to explore without a car. The Bourbon Orleans placed us close to Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, Muriel’s, Café du Monde, and many other attractions.

Make reservations in advance if you want to sit at Muriel’s ghost table. It is a specific table and may not be available during every dinner service.

Wear comfortable shoes. The French Quarter is walkable, but the combination of uneven sidewalks, crowds, heat, and several hours of exploring can become exhausting.

Do not schedule multiple enormous meals too close together.

We ignored this advice.

We suffered.

Learn from our mistakes.

Finally, keep a skeptical mind when exploring haunted locations. New Orleans is filled with dramatic stories, but legends, historical facts, and tourist traditions can easily become mixed together.

Enjoy the stories, investigate the claims, and do not assume every strange light or mysterious noise is a ghost.

Sometimes it is a reflection.

Sometimes it is an old building.

Sometimes it is a paranormal investigator hitting her head against a slanted hotel wall.

Final Thoughts on Our First Day in New Orleans

New Orleans immediately felt like a city made for the Spooky Cat Lady.

It was strange, historic, theatrical, beautiful, chaotic, and filled with dark little corners demanding to be explored.

The Vampire Apothecary was delightfully gothic. Jackson Square was full of art and activity. Muriel’s gave us one of the most unusual dining experiences of the trip, and the Bourbon Orleans placed us directly inside one of the city’s most famous haunted locations.

We may not have met a ghost on our first day, but we gave them plenty of opportunities.

And we still had several more days of haunted hotels, cemeteries, ghost stories, and questionable decisions ahead of us.

Stay spooky, cats!