Voodoo queens, headless ghosts, war heroes and singing spirits occupy buildings across the state of Louisiana. Forget those “spooky” haunted houses that rely on jump scares from people in rubber masks. Instead, make your way to one of these haunted places in Louisiana for a real fright.
The Bentley Hotel in Alexandria, Louisiana
The Bentley Hotel is a classic hotel located in downtown Alexandria that opened in 1908. It reopened as Mirror Room Lounge on May 1, 2015. This hotel is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including the original builder Joseph Bentley, who passed away on the third floor. They say you can see him wandering around the halls of the building during the day. Visitors to the hotel also claim to hear the voices of Generals Patton and Bradley discussing war strategy in the Mirror Room Lounge. The hotel was featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters in 2011, where they had many strange, unexplainable things happen to them.
The Logan Mansion in Shreveport, Louisiana
This Victorian-style house was built in 1897 for a beer distributor named Lafayette R. Logan. Local legend said that 11-year-old Theodora Hunt leapt to her death from the front window of the attic in 1904, only seven years after it was built. The current owners, Vicki and Billy LeBrun, now keep a log of all the creepy things that happen in the house, like items that move from their spots, a door that locks and unlocks itself and the giggles of a young girl in the attic. There have even been sightings of ghosts in the attic window, right where the little girl fell to her death.
Alexandria Zoo in Alexandria, Louisiana
Legend has it that former director Leslie “Les” Whitt now haunts Alexandria’s zoo. Les devoted his life to Alexandria and the zoo, pledging to turn the zoo into something special. He passed away, after a heart attack, six days before his 56th birthday. Visitors claim that he still has unfinished business in the zoo. It’s said that you can hear his voice and spot his spirit moving around there.
Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana
You can’t talk about haunted Louisiana places without mentioning what has been named one of the Most Haunted Places in America. Located right in St. Francisville, Louisiana, the Myrtles Plantation houses 12 restless spirits. The most famous of these is named Chloe. In 1992, photographs were taken of the plantation which showed the ghostly figure of a girl standing between the buildings. Another spirit, William Winter, was a lawyer that was shot to death by a stranger on the plantation. He later died on the 17th step of the stairs. Visitors and employees claim you can still hear his dying footsteps.
Pleasant Hall at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Here’s an urban legend that can be backed up by almost any LSU alumni or student. There are two versions of this story revolving around a resident that took her own life in the infamous Room 312. One version says that a girl shot her boyfriend, then decided to take her own life. The other says that the girl jumped from the window of her room. While there aren’t any stories or police reports to back this story up, students swear by it, and many residents at Pleasant Hall claim to feel her presence, see her or have seen the door to Room 312 open and close on its own.
The Old E.A. Conway Hospital in Monroe, Louisiana
The Old E.A. Conway Memorial Hospital (not to be confused with the new hospital of the same name) was built in 1941 and originally named Monroe Charity Hospital. It was later renamed to honor the Louisiana Secretary of State, E.A. Conway, in 1948. The hospital served the city of Monroe for years until it was abandoned in 1987. This creepy, run-down building is said to be home to the spirits of the patients they lost at the hospital. Avid ghost hunters in Louisiana regularly visit the site, with some claiming to see patients walking the halls, hearing doors slam closed and old, rusted hospital beds creak as if they were being moved.
The Calcasieu Courthouse in Lake Charles, Louisiana
The Calcasieu Courthouse in Lake Charles is more than just a courtroom; local legend says that it’s home to a restless spirit by the name of Toni Jo. Born Annie Beatrice McQuiston, Toni Jo, known in town as “The Tigress,” was the first female in Louisiana to be executed in the electric chair.
As a child, she grew up in a rough household and began going down a bad path in life. She was arrested multiple times, including one incident where she cut a man’s ear off with scissors. Her final arrest was for shooting and killing a used car salesman. Residents and employees at the courthouse say she haunts the courthouse to this day. Many of them claim that you can still smell her perfume or her burning hair in the halls and hear her slow footsteps echo from her “death march.”
Ellerbe Road School in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is apparently a hotbed for haunted locations. One of the creepiest sites is the old George Washington Carver School, also known as Ellerbe Road School. It opened back in 1957 but closed its doors in 1973 due to low attendance. An urban legend in Shreveport says that one of the janitors used to torment the kids until he disappeared, and now their spirits haunt the building.
Bonnie and Clydes’ Last Stop in Gibsland, Louisiana
About halfway between Monroe and Shreveport sits the small town of Gibsland, Louisiana in Bienville Parish. The infamous couple Bonnie and Clyde died here on May 23, 1934, when police from Louisiana and Texas cornered them in their stolen car, killing them both by firing more than 100 bullets at their car. Visitors and residents claim that if you go to the site of their death, located on Route 154 about seven miles south of the Ambush Museum, the ghosts of Bonnie and Clyde make themselves known. They say you can spot their ghosts lingering in the woods and ghostly apparitions will appear in photographs taken in the area.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana
It wouldn’t be a haunted places list without mentioning St. Louis Cemetery in New Orleans. If you walk among the dead and view the crypts, you’ll eventually come across plot 347. X’s are written all over the tomb, and trinkets and gifts are laid out for all to see. This is where Marie Laveau, Louisiana’s Voodoo Queen, is laid to rest. According to people from around the world who come to visit her grave, she isn’t doing much resting. She is said to still haunt the cemetery, and if your offering to her is good enough, she’ll even grant wishes for you.