As we approach Halloween, we’re thinking more and more about the darker side of life. Forget touristy ‘haunted houses’ with actors dressed in rubber masks and tatted clothes. There’s something much more real to discover if you search hard enough. Well, whether you believe them to be real or not is up to you, but the stories are certainly enough to give you the heebie-jeebies. There’s something about the Deep South that is not only romantic but perpetually creepy. Perhaps it’s the maddeningly hot summers or the brutal slave trade past. Whatever it is, spooky stories seem to circle around this state, and we’ve put together a hair-raising list of them. Here are seven of the most haunted places in Louisiana.
1. Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville
If you have a penchant for the supernatural, you might have heard of Myrtles Plantation before. The 1796 building was named one of America’s Most Haunted Places, housing at least 12 unresting spirits of overworked slaves and brutal masters. There are a couple of ghostly stories that stand out, including the one about ‘Chloe’.
Chloe was an abused slave and endured years of cruelty from her masters. She came up with a plan: to poison the family so she could nurse them back to health, and not have to face the harshness of working the fields. But the dosage was too high and the family died, and Chloe was caught and hanged. In 1992, the owner took a photo for insurance purposes, but it shows a shadowy figure that looks eerily similar to a girl. This and so many other stories firmly solidify Myrtles Plantation as not only one of the most haunted places in Louisiana but the whole of America.
2. Old State Capitol Building, Baton Rouge
The story of the Old State Capitol is seemingly tame but still creepy. Pierre Couvillion was a legislator giving a debate in court and suddenly died from a heart attack. Despite being buried near his home in Marksville, Louisiana, people claim that he haunts the halls of the building. Employees claim to have felt a presence, and security guards say that motion detectors go off as if someone is in a room, but no one’s there. In 2009, paranormal investigators visited the building and picked up the eerie voice of someone singing You Are My Sunshine. Creepy.
3. Diamond Grill, Alexandria
Diamond Grill is now an upmarket restaurant, but it actually used to be a jewellery shop, hence the name. It opened in 1865 and was turned into a restaurant in1931, but the story goes that one of the old employees, Stella, was incredulous at the change. She loved the jewellery shop and was so unhappy at the change, that she now lurks in the shadows of the restaurant. The restaurant’s employees say they’ve seen glasses fly off shelves, heard inexplicable sounds in the dead of night, and found doors randomly locking or unlocking. It’s absolutely one of the most haunted places in Louisiana. Would you eat here?
4. The Logan Mansion, Shreveport
This home might look beautiful with its Victorian-style decor, but it’s actually the site of a horrific tragedy. In 1904, an 11-year-old girl named Theodora Hunt jumped to her death from the attic window. Ever since then, inexplicable occurrences happened around the house, such as items moving from where they were, doors locking and unlocking by itself, and even the eerie giggles coming from the attic. And as if it could get any creepier, people say they’ve seen a shadowy figure of a young girl standing in the attic window. Shudders. The current owners, Vicky and Billy LeBrun, even keep a log of everything that happens in the house, and the house been opened up to the curious public.
5. T’Frere’s House, Lafayette
T’Frere’s House is a bed and breakfast, but it used to be a plantation. It’s been the setting of many ghostly tales in its time, but the most popular is of Amelie Comeaux. Amelie tragically lost her child and husband to yellow fever, and not being able to take the pain any longer, jumped into the well in the garden. When she was found, she was buried on the property, and people say that she’s haunted the house ever since. She, or another spirit, seems to have a strangely motherly side. Visitors have said they’ve felt like they were being tucked into bed, or that their toes were being pulled!
Once, an exterminator reported seeing a girl standing in the attic and saying the words “veins voir” to him, which means “come see” in French. The person who converted the house into a bed and breakfast actually had to remove the piano. The piano music was keeping guests up in the middle of the night… even though no one was there. The B&B is still open for business if you fancy a night’s stay. The friendly owner is happy to talk to anyone about the ghosts that call it home.
6. Oakland Cemetary, Shreveport
Cemeteries are creepy at the best of times, even without the legends and folklore. But Oakland Cemetary in Shreveport is a particularly spooky one, with the ghost story to go with it. Nathan Goldkind was murdered by Gus Logan for cheating at a poker match (slight overreaction), and he was buried in Oakland. Locals say they’ve seen Goldkind’s spirit wandering around his grave aimlessly. Many believe that his spirit won’t rest because Logan was pardoned from death row. He supposedly takes a fancy towards women, with many reporting having their hair played with around his grave.
7. Old E A Conway Hospital, Monroe
The Old E A Conway Memorial Hospital was built in 1941. It only lasted 46 years, having been abandoned in just 1987. Many cases of malpractice plagued the hospital, and now it stands eerily quiet. Even if it wasn’t one of the most haunted places in Louisiana, it’d still be creepy. The run-down building is said to be haunted by the patients that died in the hospital, with practically everyone in the area considering the place to be haunted. Ghost hunters often flock to this creepy building to investigate. Several people claim they’ve seen shadowy figures roaming the halls, hearing beds creak as if being moved, and doors slam.
