{"id":7120,"date":"2018-05-08T13:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-05-08T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=7120"},"modified":"2019-10-14T08:17:14","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T08:17:14","slug":"new-orleans-americas-spookiest-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/new-orleans-americas-spookiest-city\/","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans: America’s Spookiest City"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a recent and highly publicized poll of 0 to 1 American bloggers, 100% of the participants selected New Orleans as the spookiest city in the United States.\u00a0 Precipitated by generations of mysterious Voodoo practices, unusual burial rituals, and heinous historical atrocities, the somewhat predictable result shocked no one.\u00a0 Surely, the spookiness of Spanish moss played a major role in such a lopsided outcome.\u00a0 Regardless, this now famously influential poll comes on the heels of surprising growth in the availability of haunted or otherwise macabre tours<\/a> of New Orleans.\u00a0 But, does New Orleans really deserve the title of America\u2019s Spookiest City?\u00a0 Let\u2019s read on and find out, shall we?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sitting Up With The Dead<\/h4>\n

\"new-orleans-spookiest-city-sitting-up-dead\"<\/p>\n

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Although \u201csitting up with the dead\u201d sounds far spookier than a \u201cviewing\u201d, they both express the same funeral rite.\u00a0 The difference lies in the fact that some New Orleanians sit up with the dead to prevent any zombie-like or otherwise undead activity.\u00a0 But, even more disturbing than the prospect of a loved one\u2019s reanimated corpse is the hottest new trend in funeral services, which takes \u201csitting up with the dead\u201d a little too literally.\u00a0 It all started in 2012 when Lionel Batiste, a New Orleans music legend, actually stood at his own \u201cwake\u201d.\u00a0 Carefully propped up against a street sign, Mr. Batiste basically acted as master of ceremonies for his own funeral.\u00a0 And, since then, there have been several \u201cwakes\u201d in New Orleans where the dearly departed, carefully positioned at a table, partied one last time with friends and family.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t get much spookier than that.<\/p>\n

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Bigger Than Elvis<\/h4>\n

\"new-orleans-spookiest-city-laveau\"<\/p>\n

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New Orleans and Voodoo are forever entwined within the collective American psyche.\u00a0 Yet, most people don\u2019t know much about the syncretic folk religion.\u00a0 But, every New Orleanian knows the story of Marie Laveau.\u00a0 Madame Laveau rose to the rank of Voodoo Queen of New Orleans well over a century ago.\u00a0 And, her legacy includes a major contemporary following.\u00a0 It\u2019s said that if you draw an \u201cX\u201d on her tomb, turn around thrice, knock on her vault, and yell out a wish, she just might grant it.\u00a0 If she does indeed grant your wish, then you better come back to the tomb, circle the \u201cX\u201d you made, and leave Madame Leveau an offering.\u00a0 Marie Leveau\u2019s tomb<\/a> enjoys immense popularity, drawing more visitors each year than Elvis Presley\u2019s!\u00a0 This begs the question:\u00a0 What is wrong with you people?<\/p>\n

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The Dead Among Us\u2026<\/h4>\n

\"new-orleans-spookiest-city\"<\/p>\n

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Nearly every time New Orleans anticipates a slight drizzle, the talking heads remind us that half of the city lies below sea-level.\u00a0 And, you might wonder: \u00a0What\u2019s so creepy about that?\u00a0 Well, nothing, until it\u2019s time to dig a hole for your eccentric and recently departed uncle, Jean Pierre.\u00a0 Early on, New Orleanians figured out that an underground burial might lead to a most unwelcome family reunion during the next wet season.\u00a0 As a result, most people now purchase slabs at their friendly, local mausoleum<\/a> in anticipation of their inevitable demises.\u00a0 Thus, in New Orleans, the living and the dead exist on the same plane, quite literally.<\/p>\n

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New Orleans Exposed!<\/h4>\n

\"new-orleans-spookiest-city-open-grave\"<\/p>\n

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A city full of mausoleums comes with a unique set of drawbacks.\u00a0 For one, the easy access to both loot and corpses has turned New Orleans into something of a grave robbing Mecca.\u00a0 You\u2019re nobody in the global grave robbing community until you\u2019ve plundered at least one vault in New Orleans; or, so I hear.\u00a0 Anyway, when you\u2019re slipping poor Grandma\u2019s wedding ring off her bony little finger, you don\u2019t exactly stop to make sure you\u2019ve put everything back in order before saying a final prayer and sealing her up, again.\u00a0 So don\u2019t act surprised if you spot an open chamber containing some exposed remains.\u00a0 These things happen, you know?<\/p>\n

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The LaLaurie Story<\/h4>\n

\"new-orleans-spookiest-city-lalaurie-mansion\"<\/p>\n

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Perhaps the most creepy, disgusting, and downright despicable New Orleans story involves a lady by the name of Marie Delphine LaLaurie.\u00a0 Responding to a fire at LaLaurie\u2019s mansion, police and firemen discovered a true house of horrors.\u00a0 On the top floor of the house, authorities found at least 7 tortured and mutilated slaves hanging precariously by their necks, alive!\u00a0 Some of the abused slaves lacked the strength to walk.\u00a0 Others wore spiked iron collars and bore fresh wounds from having been flayed.\u00a0 Somehow, Madame LaLaurie escaped the angry mob and fled to France after her deplorable deeds came to light.\u00a0 And, only later did authorities find the bodies buried in the yard and even more corpses sealed in the mansion\u2019s defunct well.\u00a0 Understandably, the LaLaurie Mansion<\/a> now enjoys significant infamy as a paranormal hotspot, given the atrocities that occurred there.<\/p>\n

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Hey you!\u00a0 Got a creepy story about New Orleans?\u00a0 Retell it in the comments below and we might add it to our post!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Benjamin was born in Los Angeles, Ca. He got his first taste of international travel during a trip to Rosarito, Mexico with a group of high school friends. At age 17, he and that same group of friends spent the summer backpacking Europe on a Eurail Pass and sleeping exclusively in hostels. After grad school, several return trips to Europe and Mexico, and extensive travel throughout the United States and Canada, Benjamin has visited over 30 different countries. He loves music, adventure, food, and art. He currently lives in Goa, India. 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