 Ghost Hunting in the French Quarter after Katrina
©2006 by Fiona Broome and the Hollow Hill Staff
Ghosts have always been at home in New Orleans' French Quarter. However, since
Hurricane Katrina in mid-2005, the hauntings have increased dramatically. And, the French Quarter was barely
touched by Katrina and its aftermath.
Despite the devastation in surrounding areas, the Quarter is an oasis. There
weren't as many tourists in January 2006--largely because the hotel rooms were being used by insurance adjustors,
people associated with FEMA, and so on. However, the Quarter is just as welcoming as ever, and at least 80% of
businesses reopened months ago. Day or night, it's easy to forget that
Katrina ever happened... except for the renewed paranormal energy in the French Quarter.
Orbs, orbs... everywhere
In the past, it was sometimes difficult to distinguish real orbs from those caused by New Orleans' naturally
high humidity, especially in the summer.
Now, the French Quarter's hauntings are so intense, it's difficult to tell the myriad real orbs from
fog or rain. In any other setting, I'd dismiss these orb photos as false, caused by moisture. Now, researchers are
not sure what to think about the hundreds of orbs in French Quarter photos.
It's vital to take two photos in a row, at each site. If the orbs are from humidity or reflective
surfaces, the orbs will appear in both photos and be fairly similar. If the orbs are paranormal, you'll see
orbs in one photo but not in the other one. The photos will be dramatically different.
Pat O'Brien's
Above, our photo of Pat O'Brien's shows many orbs. Before Katrina, we saw two or three orbs in a "good" photo. Pat
O'Brien's is known for a haunted ladies' room, an "eerie feeling" on the third floor, and unearthly footsteps wandering
around the attic. A happy, inebriated visitor--dressed in slightly old-fashioned clothing--appears and disappears
just outside the front door of this popular bar. You won't realize that it's a ghost until it vanishes.
This is one of many haunted sites that is more wonderfully eerie now.
Reliable haunts
Before Hurricane Katrina, the French Quarter was generally mildly haunted. There were a few locations--such as
the Hotel Monteleone and
Brennan's famous restaurant--which were more reliable "haunts" than others. However, since the storm, the Quarter's ghosts
have so much more energy, it's easier to identify truly haunted locations.
We were always skeptical about the Lalaurie Mansion--though the folklore is part of New Orleans' rich history--and
it seems more clearly not haunted now, compared with the nearby Ursulines convent, the Beauregard-Keyes House, and so on.
Ghost tours
 During our January visit, we enjoyed Haunted History's evening ghost tour. This is one tour that is so well-respected and
popular, it has remained in business while many other tours folded.
Haunted History's guides mix fun, folklore, and
carefully-researched history in a two+ hour tour featuring well-known and little-known ghosts in the French Quarter.
(Visit Haunted History Tours' website.)
The photo at right is one of over a hundred orb photos that we took during one of their January 2006 ghost tours.
A must-visit for ghost hunters
In general, the French Quarter is more vividly haunted than we've ever seen it in the past. And, with fewer tourists right now,
there's less psychic "noise" to camouflage the energy from both active and residual energy hauntings. We don't know
how long these ideal conditions will continue.
If you're a ghost hunter, we recommend visiting the French Quarter as soon as possible. It's a remarkable opportunity
to witness rich, genuine hauntings in America's most haunted city.
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