French Quarter Ghost Stories and Vampire Lore, Kids in Tow
An evening walk through the French Quarter with a local guide, mixing ghost stories, Madame LaLaurie's history and the city's vampire lore.
Check-in is at the Voodoo Lounge, a 24-hour bar on the corner of Rampart and Orleans streets. The box office is inside, under a neon TICKETS sign on the back wall, and opens an hour before each walk. Bringing kids? Use the family-friendly entrance on the Orleans Street side.
From the bar, a guide leads the group on foot for about a mile at a leisurely pace. The operator lists the LaLaurie Mansion, Gallier House, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and Jackson Square among the sights. Each guide's walk is a little different, per the operator. Guides build their tours from recorded history and folklore, around the stories they care about most.
French Quarter Phantoms, the operator, says it is locally owned, has led tours since 2006 and uses guides licensed by the City of New Orleans. The city requires every tour guide to hold a permit, and first-time applicants must pass its tour guide exam.
Tickets are priced per person. As of October 20, 2026, travelers aged 8 to 62 pay USD 21, those 63 and older pay USD 18, and children 7 and under pay USD 5 on the 6:00 PM walk or USD 7 at 8:00 PM. Confirmation is instant, sales close an hour before the start, and a full refund needs at least 24 hours' notice.
Ghost and Vampire Walking Tour Of The French QuarterFrench Quarter Phantoms · 90 minutes to 2 hours · Starts at the Voodoo Lounge, 718 N Rampart St · 6:00 or 8:00 PMwww.viator.comThe LaLaurie Mansion, Seen From the Sidewalk
The one stop the listing names is the LaLaurie Mansion. The guide tells the story of Madame LaLaurie, whom the listing calls the city's "mistress of human horror," and the hauntings tied to the house. The listing bills it as the mansion from American Horror Story: Coven. The story is told from the sidewalk, because the mansion is a private residence.
The history is grim. On April 10, 1834, a fire at her Royal Street mansion revealed seven enslaved people who had been starved, tortured and chained, according to 64 Parishes, Louisiana's humanities encyclopedia. The building standing today was rebuilt around 1837 to 1838, per the Vieux Carré Survey of the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Parents of younger teens should know what that story holds. A February 2026 reviewer who came with a teen said "there were a couple of extra disturbing details of the torture at the LaLaurie mansion," which made the walk "a bit 'adult' for violence." Guides pitch it differently, though. An August 2026 reviewer who brought an 8-year-old to the 6:00 PM walk said the guide was "thoughtful and intentional with his word choices."
Self-Proclaimed Vampires and the Shop for Their Fangs
The vampire stories include living people. Per the listing, the guide covers New Orleans' self-proclaimed vampires, real people who live their lives that way, along with some of their favorite haunts and the shop where they buy their fangs.
A September 2026 reviewer said their guide made a point of separating legend from "what was more just hype and talk or speculation." Another, later that month, found "just enough stories to be a little spooky" without losing the more scared and skeptical people in their group.
A Halfway Break and a Finish Near Jackson Square
Halfway through, the group gets a 10-minute comfort break, per the operator. A March 2026 reviewer spent it at "a haunted bar," grabbing a drink and using the restroom.
The operator puts the finish near Jackson Square, a walk away from the bar where the night began. Plan your own way back to Rampart Street. A September 2025 reviewer on the 6:00 PM walk said it took over 30 minutes to find the way back to their car after dark.
Groups, Weather and the Fine Print
- Walks leave at 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM every night of the year except Fat Tuesday, per the operator.
- Tours run rain or shine. The operator says guides use the Quarter's balconies and galleries for cover during storytelling, and suggests bringing an umbrella.
- Shared groups can reach 28, per the listing. An August 2026 reviewer in a group of about 20 could always hear the guide; an October 2026 reviewer said the group was big enough that they could barely hear.
- The operator calls its regular tours family friendly and open to all ages; its adults-only walk is a separate tour. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and the listing says infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. A July 2026 reviewer with a tween and a teen picked the 6:00 PM walk.
- The minimum drinking age is 21. In the hour before the walk, guests 21 and older can buy a Hurricane at the bar and get a second one free, per the operator. Drinks can come along in plastic only, no glass.
- The listing marks the walk wheelchair accessible and suitable for all physical fitness levels.
- Photos are fine. Video recording needs the operator's permission.
- Not included: alcoholic drinks, which are available to buy, and gratuities.
📍 Check in at the Voodoo Lounge, 718 N Rampart St, on the corner of Orleans Street. The operator asks guests to arrive 15 minutes early, and the listing asks you to walk over if you can, since it is a short stroll from most downtown hotels. If friends booked separately, tell the box office at check-in so you share a group; wristbands cannot be switched once assigned.
A June 2026 reviewer's walk ended right off Bourbon Street, a "perfect transition into the rest of the night."