The French Quarter After Dark: From Delphine LaLaurie to Marie Laveau
A ninety-minute French Quarter night walk built around the city's notorious women, from the LaLaurie house to Voodoo and brothels.
Ghost City Tours runs this ninety-minute walk through the French Quarter every night, and the listing builds it around New Orleans' notorious women: madams, a Voodoo priestess and a society hostess whose Royal Street house became a byword for cruelty. The operator scores the mix at 45 percent paranormal, 40 percent history and 15 percent entertainment. Its own content notes flag graphic historical violence, true-crime detail and adult language, which is why nobody under sixteen can book. Expect the stories with the edges left on.
The booking buys a seat on the 8:30 PM walk with a local guide, at USD 34.99 per person, ages sixteen and up. Gratuities are not included. One booking takes up to six travelers, and anyone under eighteen has to come with an adult. This listing stops taking bookings twenty-four hours before the start, so tonight's walk had to be booked yesterday. Cancel at least twenty-four hours ahead for a full refund.
The Bad Broads Tour of New Orleans - Rebels, Scandals & Secrets90 minutes on foot in the French Quarter · Ages 16 and up · Tips extrawww.viator.comFifteen Minutes at 1140 Royal, Five for Marie Laveau
The listing names two stops and weighs them very differently: fifteen minutes outside the LaLaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street, and five at what it calls the home of Marie Laveau. The first belonged to Delphine LaLaurie. On April 10, 1834, a fire there led rescuers to enslaved people who had been bound and brutally abused. A mob wrecked the house, and she escaped to France without ever facing trial. The building at that address today was rebuilt after she left and remains an occupied private residence, so guides speak strictly from the street outside.
Laveau's own cottage on St. Ann Street is gone as well. The operator's history page says it was torn down in 1903 and a newer house went up on the same foundation. She died at home in June 1881, and the Daily Picayune announced it on June 17.
Madams, a Rumored Rising Sun and Gallatin Street
Past those two, the operator features further stops and says plainly that not every stop runs every night. Its list includes Gallatin Street, which it describes as the place where sex work, violence and vice flourished long before Storyville; the Hotel Villa Convento, which it calls rumored to be the original House of the Rising Sun; and the Bourbon Orleans hotel.
The listing's pitch adds brothel owners, high-society murderesses and a woman it bills as the city's first female serial killer, so the cast runs well past the two names on the itinerary. Travelers' accounts from 2024 to 2026 name several different guides. The stories follow whoever is leading.
Sold as Ninety Minutes, Sometimes Closer to Two
The operator calls it a ninety-minute walk that varies by night and puts the distance at roughly one to one and a half miles at a leisurely pace, with frequent stops. Travelers do not all agree on the clock. One in October 2025 wrote that it ran closer to two hours, and another in February 2026 wished for a bathroom break in the middle.
Two travelers flagged crowds: in April 2025 one found several tours stacked at the same spots and the guide hard to hear, and in December 2024 another called the group very large. This listing sells up to twelve seats on a shared departure, but the group on the street can include guests booked through other channels.
Bring a Drink, Stay Steady on Your Feet
Both the listing and the operator say you can bring a drink along. The listing also lets the operator turn away anyone who is intoxicated or shows signs of it, and a guest refused that way gets no refund. The walk runs rain or shine; the operator says it contacts guests about rescheduling only in severe weather. Wear comfortable shoes.
The listing and the operator's tour profile both mark the walk wheelchair accessible. The operator also describes the route as dimly lit historic streets.
📍 Check in inside the Ghost City Tours storefront at 809 Royal Street, where the company's sign hangs in the window. The operator's FAQ says to head in and check in at the counter. The listing's itinerary text also mentions the guide meeting you on St. Ann Street fifteen minutes before the start, so be at the storefront by 8:15 PM and ask there.
Parking in the French Quarter is scarce and paid, and the operator suggests a rideshare or walking in. The walk ends near Jackson Square, depending on the guide and the crowds, close to where it started. One solo traveler wished it had looped back to the start. Plan the rest of your night from the square where it leaves you.