Ghosts, Graves & the Voodoo Queen
Above-ground tombs, voodoo rituals, and the hairdresser who ran the city's underground — the REAL history behind the ghost tour hokum. Walk from a cemetery where 100,000 bodies share one city block through the birthplace of jazz, past a cathedral that will not stop burning down, and into the most infamous house in New Orleans.
What You'll Experience
Plan your walk
Know the route before you buy
- Starts at
- Introduction
- Ends at
- The Reveal
- Walking plan
- 1h 30m · ~1.2 miles
- Schedule
- Start, pause, and resume anytime
Included in the app
- Professional narration
- GPS-triggered stops
- Downloadable tour audio
- Ask the Historian Q&A
- Optional end-of-tour reveal
- All 9 story stops
A taste of what you'll hear
9 stops, each with its own story. Here's a preview.
"Welcome to Bad Historian, where history is eighty percent true and the rest is completely made up. I'm your guide. Today we're walking through the most haunted city in America. Except I'm not going to tell you ghost stories."
"Three churches have stood on this spot since seventeen eighteen. The second burned on Good Friday seventeen eighty-eight when priests refused to ring fire alarm bells. Eight hundred and fifty-six buildings destroyed."
"The reveal: White stone tradition? Fake. Laveau's client ledger? Fake. Cala seller's three freedoms? Fake. Spanish coins in the cathedral foundation? Fake. Lafitte's flood mark? Fake. Rouseau's tapping? Fake."
Tour itinerary
Every stop on this walk
Explore the route before you go. Each stop has its own story preview, location details, and place in the larger tour.
- 11IntroductionWelcome to Bad Historian, where history is eighty percent true and the rest is completely made up. I'm your guide.29.9614, -90.0711 Read this stop
- 22St. Louis Cemetery No. 1You're standing outside a filing cabinet for the dead. Saint Louis Cemetery Number One. The Oldest cemetery in New Orleans.29.9614, -90.0711 Read this stop
- 33Marie Laveau's TombThis is the tomb everyone comes to see. The Glapion family tomb. Inside — probably — is the most powerful woman in nineteenth-century New...29.9608, -90.0703 Read this stop
- 44Congo SquareYou're standing where jazz was born. In slave-era America, every Southern state banned African drums. Except here.29.9635, -90.0680 Read this stop
- 55St. Louis CathedralThree churches have stood on this spot since seventeen eighteen. The second burned on Good Friday seventeen eighty-eight when priests...29.9579, -90.0644 Read this stop
- 66Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop BarBuilt in the seventeen seventies using briquette entre poteaux construction. Survived both great fires.29.9607, -90.0635 Read this stop
- 77The LaLaurie MansionMadame Delphine LaLaurie — most popular socialite in New Orleans. Three husbands: first died in shipwreck, second was pirate-adjacent...29.9585, -90.0625 Read this stop
- 88The Old Ursuline ConventOldest building in the Mississippi River Valley. Completed seventeen fifty-two. Eleven Ursuline sisters left France in seventeen...29.9577, -90.0610 Read this stop
- 99The RevealThe reveal: White stone tradition? Fake. Laveau's client ledger? Fake. Cala seller's three freedoms? Fake.29.9577, -90.0610 Read this stop
Stories first
Every stop is built around people, conflict, ambition, and consequences—not a plaque read aloud.
Most of it is true. The extra mischief is just a wink at the end, but the story is what carries the walk.
Have questions? Just ask.
Curious about something you heard? Want to know more about a place? Ask us anything — we have a lot to say. It's more fun when it's a conversation.
Ready?
Download the app, head to the starting point, and press play. The stories start themselves.
Get the AppBefore you go
Quick answers
How much is this tour?
$9.99 as a one-time purchase in the iOS app. The New Orleans city pack is $14.99 and includes every currently available tour in the city.
Can I use it with spotty cell service?
Download the tour audio on Wi-Fi before leaving. Cached narration plays without streaming; map tiles and other online features may still need a connection.
Do I have to start at a specific time?
No. Start when it suits you, pause for a detour or meal, and resume later. Check the opening hours of any venue you personally plan to enter.
Are admission tickets included?
The purchase covers the Bad Historian audio experience. Transportation, food, and admission to third-party attractions are not included.
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Ghosts, Graves & the Voodoo Queen
$9.99 · one-time