10 Reasons to Visit the Marie Laveau House in New Orleans

There are plenty of things to do and places to see in New Orleans, but even among all the options, there are a few that stand out. One of them is the Marie Laveau house. Most people will recognize her name as the voodoo queen. That fact alone has made the house she lived in famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view). As it turns out, there are a number of reasons to visit the house. Below are 10 of them.

1. It’s now a museum

The house is the same one where she lived with her own children. The house has been standing since the 1800s, and it’s located on the exact same spot that the original house where her mother, also a voodoo priestess, lived. These days, the house operates in several different capacities. One of those capacities is as a museum. If there’s something you want to learn about Marie Laveau, this is a good place to start.

2. You can also shop there

Of course, it is located in one of the busiest sections of New Orleans. It only stands to reason that the people operating the house would capitalize on that fact and turn part of the home into a shop. If you go into it, get ready to be surprised. There are a lot of things that you will likely find there that you probably wouldn’t imagine that you could find anywhere, even in your wildest dreams. If you’re touchy about the idea of voodoo, spells or curses, it might be a good idea to look but not touch.

3. Some people go there to get readings

Of course, being the Marie Laveau house, it probably shouldn’t come as any surprise that you can also get a reading there. There’s a place in the back of the house where people go to get readings, have spells done and even get tarot card readings. As it turns out, the line for this type of thing is so long that it often starts early and stretches around the block. Again, if you’re sketchy about these types of things, it might be best to go through the museum and then excuse yourself before you end up in a part of the house that you’d probably prefer not to be in.

4. The house is supposedly haunted

It probably won’t surprise you that the house is supposedly haunted. A lot of people have claimed that they have felt Marie Laveau touching them and in some cases, they’ve even reported seeing her there. Others have reported hearing chanting when it couldn’t have possibly been coming from any outside source. There’s a section of the house that people can rent out for overnight stays, but it’s definitely not an experience for the faint of heart.

5. It’s in the French Quarter

This is one of the most interesting places in the entire city, not to mention a place where there is always something to do. The French Quarter is one of the most popular places in the entire city. One of the best things about it is that there are so many different things to do that are within walking distance of each other. That gives you the chance to enjoy this and many other experiences, all at the same time.

6. There are loads of restaurants nearby

It’s surprising, but there are no less than slightly over 300 restaurants located in this same area. It’s a staggering number and it’s almost impossible to believe that you could fit that many restaurants into an area that’s not really that big to begin with. If you enjoy great food and you want to get a touch of the local culture through their cuisine, this is the perfect opportunity to do exactly that. It’s not like you don’t have loads of options available to you.

7. There are also plenty of other attractions

There’s also more than 100 other attractions in the immediate vicinity. Again, it gives you the perfect opportunity to make an entire day of it and enjoy seeing everything that this section of the city has to offer.

8. You might be interested in the history

There is no doubt that there is plenty of history surrounding the house. In fact, that history goes back several hundred years. If you’re a history buff, you’re bound to love this particular section of the city. The house has loads of history behind it, as does everything around it. Some people go because it’s a popular tourist attraction and others go because there are claims that the house is haunted. Still others are genuinely interested in the history behind it and if that’s the case, then you have all of that amazing history available at your fingertips.

9. It’s on one of the local ghost hunting tours

Of course, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the house is also on one of the local ghost hunting tours. If you prefer, you can take one of those tours and see this and many other supposedly haunted attractions. Of course, you can also visit the house on your own and decide for yourself whether or not it’s haunted.

10. It’s a storied landmark that you just have to see for yourself

This is easily one of the most storied landmarks in all of Louisiana. Some would argue that it’s one of the most important landmarks in the entire country. If you’re going to be in the area anyway, it’s something that you almost have to see for yourself. You can read about it in history books all day long, but it’s nothing compared to actually going there and seeing the site for yourself.

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