New Orleans: French Quarter True Crime Walking Tour

4.86

(726 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Ever walked down Royal Street at night and wondered what really happened behind those old shutters? I hadn’t, not until this true crime tour in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The air was sticky—almost syrupy—and our guide (Shannon, who wore boots that looked like they’d seen some things) started us off near Jackson Square. She didn’t sugarcoat anything. “This is where they planned it,” she said, pointing at a balcony with peeling paint. I could almost see it—the plotting, the nerves. There was a faint smell of fried dough from somewhere, but her voice cut through it all.

I’ll admit I flinched when we stopped outside LaLaurie Mansion. Shannon’s flashlight hit the bricks and for a second, everyone went quiet—like even Bourbon Street’s noise couldn’t reach us there. She told us about Mad Madame and her escape, and I caught myself glancing up at the windows (yeah, didn’t expect to get goosebumps). Someone tried to pronounce “LaLaurie” right—Li laughed and said we’d all butchered it before. The whole group felt smaller after that story, like we were huddling together for warmth or maybe just comfort.

The Court of Two Sisters glowed with yellow light as we passed by; you could hear silverware clinking inside, totally normal life going on while Shannon talked about another murder—this one messier than I expected. The rain started up again, light at first but then steady enough to make the streets shine black under the lamps. We ended up back near where we started, and nobody rushed off right away. I still think about that hush outside LaLaurie Mansion sometimes—you know how some places just keep their secrets close?