Description

If you really want to experience a spook-tacular Halloween in the Big Easy, book a room in one of New Orleans' haunted hotels, like the historic Hotel Monteleone or the Dauphine Orleans. 

There's never a better time of year to book one of the many spooky (and educational!) haunted New Orleans tours. Walk our storied streets (with a beverage in hand) and hear tales of ghosts on the French Quarter Hauntings Tour. Visit the places creatures of the night are rumored to frequent on the French Quarter Vampire Tour. Take a French Quarter Voodoo Tour, or stroll through New Orleans' one-of-a-kind cemeteries on the New Orleans Cemetery History Walking Tour.

In New Orleans, Halloween is just as much of a holiday for grownups as it is for kids. We do love any excuse to masquerade, and there's no better place to see the most creative, outlandish costumes than Halloween night on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny, mere blocks away from the French Quarter. The street is packed with live music clubs and bars (including favorites like d.b.a., Snug Harbor, and Three Muses), and a mostly-local costumed crowd turns out to make this the must-see scene when the sun goes down.

For club-goers, The Metropolitan (a.k.a. Metro) throws an annual Haunted Halloween Bash with a roster of DJs and DVDJs who turn the club into a spooky, sexy late-night hotspot.

Jim Monaghan's Halloween Parade also rolls through the French Quarter on Halloween evening. The parade starts at Molly's at the Market, and costumed riders in horse-drawn carriages toss beads and trinkets on a route through the French Quarter that ends with a costume contest at the final destination, the Erin Rose bar.

If you are a little more of a free spirited monster, stick to the French Quarter and make your rounds to the many open house parties along Royal and Bourbon Streets. Once the parade ends, the house parties start. Open doors along the street show decorated homes with make shift bars along the streets and in courtyards. Locals call this the highlight of the Halloween season in New Orleans and tourists are welcome to join the fun and identify themselves as visitors. Door prizes are typical and tend to be scary fun.

Haunted houses are as typical as vampires in New Orleans during the Halloween season. The Mortuary is the most sought after horror experience in the city, and uses Hollywood special effects to scare the pants off visitors. Open the entire month of October for private parties and events, The Mortuary sets the stage for amazing special effects and a shocking cast of characters. Born out of a very entertaining legend, the house and its grounds are perfect for a night of spooks, spills, and fun. Located at 4800 Canal St. (at the foot, near the cemeteries) directly on the streetcar route, The Mortuary is easy to get to and has ample space for parking. Expect to wait in line for entry; the majority of the waiting area is outdoors, and not covered. Allow at least three hours for the complete experience, longer on weekends. Haunted house tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for a fast pass ticket, which includes the basement and the back scenes.

For the kiddos, there are family-friendly, costumed Halloween activities happening all over the city. Audubon Zoo's annual Boo at the Zoo for kids up to age 12 features trick-or-treat houses, a Ghost Train, a haunted house, games and more. The Audubon Insectarium hosts Crawloween October 29 – 30. Kids can trick-or-treat (including bug-themed treats), make crafts, and learn about the Insectariums creepiest critters.

At City Park's Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and Storyland, trick-or-treating, rides, live music, and arts and crafts are on tap at Ghosts in the Oaks the weekend before Halloween.

As if there's not enough going on in New Orleans on Halloween, there's also a three-day music and arts festival going on called Voodoo Experience. Maybe you've heard of it? Yeah, it's a big one. For the full details, check the Voodoo Experience page on NewOrleans.com.

Coming to New Orleans for Halloween? Get the best rates on French Quarter hotels and New Orleans hotels near the action on NewOrleans.com. Check the NewOrleans.com calendar to find out what else is happening around town over Halloween weekend.

Details

Hours of operation:  The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. Halloween weekend, depending on the date of Halloween weekend.

The Mortuary opens at 7 p.m. and remains open until the last ticket holder goes through the house; usually tickets stop being sold around 11 p.m.

Cost: Admission to the haunted house is $25 for general admission. Check listings for special deals and tickets packages along with costs associated with private parties and special events. The Krewe of Halloween parade is free and open to the public. The Monster Bash tickets are $55 per person or $100 per couple. Tickets are available in advance, or at the door.

Location:  The Mortuary is at 4800 Canal St., Mardi Gras World is at 1380 Port St., and the French Quarter,

Age/Height/Weight restrictions:  Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult for all haunted house events.