The History
The mansion at 1140 Royal Street was built in 1832 by Dr. Louis LaLaurie and his wife, Delphine, wealthy Creole socialites who quickly became fixtures of New Orleans high society. Madame LaLaurie was renowned for her lavish parties, her impeccable manners, and her charm. The city's elite competed for invitations to her soirées.
But rumors circulated. Neighbors whispered about the condition of the enslaved people in the LaLaurie household. A local lawyer had once forced LaLaurie to sell nine enslaved people after finding evidence of cruelty - but she simply had relatives buy them back. The whispers were dismissed by most. After all, Delphine was so gracious, so refined.
On April 10, 1834, a fire broke out in the mansion's kitchen. It was later believed to have been set deliberately by an enslaved cook who had been chained to the stove for months. When volunteer firefighters and bystanders rushed in to help, they demanded access to the locked attic. What they found there would haunt New Orleans forever.
Rescuers discovered enslaved people in horrific conditions - chained to the walls, starved to the point of emaciation, and showing evidence of extreme, prolonged torture. The New Orleans Bee reported that some had been subjected to crude medical experiments. A mob of outraged citizens formed within hours and ransacked the mansion. But Delphine LaLaurie was already gone. She fled by carriage to the waterfront and escaped by ship to Paris, where she lived out her days. She was never brought to justice.
The Attic of Horrors
The accounts of what firefighters found in the LaLaurie attic remain among the most disturbing in American history. Enslaved men and women were chained to the walls in contorted positions, some suspended by their necks with their limbs stretched and torn. Evidence of starvation was everywhere - victims were barely alive, their bodies wasted to skin and bone.
The New Orleans Bee published detailed accounts in the days following the discovery. Witnesses described signs of crude surgical experiments - holes bored in skulls, joints that had been broken and reset at unnatural angles, and wounds that suggested prolonged, methodical torture carried out over months or even years.
What made the discovery so explosive was not just its brutality, but its context. New Orleans was a slave-holding city. Cruelty toward enslaved people was a daily reality. Yet even by those horrific standards, what Delphine LaLaurie had done in her attic was recognized as monstrous. The discovery became one of the earliest documented cases of such systematic cruelty to make national news, published in papers from New York to Boston, forcing Americans to confront what slavery could enable behind closed doors.
The Hauntings
For nearly two centuries, the LaLaurie Mansion has been one of the most consistently reported haunted locations in New Orleans. Residents, neighbors, and passersby have described encounters that span generations:
The Attic
Moaning and anguished cries are heard from the upper floors, even when the building is empty. Shadowy figures have been seen moving past the attic windows by people on the street below.
The Courtyard
Apparitions of enslaved people have been reported in the mansion's courtyard by multiple witnesses across centuries. Some describe seeing figures in chains who vanish when approached.
Madame LaLaurie
A woman in elegant period dress has been spotted in the upper halls, believed to be the ghost of Delphine LaLaurie herself. Witnesses describe her expression as cold and imperious.
The Children
Sounds of children crying have been reported inside and outside the mansion. Historical accounts describe a young enslaved girl who fell - or jumped - from the roof while fleeing LaLaurie's whip.
Pop Culture
American Horror Story: Coven (2013)
Kathy Bates portrayed Delphine LaLaurie in the third season of the FX horror anthology series, depicting her as an immortal racist tormentor confronting modern New Orleans.
Nicolas Cage's Ownership
Actor Nicolas Cage purchased the mansion in 2007 for $3.45 million. He lost the property to foreclosure in 2009, later joking that it was the most haunted house he'd ever owned.
Ghost Adventures
The Travel Channel's paranormal investigation series filmed an episode at the LaLaurie Mansion, documenting unexplained sounds, electromagnetic anomalies, and shadowy movements.
What's There Now
Visit the LaLaurie Mansion
Address: 1140 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA (French Quarter)
Status: Private residence - the interior cannot be toured
Viewing: The mansion is visible from the street and is one of the most photographed buildings in New Orleans. Its grey facade and iron balconies look much as they did in the 1830s.
Ghost Tours: Walking ghost tours stop at the mansion nightly, providing the full history of Madame LaLaurie and the horrors discovered in the attic. Several tour companies operate in the French Quarter.
Tip: Visit after dark for the full effect. The mansion takes on an entirely different character at night, and the tour guides know stories that don't make it into the history books.
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