New Orleans Spirits & Spells: Witchcraft, Voodoo, and Ghost Tour

New Orleans keeps its darkest stories close to the street. This two-hour evening walk links witchcraft, Voodoo, haunted buildings, brutal crimes, and the women who shaped the city’s spiritual life. It finishes at Hex New Orleans with an advertised group spell in a real witches’ temple.

I like the route’s mix of famous names and lesser-known tales, especially Mary Oneida Toups, the women of the Ursuline Convent, and the ghost connected with Muriel’s. I also like the small group limit of 26 people, which gives a strong guide such as Jamie, Jaime, Carrie, or Kerry room to tell stories and answer questions.

The main catch is that this is mostly an outdoor storytelling walk. You usually view haunted places from the street, and the promised courtyard ritual has not taken place on every departure. If you want to tour haunted interiors or hear equal amounts of Voodoo and witchcraft, adjust your expectations.

Key things to know before you book

• The route ends at Hex New Orleans: The tour starts and finishes at 1219 Decatur Street, with the advertised ritual held in a witches’ temple and courtyard fountain.
• Ghost stories lead the evening: Witchcraft and Voodoo are part of the theme, but the route gives heavy attention to haunted places, murder stories, and restless spirits.
• Mary Oneida Toups is a standout stop: Her Coven of Witches connects New Orleans folklore with the inspiration for American Horror Story: Coven.
• Most stops are viewed from outside: You enter two shops on some departures, but the convent, Muriel’s, the LaLaurie Mansion, and other sites are generally exterior visits.
• Wear comfortable shoes: The pace is leisurely, but you spend about two hours walking and standing in the French Quarter.
• The price is reasonable for a guided evening walk: At $29 per person, you are paying mainly for the guide’s storytelling, route, and themed finale rather than paid admissions.

Starting at Hex New Orleans

Your meeting point is Hex New Orleans at 1219 Decatur Street. This is also where the tour finishes, a useful arrangement if you do not want to find your way across the French Quarter after dark.

The experience is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. Public transportation is nearby, while parking fees are not included. Since the tour begins in a busy historic area, arriving with enough time to locate the shop is sensible, especially if you are unfamiliar with the French Quarter.

The advertised group limit is 26 people. That is not a private tour, but it is small enough for the guide to keep the group together and respond to questions. The best guides, including Jamie, Jaime, Carrie, and Kerry on different departures, appear to be a major part of the experience. Their success comes from humor, clear storytelling, and a personal feel rather than from theatrical effects.

The Ursuline Convent and the power of women

The first major story stop is the Old Ursuline Convent Museum. You do not receive a standard museum visit here. Instead, the guide uses the building as a setting for stories about women working together, healing, faith, and the practical power of a community of women.

That approach gives the tour more substance than a string of ghost tales. New Orleans is often sold through its scandals and spirits, but this stop points toward a different kind of power. It asks you to consider what women built and protected in a difficult colonial setting.

Plan on about 15 minutes here. The value depends on your guide’s delivery, since you are hearing the story from outside rather than examining exhibits inside. A strong guide can make the setting feel meaningful. A weaker delivery may leave you wishing for more direct access to the museum.

Chartres Street and Mary Oneida Toups

On Chartres Street, the focus shifts to Mary Oneida Toups and her Coven of Witches. This is one of the more distinctive parts of the route because it connects local spiritual practice with modern popular culture through American Horror Story: Coven.

The story is not simply about television. It gives you a way to think about how New Orleans turns real people, local beliefs, and old buildings into modern legend. The stop lasts about 10 minutes, so expect a concentrated account rather than a long lesson in American witchcraft.

If witchcraft is your main reason for booking, pay close attention here and at Hex. At the same time, do not expect the entire evening to focus on covens and spellcraft. The tour’s balance leans toward ghosts and dark tales.

Muriel’s Jackson Square and a resident ghost

Muriel’s is one of the French Quarter’s popular restaurants, and the tour explains how the restaurant pays nightly respect to its resident ghost. This stop adds a more intimate scale to the evening. Instead of hearing about an entire neighborhood’s supernatural reputation, you hear how one business keeps a ghost story part of its identity.

The building also sits near Jackson Square, one of the most recognizable parts of the French Quarter. You can take in the setting while the guide explains the connection between the restaurant and its spectral resident.

You spend about 15 minutes here. The stop is viewed from outside, so it is best understood as a story attached to a real working restaurant, not a chance to inspect a haunted dining room.

Voodoo Authentica and the limits of the theme

Voodoo Authentica provides the tour’s clearest look at Voodoo in New Orleans. The guide covers its local history, and on the 4 p.m. departure, the group may enter a real Voodoo supply shop.

That timing matters. The supplied tour details specifically mention shop access during the 4 p.m. tour, so you should not assume that every evening departure includes the same interior visit. This is also the point where the tour’s title may create expectations it cannot fully meet. Some people will want a longer treatment of Voodoo, but the route gives substantial space to ghosts and haunted crime stories.

I would book this tour for a broad introduction, not as a specialist study of Voodoo religion. It offers context and a real shop visit on the stated departure, but it does not replace a focused cultural or religious tour.

The dark stories at 735 Ursulines Avenue

At 735 Ursulines Avenue, the tone becomes more severe. The guide discusses malevolent spirits, ritual murders, and the idea of calling up something that cannot be controlled.

This is the kind of stop that suits an evening ghost tour, but it may be too grim for some children or sensitive visitors. The tour is not suitable for anyone under 13, and that age limit makes sense given the subject matter.

The stop lasts about 15 minutes. It is another exterior storytelling point, so the appeal lies in the account and the atmosphere of the street rather than entry into a building. A good guide needs to handle these stories with care. The best departures use them to explain how rumor, crime, fear, and place can combine. The weakest version can feel overly sensational.

Madame LaLaurie’s infamous mansion

The LaLaurie Mansion is the route’s most famous haunted address. Here you hear about Madame Delphine LaLaurie, whose cruelty made the house one of the world’s best-known sites linked to horror and ghost lore.

The guide also explains ways to repel negativity. That detail keeps the stop tied to the tour’s witchcraft theme, rather than making it only a crime story.

You view the mansion from the outside. This point is important because the dramatic name can make you imagine a guided interior visit. Local regulations and private property restrictions mean the building is generally a street-side stop. The guide must create the drama through context, detail, and tone.

Finishing with a spell at Hex

The route returns to Hex New Orleans for the advertised finale. The package includes exclusive access to a witches’ temple and participation in a group ritual and spell. The setting includes a hidden brick courtyard and a magical fountain.

This is the experience’s most unusual feature and the clearest reason to choose it over a standard French Quarter ghost walk. You are not only listening to stories. You are invited to take part in a themed activity with the group.

Still, I would treat the ritual as an intended feature, not an absolute guarantee. At least one departure was described as ending without the private garden and group ritual, despite those elements being part of the description. If the spell is the main reason you are booking, confirm the current format with the operator before setting out.

When it happens as planned, the finale gives the tour a satisfying shape. You begin with stories on the street and return to a dedicated spiritual space for a shared activity. It is theatrical, but it also fits the subject better than a forced jump scare.

How much walking and waiting to expect

The route is described as leisurely and suitable for most people, but it is still a walking tour. The listed stops account for roughly 90 minutes, with the remaining time used for moving between locations, gathering the group, and completing the finale.

Wear comfortable shoes. You may be standing while listening, and the French Quarter’s streets can make a short walk feel longer than it looks on a map. The group usually needs to pause so everyone can hear, and the guide must sometimes give other walking groups room.

Weather matters. The experience requires good weather, and poor conditions can lead to a different date or a full refund. A heat-related issue has also required one guide to alter a tour and help a participant get water, so bring water and dress for the conditions.

The guide makes or breaks the evening

This tour depends heavily on the person holding the microphone, figuratively or literally. Jamie and Jaime have been especially praised for combining local history with humor, keeping the group engaged, and answering questions after the formal route. Carrie and Kerry have also been singled out for warmth, wit, and strong storytelling.

That does not mean every departure will feel identical. One poor experience involved a guide who was difficult to hear and often faced away from the group. Another found the material too sensationalized. Stay near the guide, especially in a crowded street, and speak up early if you cannot hear.

The small group size helps, but it cannot solve every sound problem in the French Quarter. Expect a conversational walking tour, not a polished stage performance.

Is $29 a fair price?

At $29 per person, the cost is fair for a two-hour guided walk in the French Quarter. There are no admission charges at the listed stops, so your money mainly covers the guide, the route, the storytelling, and the advertised Hex finale.

The value is strongest if you enjoy local legends and want a guide to connect separate buildings into one evening. It is weaker if you measure value by the number of interiors entered or formal attractions visited. You are not paying for access to several museums or haunted houses.

A 4.8 rating from 329 reviews and a 93 percent recommendation rate suggest a generally strong experience, but the less positive accounts point to real limits: cancellations, unclear communication, uneven volume, sensational storytelling, and missed ritual elements. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations inside 24 hours are not refunded, except when the operator cancels for weather or failure to meet the minimum group size.

Who should book this tour?

I would choose it if you want a friendly, story-led introduction to the French Quarter’s darker side. It suits couples, solo visitors, families with teenagers, and anyone who likes local history with a supernatural edge.

It is especially good for a first evening in New Orleans because the route gives you landmarks, names, and stories to carry into the rest of your visit. The guides can also help the city make more sense by explaining details you might otherwise walk past.

I would choose another experience if you want extensive Voodoo instruction, access to haunted interiors, or a serious academic treatment of witchcraft. I would also think twice if you dislike stories about murder, cruelty, and spirits.

Final verdict: book it for the stories, not the buildings

Book New Orleans Spirits & Spells if you want a reasonably priced walking tour led by a lively storyteller, with a chance to finish in a witches’ temple. The strongest guides, especially Jamie, Jaime, Carrie, and Kerry, can turn a simple walk into a memorable evening of local lore.

Go in expecting exterior stops and a ghost-heavy route. If you accept that the ritual and shop access may depend on the departure, you are likely to find good value in the mix of history, mystery, humor, and French Quarter atmosphere.

FAQ

How long does the New Orleans Spirits & Spells tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Hex New Orleans, located at 1219 Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends back at Hex New Orleans, the same place where it begins.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $29 per person.

Is the tour suitable for children?

The tour is not suitable for children under 13 years of age.

Does the tour include a spellcasting ritual?

The experience includes advertised access to a witches’ temple and participation in a group spellcasting ritual. Some departures have not included the private garden or ritual, so you should confirm the current format if this is essential to your plans.

Do you enter the haunted buildings?

Most locations are viewed from the outside. The tour may include entry into two shops, including a real Voodoo supply shop on the 4 p.m. tour.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 26 people.

Can you cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund. If the operator cancels because of poor weather or insufficient bookings, you are offered another date or a full refund.