Did Vampires Once Walk Freely in New Orleans?

Were NOLA’s ‘casket girls’ mere brides-to-be, or were they actually vampires?

Maybe it’s the hazy glow of streetlamps, the echoes of jazz, or the narrow, dark alleyways. There’s something about New Orleans that radiates romance and intrigue. The city is ancient by American standards: Founded in 1718, it has witnessed centuries of tragedy. In 1788, a fire ravaged the French Quarter, burning over 800 buildings to the ground. In 1853, the yellow fever epidemic claimed an estimated 7,000 lives. Between 1863 and 1882, smallpox killed approximately 6,450 New Orleanians.

The city’s centuries-old mansions with their ornate, iron balconies, cobblestoned, lamplit streets, and, of course, cemeteries, with their above-ground tombs, make for the perfect hangout for ghosts hesitant to leave one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. for the afterlife. As Bob Dylan once said, “The first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds—the cemeteries—and they’re a cold proposition, one of the best things there are here.”

The city’s allure is undeniable, drawing in those who seek the macabre, the mystical, and the unknown. It’s no wonder that Anne Rice chose New Orleans as the backdrop for her Vampire Chronicles. Even today, it’s easy to imagine Lestat and Louis wandering through the misty French Quarter, contemplating eternity.

As a teen, I fell under the spell of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. First published in 1976 with Interview with the Vampire, the series follows the lives of Lestat, a young man who was transformed into a vampire in 18th-century France and later made New Orleans his home and hunting ground, and Louis, a more introspective vampire who spends much of his immortal life grappling with his loss of humanity and famously hesitates to drink the blood of humans. Many of Lestat’s and Louis’s most iconic moments take place in the French Quarter, Garden District, and St. Louis Cemeteries.

Rice’s novels are the perfect gateway to exploring the city’s vampire lore. But fiction has a way of inspiring me to explore related real-life, supernatural stories, so I began digging into some of the city’s long-unsolved mysteries. On my latest trip to my favorite city to while away a long solo weekend, I stumbled upon a story more unsettling than the imagined world of Lestat and Louis. As I wandered the French Quarter, I came across the Old Ursuline Convent, the oldest surviving building in the entire Mississippi Valley. It was here that I first encountered the legend of the Casket Girls, a tale so dark that it felt straight out of a gothic novel.

Unlike Rice’s fictional immortals, the legend of these mysterious women—sent from France in the 1700s, rumored to have brought something dark with them—was rooted in historical accounts, unexplained disappearances, and centuries of unease.

A Colonial Experiment in Arranged Marriages Gone Bad

The early colony of La Nouvelle-Orléans struggled with lawlessness and a lack of women willing to marry the mostly male settlers, many of whom were soldiers, fur traders, and former prisoners. In an effort to stabilize the colony, a group of young women were sent by ship from France in 1728 by the King himself to marry settlers and help establish families in the colony.

Their arduous journey across the Atlantic Ocean took nearly six months. By the time they arrived in New Orleans, the young women, sickly and exhausted from the difficult voyage, were greeted with suspicion. As they stepped off the ship, they clutched small, coffin-shaped caskets—wooden chests known as cassettes or casquettes—holding the few personal belongings they possessed.

Over time, the French term “casquette” was misinterpreted as “casket,” fueling eerie associations. Their skin, pale from months spent in the belly of a transatlantic ship, their eyes bloodshot from lack of proper nutrition and rest, stirred unease among the locals. Speculation turned to superstition. A chilling rumor took hold: Vampires, concealed in plain sight in the form of innocent virgins, were walking among the streets of Nouvelle-Orléans.

The young women came to be known as the Filles à la Cassette (“Casket Girls”). They were protected by the Ursuline nuns, who housed them in their stately convent until they were married off to settlers.

The Old Ursuline Convent, the Oldest Surviving Structure in New Orleans

You can still visit the Old Ursuline Convent, where the Casket Girls stayed upon arrival in the city almost 300 years ago. Located on Chartres Street in the French Quarter, it’s the oldest surviving structure in New Orleans, dating back to 1745, and is an outstanding example of French colonial architecture with its symmetrical façade, steep-pitched roof, and arched dormers. Today, it’s a museum, hosting exhibits highlighting the city’s Catholic heritage and French colonial past.

The convent’s third-floor attic is perhaps one of the spookiest places in all of Crescent City. Legend states that when the Casket Girls left to marry, the nuns stored their empty, coffin-shaped chests there. Many came to believe that the Casket Girls were vampires or had smuggled vampires into the colony. When the nuns later entered the attic, the chests had mysteriously vanished. Fearing satanic forces were at play, the nuns sealed the attic shut with 800 silver nails, blessed by the Pope. The act only fueled local gossip. Stories began to circulate about bodies found across the city, drained of blood, their throats ripped open.

In 1978, two paranormal investigators camped outside the Old Ursuline Convent, hoping to uncover the truth about the Casket Girls. They reported unexplained noises and shadowy figures moving near the attic windows, and while no definitive proof of vampires was ever found, the legend persists.

Secrets in the Attic

The attic remained sealed shut for over 200 years. Now, however, visitors will soon have the chance to see the site of alleged vampiric activity with their own eyes as the Old Ursuline Convent will be launching new tours, which include a peek into the storied, long-sealed attic, by the early summer 2025 to support the newly launched Friends of the Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans, a non-profit cultural organization associated with St. Louis Cathedral and the Old Ursuline Convent Museum. Learn more about upcoming tours and cultural events on their official website.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

The legend of the Casket Girls and their mysterious arrival in 18th-century New Orleans is only the beginning of the city’s deep-rooted vampire lore.

Established in 1833 and nestled in the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is a graveyard where whispers of vampires, ghosts, and lingering spirits are as much a part of the landscape as its ornate tombs and crumbling crypts. It holds generations of New Orleanians, from prominent families to victims of the yellow fever epidemic. Unlike many cemeteries in the United States, its tombs are above-ground, a necessity given New Orleans’ high water table—traditional graves simply wouldn’t hold.

Many visitors to the old cemetery claim to have spotted shadowy figures breezing through the tombstones, undisturbed by time or mortality. Perhaps the most famous tomb here is the Karstendiek family crypt. Often called “Lestat’s Tomb,” the Gothic crypt could easily represent a vampire’s final resting place. Fans of Anne Rice’s novels have long associated the tomb with Lestat de Lioncourt of Interview, making it a favorite pilgrimage site for vampire enthusiasts.

The Most Haunted House in New Orleans

The LaLaurie Mansion (1140 Royal St) is arguably the most haunted location in the city. Once home to Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a wealthy socialite with a dark secret. Born during the era of Spanish rule in Louisiana, she married three times over her years in New Orleans, with two of her husbands passing away, leaving her a wealthy widow. She maintained a respected social standing until April 10, 1834, when a fire broke out at her mansion on Royal Street.

As rescuers rushed to contain the blaze, they made a horrifying discovery. According to reports in the New Orleans Bee, “seven people, more or less horribly mutilated … suspended by the neck, with their limbs apparently stretched and torn from one extremity to the other” were found clinging to life in the mansion. LaLaurie’s elderly cook found chained to the stove by her ankle, was rescued and later stated that she had set the fire as a suicide attempt because she feared being tortured or killed, noting that anyone taken to the uppermost room “never came back.”

Many believed that LaLaurie was attempting to unlock the secrets of immortality—a pursuit eerily reminiscent of vampiric lore.

The revelation of her cruel actions sparked public outrage. Furious New Orleanians stormed the mansion, destroying much of its interior. In the aftermath, LaLaurie fled to France with her family, vanishing from the city where her reputation had once flourished.

While the mansion that stands on the grounds of the LaLaurie Mansion today is privately owned and not open for public tours, it is a popular stop on ghost tours, where guides recount its dark history.

Where the Vampires Are: Exploring New Orleans’ Gothic Side

In New Orleans, the presence of vampires feels just within reach. The Vampire Café welcomes both friendly vampires and mere mortals to indulge in blood-red cocktails and a decadent brunch featuring dishes named after infamous vampires. Step inside, and you’ll be greeted by rich crimson hues, flickering candlelight, and vaulted ceilings adorned with ornate chandeliers. Prepare to be spellbound as you sip the bloodiest of Bloody Marys and dig into decidedly not-so-scary fare like French toast, alligator po’boys, and Doberge cake.

A short stroll away, Boutique du Vampyre immerses visitors in the world of New Orleans’ vampire subculture. Shop handcrafted leather masks, rare occult books, enchanted candles, and temporary bite tattoos. Take your vampire persona to the next level with custom-made fangs crafted just for you (by appointment only). Choose from classic canine fangs, dramatic double sets, or even triple sets inspired by Interview with the Vampire. A skilled fangsmith will sculpt your fangs to fit your teeth perfectly. The session takes about 30 minutes; you’ll leave with your new fangs ready to wear.

Among the elaborate Victorian mansions of the city’s uptown Garden District, one home stands out: 1239 First Street, once owned by the late Anne Rice, author of The Vampire Chronicles. Her former, grand residence is said to have inspired The Witching Hour—and as you walk along these streets lined with towering oaks, picture Lestat and Louis brooding beneath the gas lamps, watching time slip through their immortal fingers.

Back in the city’s beating heart, adjacent to the St. Louis Cathedral, one acclaimed restaurant offers a spine-tingling dining experience. The stakes were high when wealthy merchant Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan lost his beloved home at 801 Chartes Street in a risky poker game. Unable to cope, he tragically ended his life on the second floor of his 18th-century mansion overlooking Jackson Square, an area now known as the Séance Lounge.

Since then, Muriel’s Jackson Square has embraced its eerie legacy, becoming New Orleans’ most infamous haunted restaurant. Many say Jourdan’s spirit never left the second floor and that he occasionally appears as a glowing orb of light. In a nod to their spectral guest, Muriel’s keeps a table permanently set for him, so you can dine on exquisite Creole cuisine and sip handcrafted cocktails solo with the feeling that you’re never truly alone.