Why Haunted Tours Make a Great Holiday Gift

Andrew Jackson Hotel

A haunted hotel in New Orleans isn't that unusual in and of itself, but the Andrew Jackson Hotel has more than one fabled ghost. The hotel, previously home to a boarding school and orphanage for boys and is said to be one of the most haunted in the city, dating back to a tragic fire that killed five boys - and the hotel might have attracted more ghosts since then.

In 1794, The Great New Orleans Fire raged through the city, destroying over 200 structures, including the hotel. At the time, the establishment was home to several boys who had previously lost their parents during a yellow fever epidemic, and five perished in the fire. Given that the hotel was already full of familial sadness, it's no wonder that the energy of those boys, who only wanted a better life, remained after the terrifying fires that devoured much of the city.

Since then, reports that the hotel has had some very long-term residents have multiplied. Guests have reported hearing the boys play outside (when no children were visible), and one boy, in particular, named Armand, seems to like to hang around the guests and play tricks.

But that's not all. Guests have also reported a caretaker fluffing pillows and cleaning rooms - when there's no caretaker on duty!

The hotel's strange past got stranger after the fire. A U.S. Federal courthouse was erected on the site of the burned hotel. This is where General Andrew Jackson was tried and held in contempt. He later went on to become president. The courthouse was demolished and the current building was erected in 1890 but some say that after Gen. Jackson's death, he returned to the hotel that was built in its place.

You have a couple of options if you'd like to learn more about the hauntings at the Andrew Jackson Hotel yourself. One is to stay there, and risk being pushed out of bed or having another spectral joke played on you. If you'd rather avoid hands-on experience, take a walking tour with French Quarter Phantoms. Learn about the history of the hotel site, the old school, and many other New Orleans haunting phenomena while strolling about town - with others for ghostly safety.

Check out these photos taken by French Quarter Phantoms tour participants at the Andrew Jackson Hotel.