The Lalaurie Mansion is an old and eerie place, as all haunted houses should be. But its story is even less savoury than most. The lady of the house, Delphine Lalaurie, a socialite and cousin of the Mayor of New Orleans, was known for three things: being married three times, throwing lavish parties, and brutally torturing black slaves.

The rumours about Madam Lalaurie began in 1833, when she was seen by neighbours whipping a 12 year old slave girl until, blinded by pain, she plunged off the balcony and was killed. The following year, two of her kitchen slaves set fire to the kitchen to draw attention to the fact that they were chained up to the stove there. After that the rumour mill of the French Quarter got a run up and got going and her crimes took a more lurid shade: tales of tongues sewn together and mouths sewn up, intestines nailed to the floor, a hidden room where cruel surgeries and D.I.Y. sex change operations were performed – and while there's no proof any of these accusations took place there are records of the incidents surrounding the fire and the story of the dead slave girl, so this is certainly a house where nasty things took place.

Nicholas Cage bought the house in 2007, but it was back on the market in 2008...

The house, on 1140 Royal Street is quite plain and graceful on the outside, despite it's chequered history, and one of the most popular spots on New Orleans ghost tours.

Written by  Ame P. Oliver.

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