New Orleans isn’t just the city of jazz and jambalaya. Beneath the beads and brass bands lies something older, darker, and far more alluring—a thriving legacy of vampire lore and gothic fascination. If your soul leans toward the shadowy and romantic, and if your playlists are filled with haunting riffs and macabre melodies, this guide is for you.
The Bloody Roots of New Orleans Vampire Lore
The Crescent City’s vampire history stretches back to the 18th century, steeped in tales of mysterious deaths, disappearing sailors, and pale strangers with aristocratic airs. Stories like the Casket Girls of the French Quarter, who arrived with heavy, coffin-shaped luggage, or the enigmatic Comte de St. Germain, rumored to be an immortal alchemist, still echo in the gaslit alleyways of the Vieux Carré.
Anne Rice only added fuel to the fire with her iconic Vampire Chronicles, placing Lestat and Louis among the moon-soaked oaks and wrought iron balconies of New Orleans. But the city didn’t need fiction to make it legendary—it already pulses with mystery.
Must-Visit Vampire & Gothic Haunts in New Orleans
If you’re ready to walk among the legends (and maybe the undead), here are a few places you can’t miss:
1. Boutique du Vampyre – 709 St. Ann Street
This shop is a must for vampire enthusiasts. From custom fangs and cloaks to rare vampire literature and gothic accessories, it's a haven for creatures of the night. The staff know their lore, and if you’re lucky, you might be invited to one of their secret “fang club” events.
2. The Vampire Cafe – 801 Royal Street
A sultry, candlelit experience awaits at this vampire-themed restaurant and absinthe bar. It’s the perfect place to sip a blood-red cocktail while soaking in the ambience of the undead.
3. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
No vampire tour is complete without a walk among the tombs. This historic cemetery is home to eerie legends and atmospheric beauty. Visit early, as guided tours are the only way in—and you just might feel like you're being watched.
4. The Ursuline Convent
The legend of the Casket Girls lingers here. Locals still whisper about sealed attic windows and unexplained noises. It’s a must-see for anyone craving the eerie and unexplained.
Where Music Meets the Macabre
The New Orleans vampire scene doesn’t just live in books and graveyards—it thrives in sound, in style, and in those who walk the line between the living and the legend.
Deadsled Funeral Company, the genre-defying gothic metal band, has become something of a cult favorite among the vampire-curious. Their sound isn’t “about” vampires—but their fans certainly are. With haunting riffs, funereal flair, and a visual aesthetic that could resurrect Poe, it's no surprise that the city’s shadowy corners are full of their followers.
If you're wandering the French Quarter during a full moon—or even a rainy Tuesday
—you might just run into Wraith Vanglorious or Boneghazi, two of the enigmatic figures behind the music. Clad in leather, eyeliner, and attitude, they’re not vampires... probably. But they are the kind of people you’d want beside you if you met one.
Final Bites
New Orleans is a city that doesn’t shy away from the strange, the spooky, or the seductive. Whether you’re a lifelong night-dweller or just beginning to explore the gothic underworld, there’s no better place to feel seen—or unseen.
So slip on your boots, smear on the black eyeliner, and walk slow. In New Orleans, the shadows watch back.
And if the shadows start humming a heavy riff or you hear whispers of a Deadsled Funeral Company show in a back-alley bar? Follow the sound. You’re among your kind.