Ghost Tour and Haunted Pub Crawl Party with Free Shot

New Orleans does not need much help becoming spooky, but this tour gives the city’s dark side a clear route through the French Quarter. You move from a bar on Frenchmen Street to the LaLaurie Mansion, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, and the Andrew Jackson Hotel while hearing tales of ghosts, murder, voodoo, and 300 years of grim local events.

I like the mix of real places and dark storytelling, rather than hearing every tale from one street corner. I also like the easy social setup: you get one free shot, drink discounts, Mardi Gras beads, and a guide who can point you toward more music and nightlife after the tour. The main thing to consider is that the pub crawl can feel more like a walking ghost tour with bar stops than a full night of bar hopping.

Key points to know before booking

• The free shot comes at BMC Balcony Music Club, where the group meets, mingles, and begins the evening.
• Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is the strongest pub stop, with a long-running reputation for pirates, ghosts, and candlelit atmosphere.
• Pandi and Clarissa receive especially warm praise, with guests describing their storytelling, humor, energy, and personal care as major strengths.
• The walking route covers famous French Quarter locations, including the LaLaurie Mansion and Andrew Jackson Hotel.
• The tour lasts about two hours and accepts up to 28 people, so it is social but not necessarily intimate.
• The experience costs $19 per person, a fair price if you want history, spooky tales, and a drink-centered evening rather than a serious paranormal investigation.

What this New Orleans ghost walk really offers

At $19, this is an inexpensive way to add structure to a night in the French Quarter. You are not paying for a long museum visit or a formal investigation with special equipment. You are paying for a local guide, a guided walk, one shot, drink discounts, beads, and access to several places tied to New Orleans legends.

The tour is designed for fun. Its tone can shift from gruesome stories to jokes, bar recommendations, personal ghost photographs, and general New Orleans lore. That makes it a good choice for friends, couples, birthday groups, and anyone who wants a bit of history before heading deeper into the nightlife.

The current score is 4.9 out of 5 from 268 ratings, with 96 percent recommending the experience. The strongest pattern is clear: the guide often determines the quality of the evening. Pandi, Clarissa, and Wendy receive repeated praise for being friendly, funny, energetic, and well informed about the city.

There is also a less flattering pattern worth taking seriously. Some departures have skipped the LaLaurie Mansion or Andrew Jackson Hotel, and one low-rated account described too little drinking and too much quiet walking. If you are booking mainly for a pub crawl, confirm the planned stops before setting your expectations.

Meeting at BMC Balcony Music Club

The evening starts at BMC Balcony Music Club, 507 Frenchmen Street. This is a practical meeting point because Frenchmen Street is already one of New Orleans’ main nightlife areas, so you can arrive early for food or music nearby.

The first 15 minutes are for meeting the guide, gathering the group, taking advantage of drink specials, and receiving the included shot. The guide begins introducing the darker side of New Orleans while the group settles in.

That opening matters. A bar is a more relaxed place to meet strangers than a sidewalk, and the drink helps establish the party mood. You also receive complimentary Mardi Gras beads, which add a playful New Orleans touch and can make the start feel more like a celebration than a standard walking tour.

Keep in mind that the shot is one included alcoholic drink, not an open bar. If you do not drink alcohol, the supplied information does not specify a replacement, so ask the operator before booking if that matters to you.

The LaLaurie Mansion and New Orleans’ darkest stories

The next planned stop is the LaLaurie Mansion, with about 30 minutes devoted to the location and its grim past. The building is especially familiar to television fans because it was featured in American Horror Story.

The value here is less about entering the property and more about standing near a place whose story has become part of New Orleans’ popular image. The visit gives the guide a fixed setting for discussing cruelty, tragedy, and the way a city preserves disturbing stories through buildings and rumor.

The mansion is also a good example of the tour’s basic approach. You hear the story where the events are associated with the place, then continue on foot through the French Quarter. That is more effective than hearing a list of unrelated ghost tales in a bar.

Do not assume that every departure will follow the exact same route. One account specifically noted that the LaLaurie Mansion was missed, along with the Andrew Jackson Hotel. The company may adjust the route because of timing, crowd conditions, weather, or other operating issues, so ask at the start if these two locations are essential to you.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar after dark

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar receives about 30 minutes and is the clearest match for the pub-crawl side of the experience. The setting is tied to pirate lore and ghost stories, and the stop lets you enter a famous French Quarter watering hole rather than simply hear about it from outside.

I like this stop because it gives the tour a change of pace. After walking and listening, you can sit or order a drink in a location that feels connected to the tales. The guide can explain why the bar is considered haunted and let you enjoy the atmosphere without rushing straight through.

Drink discounts are included, but the price of drinks beyond the free shot is not specified. Bring money for anything you order, and remember that the tour price does not mean drinks are included at every bar.

This is also where expectations matter most. The name suggests a broad bar crawl, but the listed route has only a few drinking locations, and the stop may be fairly short. One less satisfied participant felt the evening included only one worthwhile bar and limited time to drink. If you want several rounds at multiple venues, this may feel too light.

The Andrew Jackson Hotel and French Quarter backstreets

The Andrew Jackson Hotel, part of the French Quarter Inns group, is another planned 30-minute stop. You are encouraged to bring a camera, since the location is associated with reported apparitions and paranormal stories.

The walk around this part of the Quarter is likely to be one of the more atmospheric portions of the night. The tour uses backstreets and old buildings as a setting for stories about the city’s dead, rather than treating ghosts as a separate attraction removed from everyday New Orleans.

A camera can be fun here, especially if you enjoy looking for odd shapes or unexplained details in photographs. Still, the tour does not promise that you will see a ghost. The point is to hear the stories and decide what you make of them.

As with the mansion, this stop has not appeared on every departure. If the Andrew Jackson Hotel is at the top of your list, ask the guide whether it is included that evening. That small check can prevent the most common disappointment associated with this experience.

The storytelling is the real main event

The title emphasizes ghosts and drinks, but the stories are the core of the tour. The strongest guides make the walk work by connecting each location with New Orleans’ long record of violence, superstition, voodoo, and personal tragedy.

Pandi is repeatedly praised for holding attention, sharing fascinating stories, and adding thoughtful touches for groups. One birthday guest appreciated her help with a New Orleans bead tradition, while another group enjoyed her recommendations and stayed together for several hours after the formal tour ended.

Clarissa receives similar praise for her energy, humor, personal ghost photographs, theories, and strong sense of group care. She has also been described as helpful after the tour, offering music suggestions and continuing the evening’s social spirit.

Wendy is praised for an engaging and humorous insider view, though one departure with her did not visit all the advertised locations. That contrast is useful: a warm and entertaining guide can make a changed route enjoyable, but a missed stop can still matter if you booked for a particular building.

The tour can also include voodoo material. One account describes a voodoo blessing ceremony with Voodoo Queen Kalindah Lavaux during a Mardi Gras departure. That was presented as a special occurrence, not something you should assume will happen on every tour.

Walking, group size, and the pace of the night

The walk is described as easy, but you should still expect to be on your feet for much of the two-hour experience. You move between bars, hotels, mansions, and French Quarter streets, with stops for stories and drinks.

The group can reach 28 people. That is small enough for a guide to lead a social evening, but large enough that you may need to stand where you can hear and stay close to the group. One guide was specifically praised for placing people where other pedestrians could pass, a useful habit in crowded French Quarter streets.

The pace seems to suit most people who want a gentle evening walk. It is not presented as a strenuous outing, and most participants can take part. Service animals are allowed, and the start and finish are near public transportation.

The tour ends at MRB Bar & Kitchen, 515 St. Philip Street. That is helpful because you finish near more food, drinks, and French Quarter nightlife instead of being returned to the starting point. Plan your evening around the ending point, especially if you have dinner reservations elsewhere.

Is $19 good value?

For $19, the tour offers a lot of atmosphere at a low price. You receive a professional local guide, one shot, drink discounts, beads, several major French Quarter locations, and roughly two hours of entertainment.

The value is strongest if you want a social introduction to New Orleans after dark. You can learn where to go next, hear stories that give the old buildings more meaning, and get a starting point for the rest of your night.

The value is weaker if you want a serious paranormal tour or a long sequence of bar visits. The free shot is limited, drinks are not generally included, and the actual number of bars can vary. You may spend more time walking and listening than drinking.

I would treat the $19 as the cost of a guided ghost walk with a party flavor, not as an all-inclusive pub crawl. Framed that way, the price is sensible.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would recommend this for friends on a weekend in New Orleans, couples who like spooky stories, and first-time visitors who want an easy introduction to the French Quarter at night. It also suits birthday groups and girls’ weekends, especially if you want a guide who can keep the evening moving after the formal tour ends.

The experience can work for families as well, though the subject matter involves grim events and adult drinking. Parents should decide if the tone suits their group.

You should choose something else if your priority is a guaranteed visit inside every named building, a large number of bars, or a focused study of paranormal evidence. The experience is social and flexible, and that flexibility is both part of its charm and its main weakness.

Practical advice for a smoother evening

Book ahead if your dates are fixed. The experience is booked an average of 22 days in advance, which suggests that popular evenings can fill before your trip.

Arrive at 507 Frenchmen Street with enough time to find BMC Balcony Music Club and meet the guide. The confirmation arrives at booking, and the ticket is mobile, so you do not need a printed voucher.

Wear comfortable shoes and plan for an easy but sustained walk. Keep your phone or camera ready for the atmospheric buildings, but do not treat a photograph as proof that you will capture an apparition.

Ask which stops are planned before the group leaves BMC. This is the best way to learn if the LaLaurie Mansion and Andrew Jackson Hotel are on that night’s route.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Within 24 hours, you cannot receive a refund or make changes. The tour also depends on good weather and a minimum number of participants. If the operator cancels for either reason, you are offered another date or a full refund.

Should you book this haunted pub crawl?

Book it if you want good stories, a modest amount of drinking, and a friendly night walk through the French Quarter. At $19, it is an affordable way to give your evening a theme, and a strong guide such as Pandi or Clarissa can make the experience feel personal and lively.

Go in expecting a ghost-themed history walk with bar stops, not a nonstop party. Confirm the night’s route if the LaLaurie Mansion or Andrew Jackson Hotel is essential, and bring extra money for drinks beyond the included shot. If those limits suit you, this is a fun, low-cost choice for your first or second night in New Orleans.

FAQ

How long does the Ghost Tour and Haunted Pub Crawl last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at BMC Balcony Music Club, 507 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends at MRB Bar & Kitchen, 515 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116.

Is one alcoholic drink included?

Yes. One shot is included, along with drink discounts. Additional drinks are not stated as included.

Does the tour visit Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar?

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is a planned stop, with approximately 30 minutes there for stories and drinks.

Does the tour visit the LaLaurie Mansion?

The LaLaurie Mansion is a planned stop, but the route can vary. Ask the guide at the start if this location is included that evening.

Does the tour visit the Andrew Jackson Hotel?

The Andrew Jackson Hotel is also a planned stop, but it has not appeared on every departure. Confirm the route with the guide before setting out.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 28 travelers.

Is the ticket mobile?

Yes. A mobile ticket is available, and confirmation is provided when you book.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience begins. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted. If poor weather or an insufficient number of participants causes the operator to cancel, you are offered another date or a full refund.