10 Best Places to Learn about Voodoo in New Orleans

The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum displays creepy artefacts relating to the practice of Voodoo. Exhibits include altars, candles, dolls, and paintings of Voodoo saints. You can walk through the museum yourself or book a guided tour to learn more about the background of the intriguing religion and lore.

Learn about New Orleans’ Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, by joining a walking tour to her tomb. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum also offers ghost tours, psychic readings, and academic research. There’s a gift shop selling Voodoo dolls and potions (that may or may not work, depending on your belief).

The Voodoo Spiritual Temple has been a staple of New Orleans’ Voodoo culture since 1990. This place of worship was founded by Priestess Miriam and the late Priest Oswan Chamani. You can find it on North Rampart Street, about half a mile northeast of Louis Armstrong Park.

The Voodoo Spiritual Temple has a gift shop selling voodoo ritual items, some of which are made by Priestess Miriam herself. You can find handmade dolls, mojo bags, oils, herbs, incense, art, jewellery, and candles. Priestess Miriam is available for a wide range of consultations and services, including readings, weddings, baptisms, and rituals based on Afro-centric American Voodooism and the Grand Spirits of New Orleans Voodoo.

Established in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most-visited graveyard in New Orleans. It’s the final resting place of Marie Laveau, also known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

The city has a thriving Voodoo culture dating back to the early 19th century, and Marie Laveau is arguably the most popular icon of this religion. Many claim to have seen her spirit wandering the cemetery grounds, unsurprisingly drawing plenty of paranormal enthusiasts. Locals also believe that Laveau materialises to lead Voodoo worship during St. John's Eve every year.

New Orleans has some of the most interesting walking tours in the world. With a long history and plenty of occult-like aspects to draw on, many of the walking tours in NOLA are related to Voodoo and the paranormal.

These tours take you through the French Quarter and sometimes outside of it, like those in the Garden District. Guides are generally knowledgeable with some even dressing up in costume and providing theatrical shows. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum organises walking tours to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where you can visit the tomb of Marie Laveau.

Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo occupies the former home of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau’s daughter, who shares the same name. The store is located in the French Quarter, just a 5-minute walk from the St. Louis Cathedral. Inside, you’ll find an altar decorated with various voodoo talismans and charms, as well as shelves displaying books on Voodoo and spirituality.

Spiritual and psychic readings take place in the back room from noon to 5.30 pm and from 6 pm to 10.30 pm. Spiritualists at Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo have over 15 years of experience in several forms of readings, including palm, past life, psychic medium, and Tarot card readings.

Voodoo Authentica is a notable spiritual store on Dumaine Street, near Jackson Square. It’s a great place to learn about Voodoo in New Orleans, as it’s been owned and operated by real practitioners since 1996. There’s also a wide range of items for sale, including books, handmade oils and soaps, Voodoo dolls, talismans, candles, and potions.

You can leave offerings at Voodoo Authentica’s working altars or purchase a gris-gris (mojo) bag if you want to attract good fortune or love. It has onsite practitioners offering services like Tarot card readings and spiritual cleansings.

Congo Square has a storied history, serving as a gathering place for New Orleans’ slave population in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The square allowed free expression of African tradition and culture, including Voodoo. Hundreds of people would enjoy various activities, including trading, dancing, and taking part in local ceremonies.

Today, Congo Square regularly hosts live music, social gatherings, spiritual ceremonies, and drum circles. Voodoo practitioners often perform rituals at the square on special occasions like St John’s Eve. You can find the square in Louis Armstrong Park, along the northern edge of the French Quarter.

Bayou St. John is a neighbourhood on the northern side of New Orleans. It takes its name from the swampy area it sits on, which plays a significant role in the city’s Voodoo culture.

Every year on Saint John's Eve (23 June), a head-washing ceremony takes place on Magnolia Bridge over Bayou St. John. This practice dates back to the 1830s, with Marie Laveau hosting elaborate feasts in honour of St. John the Baptist. Today, Island of Salvation Botanica continues the ceremony in Bayou St. John. Everyone can take part in this celebration – you’re required to wear white clothes and headscarves and bring offerings for Marie Laveau.

The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience is a 3-day cultural festival that features prominent musical acts from all over the country. The event, also called Voodoo Fest, takes place in City Park, about 15 minutes from downtown. It usually happens during Halloween, though dates may vary.

Over the years, the festival has welcomed Foo Fighters, Metallica, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, and Duran Duran as headliners. You can also find interactive art, a mini theme park, and an open-air market selling items inspired by Voodoo culture.

Island of Salvation Botanica is owned by Priestess Sallie Ann Glassman, a modern-day Voodoo leader in Louisiana. It’s an authentic Voodoo centre, where you can have personal readings, rituals, and consultations with Glassman. The shop carries all the necessary items for Voodoo, including dolls, talismans, gris-gris bags, and candles.

Every year, Island of Salvation Botanica hosts a Voodoo head-washing ceremony on Saint John's Eve (23 June). Practitioners in white clothes and headscarves gather on Magnolia Bridge to honour famed Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau.