New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum

Located within New Orleans’ French Quarter since 1972, the Historic Voodoo Museum pays homage to the history, mystery and legacy of the centuries old religion. What it lacks in size, the museum makes up for with spooky artifacts, art, human skulls, and statues that make you continually look over your shoulder. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 6:00 and has a $5 admission fee.

If you’ve ever watched the 1973 James Bond flick, Live and Let Die (the first one with Roger Moore as Bond), or American Horror Story: Coven, and wanted to learn more about this distinct religion, then the Historic Voodoo Museum was made for you.  Consisting of two rooms, a hallway and a gift shop that sells unique items, such as Voodoo dolls, love potions, and snake scales, the museum tells the tale of Voodoo from its origins in West Africa, to its forced migration across the Atlantic with the slave trade, and finally, its influence within the city of New Orleans.    

While within the museum’s confines you’ll learn about New Orleans’ Skull and Bone Gangs, Mardi Gras Indians, Rougarous (not the coaster at Cedar Point), gris gris bags, New Orleans’ most famous Voodoo queen (Marie Laveau) and, of course, zombies.  And while the museum is not organized in typical museum fashion, one should enter it with an open mind and simply enjoy learning something you knew little about prior to your visit.

The museum also conducts the occasional Voodoo ceremony, psychic reading and wedding complete with Voodoo drums to summon spirits and snake dances.  It also conducts haunted cemetery walking tours to complete your Voodoo experience.