Most Haunted Places in America: Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1
You can find it just a few blocks away from the Mississippi River, bordering the French Quarter in New Orleans. Though built in 1789, there seems to be a few who do not want to leave. This place, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans. In 1975 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, underwent major restoration in 2004 and today is consider one of the most haunted places in America.
New Orleans is unique in that the city is below sea level. This uniqueness makes it nearly impossible to bury love ones below ground, thus the dead are buried in vaults and mausoleums. The cemeteries which house these tombs and mausoleums have been turned into eerily beautiful and breathtaking works of art.
Do to the lack of land and the having to bury their dead above ground; New Orleans has another way to deal with the space restrictions. Family members are placed in wooden coffins and buried in vaults for one year and a day. After that time frame, the coffin is removed and the bones of the deceased are put in a bag. The bag is then pushed to the back, leaving room for the next body.
Vaults are borrowed or special arrangements made if there is a death before the one year one day time period or if multiple deaths occur at once. It is because of these burial practices that you can find over 100,000 people in the one square block that is the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
Apparently there are a few though that would like to remain and have chosen to walk the cemetery at night. One of the most famed is Marie Laveau, Voodoo Priestess. Marie was a free Creole woman who became a hairdresser to the upper class. She began to practice Voodoo and soon garnered a huge following. Marie Laveau died in 1881 but even today many believers leave offerings at her grave in hopes she will bless them from the other side. Many leave three X’s on her tomb as they make a wish in hopes she will grant it.
The apparition of Marie Laveau has been claimed to be seen around her tomb and it is said she is not happy. Some say they have seen her marching around the pathway chanting curses and apparently she smacked a man will he was walking by her tomb.
Another spirit that has been seen is that of Henry Vignes. Henry seems to be looking for his proper burial place and has been claimed to stop people and ask if they know where his vault is. He is described as a tall man in a white shirt and has even been claimed to touch people politely on the shoulder and inquire about any information they have about a particular tomb.
Today the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 still offers up paranormal activity, EVP’s (electronic voice phenomena) orbs and full body apparitions. Ghosts have been seen walking the grounds as well as showing up unexpectedly in photos. It is no wonder that it is considered the most haunted cemetery in the world.
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