Beneath the moss-draped oaks of Louisiana lie Creole plantations where history and haunting coexist. These grand estates, once the heart of a complex culture blending French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences, now echo with stories far beyond the pages of history books. Whispers in the halls, phantom footsteps on wooden floors, and figures seen only in the corner of your eye — these are the remnants of lives long past. Some call them legends, others swear they’ve felt the presence themselves. Whether you’re drawn by architectural splendor or ghostly mysteries, these ten Creole plantations offer a chilling glimpse into Louisiana’s haunted past.
1. The Myrtles Plantation (1796) – St. Francisville
Built in 1796 and wrapped in a veil of live oaks and mystery, The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is often called “the most haunted house in America.” Its Creole-style elegance belies a turbulent past filled with tragedy, legend, and whispers of betrayal. The most infamous tale centers on Chloe, an enslaved woman said to have poisoned her master’s children and now eternally wanders the grounds in a green turban. Guests report ghostly apparitions in mirrors, disembodied piano music, and cold drafts that follow no wind. With over a dozen documented spirits, including soldiers, children, and former residents, The Myrtles isn’t just a historic home — it’s a place where the veil between past and present feels unsettlingly thin.
2. Laura Plantation (1805) – Vacherie
Laura Plantation, established in 1805 in Vacherie, stands as one of Louisiana’s most compelling Creole homes—not only for its vivid history but for the spectral stories that seep through its walls. Built on a sugarcane empire and guided by four generations of Creole women, the plantation reveals raw, unvarnished narratives of plantation life through journals and records. But beyond the facts lies a haunted undercurrent: guests and guides alike report hearing children’s laughter when none are present, sudden footsteps pacing the gallery, and fleeting figures caught just out of sight.
3. Oak Alley Plantation (1839) – Vacherie
With its breathtaking corridor of 300-year-old live oaks leading to a stately Greek Revival mansion, Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie is one of Louisiana’s most iconic sights — and one of its most quietly haunted. Built in 1839, the home has seen love, loss, and the weight of generations. Visitors speak of a lady in black drifting through the halls, doors that close without a breeze, and the soft scent of lavender appearing without cause. Though known for its beauty, Oak Alley harbors the echoes of the enslaved people who once toiled here and the family members who never left.
4. Destrehan Plantation (Late 1780s) – Destrehan
Founded in the late 1780s, Destrehan Plantation is the oldest documented plantation home in Louisiana. This French Creole estate played a role in the 1811 German Coast Slave Uprising, and some say the spirits of those executed on its grounds still linger. Visitors report flickering lights, shadows darting through empty rooms, and a palpable heaviness near the old garçonnier. The house’s storied past, including Civil War turmoil and family tragedies, has left a deep imprint, making Destrehan not just a monument to Creole heritage but a quiet host to restless souls.
5. San Francisco Plantation (1856) – Garyville
A burst of vibrant color and opulent detail, San Francisco Plantation in Garyville defies the somber tones of typical antebellum homes — yet beneath its steamboat-gothic flair lies a darker story. Built in 1856, this lavish Creole mansion has witnessed its share of sorrow, including the untimely deaths of children who once roamed its ornate halls. Today, visitors speak of phantom laughter echoing through the nursery, the gentle creak of floorboards under unseen feet, and toys inexplicably moved from room to room. Its surreal beauty and rich detail seem almost to mask the layers of lingering grief, making San Francisco Plantation a hauntingly elegant paradox where extravagance meets the eerie.
6. Magnolia Mound Plantation (1786) – Baton Rouge
Tucked away in Baton Rouge, Magnolia Mound Plantation, built in 1786, offers one of the most authentic glimpses into early Creole life — and a brush with the beyond. The raised cottage, with its cypress beams and bousillage walls, has weathered centuries of change, yet some say not all its former residents have moved on. Visitors and staff report cold spots in summer heat, shutters that slam with no wind, and ghostly figures glimpsed through the original glass panes. From enslaved workers to colonial-era families, the energy of those who lived — and possibly died — on the property seems embedded in its bones. Magnolia Mound whispers rather than screams, but its presence is undeniable.
7. Evergreen Plantation (1790) – Edgard
Nestled along the Mississippi River in Edgard, Louisiana, Evergreen Plantation stands as one of the most complete and historically significant plantation complexes in the American South. Constructed primarily in 1790 and later remodeled in the Greek Revival style in 1832, the estate comprises 37 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 original slave cabins arranged in their historical double-row configuration. These preserved structures offer a poignant glimpse into the lives of the over 400 enslaved individuals who lived and worked on the plantation over 150 years, many of whom were skilled artisans and laborers. The sight of these cabins emerging from the morning mist has been described as haunting, evoking a profound sense of the past’s lingering presence.
8. Rosedown Plantation (1835) – St. Francisville
Tucked into the rolling hills of St. Francisville, Rosedown Plantation, built in 1835, is a vision of Southern elegance with a spectral undercurrent. Once home to the Turnbull family, this Greek Revival estate boasts 28 acres of romantic gardens, where time seems suspended — perhaps because some believe it is. The ghost of Sarah Turnbull, the formidable matriarch, is said to wander both house and garden, her presence felt in sudden floral scents and misty apparitions near her favorite rose bushes. Guests have reported seeing her watching from upstairs windows and even appearing in photos.
9. Melrose Plantation (Late 1700s) – Natchitoches
Set beside the quiet curves of the Cane River in Natchitoches Parish, Melrose Plantation is a rare gem in Louisiana’s Creole story. Founded in the late 1700s by the Metoyer family—descendants of Marie Thérèse Coincoin, an enslaved woman who rose to become a respected landowner—it began as a symbol of freedom and resilience. In the 20th century, under the passionate care of Cammie Garrett Henry, Melrose blossomed into a vibrant sanctuary for writers and artists, including famed folk painter Clementine Hunter, who once worked there and later filled its walls with scenes from everyday plantation life. Though not formally known for hauntings, many describe a heavy silence near the original slave cabins and an unsettling stillness in the morning fog.
10. Belle Grove Plantation (1857) – Iberville Parish
Once hailed as the “Queen of the South,” Belle Grove Plantation in Iberville Parish was a masterpiece of antebellum grandeur — and a monument to lingering mystery. Completed in 1857 by sugar baron John Andrews, the 75-room mansion soared with opulent plasterwork, imported marble, and silver-plated detailing, earning its place as one of the South’s largest and most extravagant homes. But behind its luxury was the harsh reality of enslaved labor, and many believe those lives never truly left. Long before its mysterious fire in 1952, locals whispered of eerie happenings: unexplained voices echoing in the halls, cold drafts in locked rooms, and figures drifting through the second-floor balconies at night.