Anyone interested in owning a piece of haunted New Orleans may finally have a chance. The historic LaLaurie Mansion, known by many as “the Haunted House”, is up for sale. It is located in the French Quarter on the corner of Royal Street and Gov. Nicholls Street.
The house has seen a bizarre past. It was purchased by Madame Delphine LaLaurie and her husband in either 1831 or 32. Delphine’s parents were believed to have been murdered during a slave uprising in the late 1700s and she apparently harbored ill will toward slaves ever since. She was known to have tortured and mutilated countless slaves in the house: a fact which was uncovered after a fire in 1834 set by a slave to avoid further torment. A secret attic room held nude male and female slaves, surrounded by torture devices and body parts.
Since LaLaurie’s death in 1842, the house has been known for its ghosts. It served as a music conservatory, apartment building, and furniture store over the years. In 2007, it was purchased by actor Nicolas Cage who currently lives in the adjacent building with his family.
Cage has been well aware of the building’s haunted history and attended a few ghost tours to learn more about the sordid history. Just recently, the actor placed the home on the market again. The asking price is a chilling $3.9 million.
