The tour leaves promptly at six with our guide, Paul Chasse, leading the way. Some of the hauting stories have to do with historical events so you find yourself getting a crash course in New Orleans history. The city was named for the Duke of Orleans, and at first it was incredibly hard to settle because as our tour guide said, "it was a humid mosquito infested swamp". We also learn that in an attempt to settle the city, France opted to release prisoners from the Bastille and pardon them if they agreed to go to America and settle this new city. Considering how the wild Bourbon Street can be this seems accurrate!

The most intriguing part of the tour is the stop at the LaLaurie Mansion on Royal Street. A huge gray mansion with a black iron balcony is breathtaking to behold. Oh, but it is haunted. The stories of Delphine LaLaurie, and the slaves that she tortured in this house, will have you eyeing the house warily and longing for the bright lights of Bourbon again. Beware though, this story is not for the faint of heart.

What is special about the tours given by the Voodoo Museum is that you get a free pass to the museum and a mini-tour of it. It would be very hard to figure out what some of the artifacts in the museum are for without a tour guide.

Some bystanders were heckling my tour guide, as she showed us the alleged House of the Rising Sun. I would take any information on the tour with a grain of salt. True or not, it sure is fun.

Bonus: When my friend and I showed up early, we were brought upstairs to see the snakes used in voodoo cemetaries. A snake-lover myself, this was a special treat.