Halloween in New Orleans

October 12, 2016 3:10 PM

Mrs COD and myself will be arriving in town on the 30th, and leaving on the 3rd. It looks like we will miss the parades and most if not all of the pre-31st activities. So what shouldn't we miss on Halloween itself, and what restaurants / museums, etc. should be put on our itinerary? I've been to N.O. once, for DrupalCon earlier this year. I was busy with the 'Con and saw little beyond getting to Frenchman's Street one night for some blues. WWII Museum is on my list. Beyond that - looking for ideas.
posted by COD to Travel & Transportation around New Orleans, LA (8 answers total)

Best answer: The Spotted Cat's usually good for some live jazz. If you can manage to hit it before the line gets nuts, the grilled oysters at the Acme Oyster House are damn good. And a sazerac at the Carosel bar should be knocked off the bucket list.
posted by Diablevert at 4:10 PM on October 12, 2016

Best answer: Preservation Hall is a must, in my opinion. I don't know if there's anything special going on for Halloween, but any show there will offer great Dixieland jazz and blues. (Be prepared to stand up - the "hall" is tiny and there aren't too many chairs. It's kind of like going to a concert in a friend's living room, assuming your friend lives in a dilapidated shed.)
posted by Quietgal at 7:29 PM on October 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Halloween in New Orleans is one of my favorite times. I like to get dressed up in costume and just stand on Frenchmen and watch everyone roll by for hours. That's literally all I do (okay so there are adult beverages involved too but that goes without saying) and I have a great time.

Most people down here don't have Halloween parties because at some point everyone would just leave to go downtown to Frenchmen or Bourbon anyway, so why not just go join them? is the line of thinking.

So that's Halloween itself. Any parades beforehand are no big shakes - everyone's saving the goods for the night itself. Come hang out with us. Even a minimal costume is better than nothing.
posted by komara at 9:42 PM on October 12, 2016

Best answer: Cochon (I may have even liked the more casual place next door - Cochon Butcher) is right by the WW2 museum, and well worth your time and calories. Terrific food.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:51 PM on October 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I loved the Voodoo Bone Lady's walking tours. Lots of history and fun ghost stories.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 7:54 AM on October 13, 2016

Best answer: On actual Halloween night, everyone just wanders around on Frenchman Street.

If you like haunted houses, The Mortuary is awesome. Like, super scary. I have been behind the scenes, met the owner and actors, and I still almost peed my pants going through. The line can be INSANE (although for many people that's part of the fun)--you can pay extra to get a VIP pass and skip the line.
posted by radioamy at 10:53 AM on October 13, 2016

Best answer: I love all the quirky museums in NOLA. The Pharmacy Museum, the Voodoo museum (basically a glorified gift shop, but still fun) and the ancient Wax Museum are all fun to visit. Also book a cemetery tour with the conservation society if you can - they know their history.
posted by egeanin at 12:16 PM on October 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: We had a blast - took many of the suggestions from this question. For anybody that finds this question in the future, blog post with a wrap up of the trip.
posted by COD at 1:03 PM on November 12, 2016