67: Bourbon Orleans Hotel
Gina (00:11)
Your turn this time.
Kathryn (00:15)
Okay, hello! Hi everyone, welcome to I Scream, You Scream. We are your weekly scoop of the most chilling histories, mysteries, and paranormal perplexities. My name is Kathryn
Gina (00:27)
I'm Gina.
Kathryn (00:28)
And for the month of February, we're telling stories that have to do with New Orleans while we eat ice cream. It's a whole thing. It's supposed to be coffee flavored. We're doing our best. We may or may not address it, but we will be eating ice cream or desserts. I don't even know if we're eating ice cream.
Friendly reminder that we have a Patreon where we post additional content. If this once weekly cadence is not enough for you, we will always have a link in our show notes for you to come and join us over there. And if that's not your jam, we would love for you to just leave us a review. And in turn, if you email it to us along with your address, we will send you a free sticker. then grab a spoon and let's dig in.
Gina (01:12)
Delicious.
Kathryn (01:12)
What are you
eating today? Are we still with the...
Gina (01:15)
Same
thing. I have not changed, nor have I gotten better. ⁓
Kathryn (01:21)
We're not going to, and that's okay. I am starting to think of how I wanna navigate my rating for this month. ⁓
Gina (01:32)
think we just, have to, we are the pinch of salt this time, you know what I mean? We've done it to ourselves.
Kathryn (01:38)
No, I don't, but I love what you're saying.
Whatever it means, I love that expression and will be using it. Yeah.
Gina (01:46)
Well, because
I was thinking we should take our ratings with a pinch of salt because we didn't complete the assignment really. And then I was like, well, it's not really taking it with a grain or a pinch of salt because we're the ones who did it to ourselves. So we are the pinch of salt. I don't know if that tracks, but you get the gist.
Kathryn (01:51)
Mmm.
Okay, wait,
I actually love that because my confusion was I've never heard the phrase pinch of salt. I've always had grain of salt. So I thought it meant something that I was thinking of like.
You were talking about, I don't know how to, like us being in a baked good. I was like, what?
Gina (02:18)
Well, I mean,
that's a whole other conversation which I'm more than happy to have. Okay, wait, if you and I were in a baked good together, what baked good would it be? Because we talk all the time about like, what's your favorite pastry? What's my favorite pastry? What if we were a unified pastry?
Kathryn (02:30)
⁓
What would
we be one together? So I have an initial idea. It's something that exists. Well, duh. Who wants to go first? I don't know. What's yours?
Gina (02:41)
Me too.
A soft pretzel, a soft salted pretzel.
Kathryn (02:53)
⁓
that opens a whole other part of this I wasn't even thinking of. I was thinking of those cookies that I love, that you send us, the ones that are filled with caramel and topped with chocolate.
Gina (03:11)
⁓ my God.
I love that the McVitie's Caramel Digestives are elite. There is no better cookie and or biscuit on this planet. They're so good. I'm so glad you like them.
Kathryn (03:16)
Yes, I love those.
my god, I love those so much. are like, Phil is not allowed to eat those. He can have every other treat that you guys send us. Those are mine. ⁓ And the paprika Pringles are mine as well. But he is allowed to have those. He has to monitor his intake because I get most of them. That's the agreement. Everything else he can just have. I don't care if he saves me any, but those two things. I'm like, do not touch these. yeah, my thought process was...
Gina (03:34)
Mmm.
You
Kathryn (03:49)
I know you like caramel and I like chocolate and that was one of the first treat thingies that you sent us. So that was just the first thing I thought of. I love where your head's at with the soft pretzel though. What's your reasoning for that?
Gina (04:00)
Mmm, it is my favorite. Yeah, okay.
Yeah, listen,
don't have any. Don't have a single reason why I think that. was purely operating off of vibes. That's the vibe I get.
Kathryn (04:11)
Don't need one.
as you should.
100 % done. All right, well, thanks for joining us. That's the episode.
Gina (04:18)
Hahaha!
See you next time when we talk about which appetizer we would be.
Kathryn (04:30)
save that for next time. Now I have a few days to prepare. I'm really going to come to the next recording with the answer to that.
Gina (04:38)
my gosh, okay, yay.
Kathryn (04:39)
mild pivot. do have something I want to Gina already knows what I'm going to say because I cannot believe this timing. So this is going to be a little bit of a ramble. I know, big shock, but bear with me. okay. So it was the Chupacabra episode, which at the time of this recording, it was released today. We talked about the DARE program.
Gina (04:41)
Mm-hmm.
You
Kathryn (05:09)
and the movie Pineapple Express was mentioned. And discussion that I edited out of that episode, because it was getting too long and I did not have the proof in time, was a discussion about how when I was in college, I was on the programming board where we brought quote unquote entertainment and events and blah, blah.
Gina (05:13)
He
Kathryn (05:35)
And one of the recurring things that we did, all college campuses do this, where we would bring movies to the theater and we would show them. And one of the movies we brought was Pineapple Express. And my crowning achievement in my marketing career was ⁓ photoshopping the faces of two of my organization members and myself onto the faces of the people on the movie poster.
for Pineapple Express and that's how we advertise the movie. And my face was on Danny McBride's body, which I'm just gonna pause here because don't you all wish that was a reality? And I deleted it from the episode because I couldn't find that picture. I knew I had a picture of it somewhere, but I couldn't find it. And I was like, I can't go on and on about this if I don't have anything to show anyone. This morning,
on my Facebook memories. The day that episode published, that picture showed up on my Facebook memories. So I will be sharing it in the YouTube and on the socials, all the places, so you will get to see the hottest thing you've ever seen, which is my face on Danny McBride's very sweaty and dirty
⁓ yeah. So that you can see it.
Gina (06:58)
I'm gonna pull it up again so I
⁓ it's so, because your face, the facial features do not match Danny McBride's head in any way. So your eyes take up fully half of his face, and it's so funny.
Kathryn (07:16)
My eyes are so big in that picture.
But the way it's edited, I'm like, man, that actually tracks. Like, looked like, I feel like that looks like my hairdo. But my face is just so freaking big. Plus, like, the neck brace is a whole deal. I don't know. I it was, I think of this picture all the time and I cannot believe, I just, wasn't gonna share it, but I was like, the timing of this popping up today, the day this episode airs, that we were talking about it.
Gina (07:30)
The ni-
Kathryn (07:46)
That's a sign from someone that the world needs to see this. So I will be sharing that. I'm gonna block out the faces of the other people in my group, because they did not ask for this, but you'll be able to see me.
Gina (07:55)
Fair.
like to think that when you and I pass into the next life, we will become gods who do shit like that to people. I want to be part of the universe that sends funny little signs like that. Like, what is it trying to tell you?
Kathryn (08:04)
Oh, yeah, I was like, where's this going? This is a whole other episode because yes. Oh, for sure.
Yeah,
to have, I keep meaning to talk to Phil about this. We need to have a discussion about like when each of us dies, whoever goes first, we need to like decide what the sign's gonna be. Do you know what I mean?
Gina (08:31)
Yeah, yeah, I know what you
Kathryn (08:33)
I feel like yours is gonna have something to do with like toilets or something crazy like that. Literally I finished that sentence and a picture of a toilet popped into my head and I was like, yeah, that tracks. And every time a toilet clogs, that's Kathryn.
Gina (08:39)
Every time. ⁓
Every time a toilet flushes, Gina's there.
Kathryn (08:56)
I don't want to leave that in.
Gina (08:56)
made in heaven and hell. love
that.
Kathryn (09:01)
Just kidding everyone, just kidding. No, we do have to decide though.
Gina (09:04)
My head went...
Yeah, I'll have to think about it. Maybe in the next episode, we'll reconvene and we'll talk about what appetizer we would be and what the sign is going to be when one of us is dead, that we're saying hello to the other.
Kathryn (09:15)
Wait, not to get like too real, did I ever tell you about my pinecones?
Gina (09:19)
No.
Kathryn (09:20)
Okay, one last little ramble, because this is, I like didn't mean to get on this topic, but while we're talking about the most magical thing in my life happened to me a couple of weeks ago. So this is going to sound crazy because this comes out in February. my holiday tree has since come down, but I left it up longer than usual because earlier in January,
I was like feeling kind of sad that I haven't gotten any signs from any of my grandparents who are all deceased in a long time. one of the signs I get is my grandpa, my mom's dad, He sends me pine cones. So was very, very sad one night. I was just like emotional. I was going through it.
The world is shit. So I was just dealing with my emotions. And I was thinking, I was very sad that no one had sent me signs in a long time. The next morning I go downstairs and there is like forest of pine cones growing on the top of my holiday tree. Like full on sprouting new branches. I was like, these were not here yesterday. And they've, we, so we continued watering the tree to let them grow.
Gina (10:21)
⁓
Kathryn (10:32)
And at the time of this recording, not in February, again, don't come for me. It will have been taken down by the end of February. ⁓ They're like at a size where I'm gonna pluck them and try to see if I can like dry them out. They're like big, they're like proper, not like, they're not big pine cones, but they're big enough to like pluck and try to dry and save. I just like could not believe that, cause that's a thing that happens to Christmas trees, but like.
Gina (10:36)
Hehehehehe. Hehehehehe.
Yeah.
Kathryn (10:58)
It's never happened to any of the ones Phil and I have had together. We've had like little pine cone buds, but they've never grown like that ever. That was the first time ever. Literally like eight hours later. Yeah.
Gina (11:07)
Mm-hmm. And for it to happen... Seriously, yeah, that
soon after you were thinking, gosh, I wish I could get a sign.
Kathryn (11:15)
Yeah, I could not believe it. Anyway, yeah.
Gina (11:18)
⁓ that's sweet. I love that.
Kathryn (11:22)
So let's talk about ghosts, though.
Gina (11:24)
Yeah,
I have a ghost story for you. I have a lot of ghost stories for you actually. And I do have to say, so it's been raining here for like ever because it's the UK, but it's been especially stormy this last week. And about a half hour before we hopped into this call to start recording, it began thundering. So it is, when I tell you it is the perfect ghost story weather, I mean it.
Kathryn (11:28)
Perfect. Excellent.
Mm-hmm.
Cool.
I'm there with you emotionally, I love that.
Gina (11:52)
So today, I'm going to tell you about the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, which is consistently ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America. And that means the next time we go to New Orleans, that's where we're staying. Finance is permitting because I did check out the price and it is kind of expensive. But maybe we'll be rich by then. Yeah, yeah, it's like 300 bucks a night for the dates I was looking at.
Kathryn (12:07)
100%.
is it?
Patreon.com/IScreamYouScreamPod Do you want to sponsor a trip to Bourbon Orleans Hotel? Join.
Gina (12:19)
Yeah
Yeah, so it is on the pricier side, but when we get there, we will enjoy such amenities as a heated saltwater pool, valet parking, and complimentary local calls. Yeah, imagine all the things we can do with those three items and services and goods. But...
Kathryn (12:38)
Okay, worth it.
I am and it's dangerous.
Gina (12:51)
Of course, is not all there is to say about the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, because when you go there, there's a good chance that you will have a paranormal encounter. It's said that there are as many as 17 ghosts in the hotel and its adjoining ballroom, ranging from dancers to wounded soldiers to nuns, and even groups of little ghost children who treat the hotel like a playground.
Yeah, it's cute. So how did this beautiful French Quarter hotel end up with all of these ghosts? Luckily for you, I've written an entire episode about it. So let's jump in. The Bourbon Orleans Hotel sits on a plot of land that has served many, different functions throughout the years. Originally, it was actually built as a
theater in 1806, and it was called Theater d'Orleans, d'Orland.
or the Orleans Theater, which is what I will be calling it from now on.
construction on the theater began in 1806, like I said, but it didn't actually open until nearly a decade later in 1815. And the reason is basically the War of 1812 happened, which delayed the construction. But when the theater was finally done and opened to the public, it almost immediately burned down in 1816. So like the year after it opened, burned to the ground.
And you'll notice that's gonna become kind of a recurring theme in this episode. That's what happens when you build shit with wood. Anyway.
Kathryn (14:23)
I was gonna say, listen, this is a clue, but it's a recurring theme in my next episode as well.
Gina (14:29)
think it's just one of those things, you know? Fire, who would have thought? Man, cut. Anyhow. So the year after it burned down in 1817, an entrepreneur named John Davis bought the land and he rebuilt the theater with one new addition, the Orleans Ballroom. And fun fact, that ballroom's architect is Henry Latrobe, which was the same guy who designed the US Capitol building.
Kathryn (14:32)
Fire, I know.
Gina (14:58)
So there's your fun architecture fact for the day. Isn't that interesting?
Kathryn (15:02)
Isn't she saying?
Gina (15:04)
Yeah, I never even thought about
who designed the US Capitol building, but I feel enriched.
Kathryn (15:09)
You know what is kind of funny? It doesn't make me sound douchey. I have wondered that before. It's only because the Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin is modeled after it's like basically an exact replica, but tinier of the U.S. Capitol. And I've, I've always wondered if it was the same person who did it, but I don't think that makes sense because of like years, but I've never looked into it.
Gina (15:18)
Mmm.
my God, you're right.
Because of time.
So when the theater was finished, it was said to be absolutely stunning. And that was on purpose. It was purposefully built to rival the grandeur and the luxury that you would find in European theaters. And it was also designed to cater to New Orleans wealthiest elite for a variety of entertainment. But the theater's main thing was opera. The Orleans theater is actually credited as introducing the people of America to French opera, which is pretty cool.
So much so for a while was considered the opera capital of the United States throughout most of the 19th century.
Kathryn (16:20)
That's wild. Especially with the French connection. would never have thought of that. That's interesting.
Gina (16:22)
Right? Me neither. Like, I believe it, I buy it, but it just would never occur to me.
Oui. No.
I mean, neither, because I also don't really think about French opera. When I think opera, I think like Italian.
Kathryn (16:38)
Oh, guess, yeah, I guess that's true. Hmm. That's back to being confusing to me.
Gina (16:42)
I know.
Maybe we'll have an opera month sometime and we'll learn all there is to.
Kathryn (16:49)
Maybe.
Gina (16:50)
Until then, after the city's elite were done at the theater, they would often retire to the ballroom because they were connected. There was like, I think it was an adjoining hallway that they could open up or shut when they needed to. And the ballroom hosted events like masquerades, balls, galas, that sort of thing. It was like very big, very, very beautiful, very impressive. So impressive that Louisiana states
or sorry, Louisiana's state and house legislators actually started holding meetings there in 1827. And there's a very popular rumor that Andrew Jackson declared his candidacy for president in that ballroom, which I will hold my tongue on because I do have things to say. But I mention it more so because it shows that this place was a playground for the wealthy and the elite major political players. It was said to
Kathryn (17:35)
Okay.
Gina (17:45)
of if not the most impressive events in America at the time. This is what we're talking about. Wasn't like some rinky dink little ballroom somewhere. No, this was like the place you wanted to be at. And the ballroom also gained a reputation for hosting later came to be described as a very specific type of event where wealthy white men would seek out women of color to become their mistresses.
These events are usually called quadroon balls. And I just do want to flag I'm only using that term because it shows up repeatedly in the writings about this. The word quadroon was used to describe women who were considered one quarter African. And like human beings are not fractions. So I just wanted to flag that. And I will also tell you right now there is very limited evidence to suggest that these events took place as described.
Because a lot of times when people write about this, they describe them as like a very formal, almost debutante style ball. And the reality of it was probably very different. And the records we do have or the research we have done is pretty whitewashed. Like a lot of people who write about these balls try to describe them as like these very luxurious things that led to what were essentially common law marriages. But again,
Massive caveat on that one because the women didn't have the same legal rights as or exit power as the men in these relationships. So what we're really talking about here is, you know, a sexual economy that was built on oppression and racism. Very fun and chill. But this will come back later in the episode when we talk about the ghosts. So I wanted to bring up that these events are something that are rumored to have happened. But in 1866, there was another fire.
And this time the theater was once again destroyed, but the ballroom was spared. mean, it still got burned, but it was one of those where like the walls were salvageable. And so they could replace the cosmetic issues that existed. And according to the New Orleans Crescent, which was a newspaper from back then, the fire was not accidental.
It reported that the fire grew after the curtain or scenery in the theater were set on fire in four different places, which when you have multiple starting points for a fire, usually points to arson. I couldn't find any record of them solving this or like figuring out who did it, but whoever it was must've been very pleased with their work because the entire interior of the building, like we talked about earlier, was wood. And so it went up.
like a light, there was really no saving it once it caught. And for a lot that this was on, it just kind of like sat there for a hot second until 1881, when the Orleans ballroom was purchased by a man named Thomy Lafon. And Thomy Lafon is a really interesting guy. So he was a freeborn person of color who was known for his success in entrepreneurship. He had been like a teacher for a while, he owned
a store for a little bit. Eventually he made his way into like real estate and just being a general, like financial broker guy. But he was also known for being a very passionate philanthropist he bought the ballroom in order to donate it to a group called the Sisters of the Holy Family.
So the Sisters of the Holy Family was the first African-American religious order in the US, and it was founded by a woman named Henriette DeLille. And Henriette, allegedly, was the child of one of those mistress arrangements that we talked about earlier. So she was a woman of color, specifically a creole of color. And when Henriette was 22, her mom had what was reported as a, nervous breakdown.
open to interpretation on the 2026 version of that, but it did result in her being declared incompetent. So all of Henriette's mom's assets and wealth passed to Henriette. The first thing she did obviously was make sure that her mom was taken care of. And then she took what was left and she founded the Sisters of the Presentation, which would eventually become the Sisters of the Holy Family. And real quick.
I'll get back to the story in a second, but I wanted to share that Henriette is a candidate for sainthood, which I thought was really cool.
Kathryn (22:07)
⁓ that's interesting.
Gina (22:09)
Yeah, so I have a little bit of information about it. So in 1988, she was declared a servant of God by the pope, which is the first big step towards becoming a saint. And then in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI declared her venerable, which is the second step. So I think now the latest I've heard is that they're in the process of reviewing her life for miracles, which is that's so incredible.
Kathryn (22:33)
Yeah, that's...
That's interesting because that, isn't true, but I feel like that feels ⁓ too recent to be considered a saint. I know it's not true, because there are other recent people who have been declared saint or candidates for saint at least. That's interesting, I like that.
Gina (22:49)
I know.
That's not where your mind goes. When I think Saint, I think like, you know, 14, 1500s or like Joan of Arc or something like that.
Kathryn (23:04)
Mm-mm.
Yeah,
you don't think of New Orleans, Louisiana. Huh. Yeah, that's cool.
Gina (23:11)
No, no, so I just wanted to share that because I thought it was amazing. Anyway, OK,
back to the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. So when the Sisters of the Holy Family got the land, they converted the ballroom into a convent, but also a school for African-American girls named St. Mary's Academy, which was the first Catholic secondary school for African-American girls in New Orleans. But they didn't stop there. They also bought the adjacent lot and built an orphanage
for African-American girls as well, complete with a courtyard and a playground, which is where the courtyard and the pool are today. So you can like still see some of the remnants of it, which is neat. And a lot of the stories of children ghosts come back to this period in history, both because there were a lot of kids putting a lot of energy into that place, but also...
because the school and the orphanage were a thing during a massive yellow fever outbreak, which resulted in the deaths of quite a few of the kids there. So it's thought that some of the children that haunt the hotel now were actually coming from this period in history. More on that later. But the sisters stayed on that site for 83 years until the 1960s when they outgrew the building. Like literally they just had too many members to stay there anymore.
So in 1964, they sold the property to the Bourbon Kings Hotel Corporation and they moved into a larger convent in New Orleans East. So, land is now owned by a corporation and they start to concoct plans a $7 million hotel where the theater used to be.
And for context, today, that $7 million would be around $73.5 million, or 54.6 million pounds, or 62.6 million euros. Because I don't really mention euros much. Neither of us do, and I thought, why not? Why not?
Kathryn (25:10)
yeah, yeah, why the hell not?
Anyway, that's a lot of money, regardless.
Gina (25:16)
Yeah, yeah, it's a lot of money. So
they had these awesome plans, but there were a lot of hoops that they had to jump through first because the property, like I mentioned, it's located in the French Quarter, which is the oldest and most historic area in New Orleans. And by the 1960s, there was this really big push to preserve some of that history before it got like overwritten with modern advancements. And the convent was seen as one of the most historically significant buildings in the French Quarter period.
So right away, was a very big deal that they were trying to make any changes to it. So the new owners had to get approval from something called, and I do apologize for my pronunciation on this one. I think it's the Vieux Carre Commission. It's basically like the French Quarter Preservation Committee the commission basically said, look, we'll let you build this hotel if you restore the Orleans ballroom.
And the new owners were like, abso-fucking-lutely we'll restore the ballroom. And they did. Construction began on the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in 1964. And alongside that, the original ballroom was refurbished and it is still in use to this day. It's a very popular venue for like weddings, events, conferences. I was listening to ⁓ a few podcasts about the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. One of them, I can't remember the name of the podcast, which I'm sorry about, but I will put a credit for them in the show notes.
⁓ They live in New Orleans and they said like at some point everyone in New Orleans has been to an event in this ballroom. It's like one of those places. Yeah, so that's the ballroom. But the hotel itself opened its doors on July 18th, 1966. And in the decades that followed, hundreds of guests have had paranormal experiences while staying there.
Kathryn (26:49)
Okay.
Gina (27:07)
So let's talk about some of the ghosts that you might encounter in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. The history part's done. Now it's the fun stuff, which I'm excited for. Yeah.
Kathryn (27:14)
Yay! We've had enough
history. We've had so much history lately.
Gina (27:18)
Yuck! Ew! I don't want to learn anymore
about the past. Unless it's like ghosts and spirits, that's fine. It's so over. Oh my god, you're still thinking about the past? That's so embarrassing. That's so yesterday, that's so good.
Kathryn (27:26)
The past is gone. It's over.
It's so yesterday. my God.
Thanks, man.
Gina (27:39)
Excellent joke, excellent joke.
So on the ghost half of this episode, I want to start by talking about one of the hotel's most well-known ghosts, which is a Confederate soldier that a lot of people just call the man. Which is very ominous, yeah.
Kathryn (27:56)
⁓ that I was
gonna say that's,
Gina (28:02)
mostly spotted on the third and sixth floors of the hotel. And when people do see him, he's often described as standing at attention with a very kind of like pale, very tired look on his face. Like he looks like a stereotypical soldier would look really like just tired. I mean, I wasn't going to go that far, but we can say it.
Kathryn (28:20)
Sorry, I thought you were gonna say stereotypical man.
Gina (28:27)
We're all friends here.
Kathryn (28:31)
Tomato, tomato, you know?
Gina (28:32)
Sometimes he's also seen reaching out to people as if he's asking for help while wounds are seen to be bleeding from his body. And people also report him in the form of like uneven footsteps in the hallways, like the sound it would make if someone were injured in limping. And some people swear that when he's around, you can hear the sound of his sword dragging across the marble floors.
Kathryn (28:59)
Ooh, that just gave me chills. That's a spooky sound.
Gina (29:03)
Right, like metal, the sound of metal rubbing on a surface is so distinct.
Kathryn (29:04)
Mm-hmm.
Yes. And it's always, I feel like that's associated, I don't know the story or anything, but the connotation is, it feels like kind of a dark thing. I don't know. Interesting. Yeah. It's also just like metal historically has not been used for good things. You know what I mean? Yeah.
Gina (29:19)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, cause why do you got your sword out? Put it away, man.
No, that's a good point.
And to answer the question, okay, why is this Confederate soldier hanging out in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel? Well, New Orleans was captured by the Union in 1862. And for our international friends, the Union was one side of the American Civil War, AKA the North, And the Confederates were on the other side of the war, AKA the South,
And when New Orleans came under Union control, there was obviously quite a bit of bloodshed that went into that happening. So a huge wave of injured soldiers from both sides were brought into the city and they were cared for in hospitals, makeshift infirmaries, and even convents to receive treatment. So the thought here is that either A, he was a specific person who was treated within the convent or
be that he's kind of a manifestation of the energy in the city at that time. Either way, he's hanging out there. But he's not the only ghost on the sixth floor. Many people have reported seeing the ghost of a little girl often playing with a ball, like rolling it down the hallway and chasing after it, which I
Kathryn (30:44)
I That's spooky too!
Gina (30:45)
It's just cute. Yeah. And like the way people
describe it sounds really spooky because it'll, it's almost like, you know, they'll be in their room, door is shut, they're chilling, watching Judge Judy or whatever is on hotel TV. And they'll hear that, you know, the really specific sound that a ball makes when someone's rolling it against a surface. Like you, can tell what it is and that's what people hear. And then they'll dip their head into the hallway and they'll catch a super quick glimpse of a child and then nothing.
Kathryn (31:04)
Yup.
⁓ that's spooky.
Gina (31:19)
I know, yeah. There are also reports of light little footsteps running up and down the hallway, especially late at night when a little kid might be out of bed playing, but they're trying not to get caught because they don't want to go back to bed kind of thing. And a lot of people think that this specific ghost, this little girl, is a remnant from the convent and the orphanage days. And it's like one of the girls who really did live and play there.
But she's not the only one because the sisters of the Holy Family took in a lot of children without homes or families they could go to. I did mention the yellow fever thing earlier and a lot of people draw a line between that epidemic and the heavy presence of children ghosts in the hotel because there are a lot more of them. There are quite a few that tend to hang out in the lobby and the kitchens where they raise like little child ruckuses. One of my favorite ones is during events
caterers and banquet servers have reported feeling their shirt tails get tugged by unseen hands. Like a kid is trying to, it's either like the kid's trying to get their attention. What I think it is, is it's the thing where like you tap someone on the shoulder, but then you're on the other side as like a little prank. You know what I mean?
Kathryn (32:30)
⁓ I
was thinking it was like asking for a snack in the kitchen. Yeah, that's where my head went. I mean, this is all. There are many reasons a child will tug on the coattail. That's adorable.
Gina (32:34)
Mmm could be that too. Mm-hmm. Yeah
Yeah, yeah, and just a lot
of the energy seems to be like just playing around being mischievous. Like a lot of times tables will reportedly move on their own, or if a table has a bunch of glasses on it, like a stack of wine glasses or something, no one in the room will be moving, but the table will suddenly move and the glasses will all clink together like a kid just ran into it because they were playing or something like that. And there are also tons of
Kathryn (32:51)
Yeah.
Gina (33:14)
cold spots reported in these areas in the hotel, and when you feel one, it's very common to hear the sound of children's laughter echoing faintly in the distance.
Kathryn (33:25)
Wait, I literally keep getting chills every time we talk about this. This is fun haunting. Yeah.
Gina (33:28)
I know. I love the children in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel,
because it just seems like they're having such a good time.
Kathryn (33:36)
I'm typically really scared of like child ghosts, I think it's easy to make a child haunting by way of sadness because I mean a child ghost is inherently sad, but I like the idea of them having fun in the afterlife. Like that makes me happy. I don't like a sad child ghost. I like that they're playing.
Gina (33:47)
Mm.
Kathryn (34:02)
You
Gina (34:02)
Yeah. Yeah, that's what I picture. It's just like, it's all the kids and they're playing together, but now they just don't have adults to like, it's like perpetual no bedtime.
Kathryn (34:08)
Yeah. Yeah. ⁓
my God. Yes. That's such good energy. ⁓ I like, I like that a lot. ⁓
Gina (34:14)
Such good energy, yeah.
Yeah, good, yay. Well, would you like to hear about more ghosts? Because I have more for you. I don't know what I would do if you said no.
Kathryn (34:23)
Yes, I would. I'm like, I'm also brace.
What would you say if I said no, no, your episode has gone on long enough, Gina.
Gina (34:32)
Cutting you off, you're done.
Kathryn (34:33)
Done.
Ghost yuck. I hate talking about that shit.
Gina (34:38)
I did it in my head. was like, well, I guess like she could leave the recording and I could just finish it on my own. But then I got really scared. I don't ever want to do that ever. That'd be so depressing.
Kathryn (34:49)
That's not, that's just one scream. That's not I Scream You Scream. That's just I Scream.
you
Gina (35:00)
can't scream just once.
Kathryn (35:02)
Yeah.
That's not the place for that.
Gina (35:09)
You wanna scream by yourself? Start your own podcast. Over here, we scream, we scream.
Kathryn (35:10)
Yeah. We scream
together. I scream, you scream, we're all screaming.
Gina (35:21)
Ugh, everything's fine, everything's good. That snort actually hurt my nose a little bit. That was a good one. you got me. Cheers to you.
Kathryn (35:33)
Jeez.
Gina (35:37)
ghosts. Okay. All right, all right, ghosts. So, of course, no haunted hotel is complete without a haunted ballroom, and the Bourbon Orleans certainly has one. What was once the epicenter of upper-class society is now a hotspot for paranormal activity. And one of the most famous spirits here is a woman who people often call Giselle.
Kathryn (35:37)
Okay, for the love of God, tell me about more God.
Gina (36:01)
usually seen dancing alone in the ballroom under the big crystal chandelier. And she's often described as having very long black hair and wearing a very formal gown. And those who have seen her describe her as moving very elegantly, very gracefully, The most popular theory about Giselle
is that she was an attendee at one of those mistress making balls that we talked about earlier. And that while she was there, she received two offers from two different men to become their mistress. One of them died. One of them left town, leaving Giselle with nothing to do but dance in the ballroom, waiting for one of them to come back for her.
Kathryn (36:42)
I love
what do you hate about it? I like it. Well, I want to hear what you hate about it.
Gina (36:51)
I liked it at first, but I don't like that she is ⁓ just waiting for men to come for her. Yeah, like I think, yeah. I want her to just be dancing because she loves dancing.
Kathryn (37:00)
⁓ I see, yeah, okay. See, okay, that's interesting.
Well, maybe she is and people have just ascribed that to the story because they can't fathom a woman just having fun by herself. That's why I like the story because to me, all I heard was she just spent the rest of eternity dancing, which sounds like a great time.
Gina (37:12)
That's what, yeah.
There we go, yeah.
part, love. I don't love the addition of until one of them comes back. No, none of that. She just likes dancing.
Kathryn (37:26)
Yeah.
Well, we'll just remove
that part. That part's not true. iscreamyouscreampod@gmail.com I don't know why you need to email.
Gina (37:34)
All right, I'm gonna.
Kathryn (37:47)
was gonna say something like, you agree that we should remove that? But I don't care about your thought. Like, this is our podcast, we're removing that from the narrative. It's not part of the story anymore. She just loves to, because part of where my head was at when you said that was we've talked about where we would like to haunt after we die and I've never considered a ballroom. I would love that. Like just eternally at a ball. That sounds fun.
Gina (37:56)
Is that gonna put...
you
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Yeah.
Kathryn (38:15)
As long as I don't get tight,
as long as I'm wearing like comfy shoes and a pretty dress. That sounds lovely. Yeah.
Gina (38:19)
yeah, well your dress would be stunning. There's no doubt about that. To be
like forever and always making a grand entrance down a beautiful staircase. ⁓ yeah, I love that. Okay, I'm on board. Yeah.
Kathryn (38:26)
That's where my head's at, Mm-hmm. Yeah, I love that vibe.
I'm imagining like, Anastasia. Do you know what I mean? Like that like, once upon a December, like those ghosts.
Gina (38:34)
⁓ yes, yeah.
Kathryn (38:39)
But it's New Orleans, so there's that whole party vibe at that ball. Yeah!
Gina (38:42)
but it's like jazzy and it has like a swinging
beat to it. ⁓ actually I would love to hear a Once Upon a December version that is like jazzy. Once upon a December.
Kathryn (38:51)
I'm listening to it in my head right now, it's real good. Yeah.
You know what that kind of reminds me of? It kind of reminds me like the version of that in my head. Like the soundtrack to that movie would just be the soundtrack to Princess and the Frog. Like that would be the version. That's such a great soundtrack. all of this like narrative that I am placing on the Giselle story is why I love that story so much. That's like what I'm imagining in my head.
Gina (39:06)
That movie, ugh, it had such good music.
Yeah ⁓
Yes, I love that.
Kathryn (39:19)
Very different
era, very different story, but like, who cares? Yeah, New Orleans! Not Orleans.
Gina (39:23)
New Orleans, Louisiana.
But separate from Gisele, there is another paranormal phenomenon in the ballroom where a mysterious blood stain seems to appear on the floor no matter how many times the staff scrub it out.
Kathryn (39:43)
Okay, less fun than an eternal ballroom.
Gina (39:45)
less fun. Less
fun, but it does have to do with a ball once again. So it is said that the stain dates back over a century ago to a night where two men were attending a ball and basically started competing with each other for the attention of the same woman. And it escalated to the point where they decided to duel right there and then. Don't know if the story is true, obviously, but some people say that the blood stain is the result of one of the men being fatally wounded on the ballroom
floor, which interestingly, I don't hear this paired with the Giselle story very much. There's never like a, well, maybe the men who both made offers to Giselle decided to duel each other. There's not really a whole lot of that.
Kathryn (40:21)
Interesting.
It seems like it could be the same story.
Gina (40:33)
It really does.
Kathryn (40:35)
iscreamyouscreampod@gmail.com Do you think we should make this the same story?
Gina (40:43)
never get sick of the bit that has become our email address. I find it hilarious.
Kathryn (40:48)
I don't know why it's become a bit, it just is. Genuinely, when we do give the email, we typically do want responses from you. This time, I'm just losing my mind a little bit this week. ⁓ a pinch of salt in each of our baked goods. But feel free to still email us if you have thoughts on Giselle.
Gina (40:55)
Mm-hmm.
Just being a little silly.
yes, ghosts. Sorry. Back to ghosts. All right. Let's head up the stairs for a little bit to room 644. If you have heard about hauntings at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel before, chances are you have heard about this room. We talked about it briefly in our palette cleanser episode with friend of the pod, Nicole, back in October. So highly recommend you go check that out if you haven't listened to it because...
Kathryn (41:33)
Yeah, for sure.
Gina (41:34)
Yeah, yeah, she had some really interesting experiences at the hotel. So yes, room 644, it's probably the most famous room at the hotel because it is said to be incredibly, incredibly haunted. No surprise.
The story goes.
that when the Sisters of the Holy Family were still there, one of the nuns took her own life somewhere on the convent grounds. Now to this day, the sisters refuse to confirm or deny this, but many people swear that it happened and that the nun in question continues to linger in room 644. Guests have reported hearing the sound of screaming in the middle of the night with no clear source.
and many people have reported waking up to find the ghostly figure of a nun standing over their bed watching them.
Kathryn (42:25)
God. Jesus Christ. I was gonna say she's literally cringing right now. ⁓ my God. That's, that's very spooky.
Gina (42:26)
I know. It'd be like your mom's worst nightmare.
Yeah.
I know. But if it makes you feel any better, she's not described as being a very hostile presence. It's not like she's watching you watching you. It's like she's watching over you. a very, she's described as having like a very kind expression.
Kathryn (42:48)
Okay.
Okay, that's different because that feels so ominous. Like, ugh. I don't know. I would be very scared if I woke up and there was a nun just like in my space.
Gina (42:55)
does.
Yeah, no, I wouldn't like that either.
Kathryn (43:09)
But I'm happy that it doesn't necessarily have a negative energy. A screaming haunting is immediately like, that's not great. I don't love that.
Gina (43:19)
Yeah, I mean, I'm hiding under
my covers and operating under the like, if they can't see me or if I can't see them, they can't see me thing. That's what I do.
Kathryn (43:24)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Gina (43:28)
Yeah, screw that. No, that's not for me. Do you want to hear an even scarier one? I mean, I find it. Maybe you won't find it scarier. I think it's scarier. So to close out our haunted hotel tour, I am going to tell you my personal favorite haunting story about the hotel. Story goes that a staff member was preparing for an event in the second floor kitchen. He was working alone. He was stressing about getting everything done. And he was like, like,
Kathryn (43:30)
Mm-mm. Sure, why not?
Gina (43:55)
You know how stress feels different when you're in a kitchen? Like kitchen stress is a different type of stress to every other type. That's what he was going through. And so he was like rushing around, trying to do this, trying to do that. And in his he accidentally knocked some pans off of a table. So naturally, like he swore audibly and loudly. And seconds later, every light in the kitchen went out and he was left in pitch black.
Kathryn (44:01)
Yes. Yep. Okay.
OOF
Gina (44:25)
darkness. Before his eyes could adjust to the light, he felt a sharp, hard slap across his face. The lights flickered back on and no one was there and he rushed to a mirror where he saw a red mark of a hand across his face. And the incident scared him so much that he resigned.
Kathryn (44:47)
I was gonna say, did he quit? That's, I love stories like that because you know that that shit's real. Like no one just quits their job for well I shouldn't say for no reason, but like that legitimizes the situation quite a bit for me. When someone is so scared they bounce.
Gina (45:08)
It does. Yeah.
And something as tangible as a slap, like it's not like he caught something in the corner of his eye that scared him. It's like he was, he felt it and he saw the mark from it.
Kathryn (45:14)
Yeah.
And that's incredibly rare. I feel like because of horror movies and stuff, there is this misconception that ghosts can physically harm you more often than they typically do. If something is doing something to you so much that they like leave evidence on your body, that's notable.
Gina (45:25)
Mmm.
Yeah, yeah.
Kathryn (45:51)
Interesting. Ooh, that's spooky.
Gina (45:52)
Love the story. Hope
I never encounter anything like that ever in my life.
Kathryn (45:57)
Every part of that, I think I would be able to handle minus the complete darkness part. That's the scariest part of that for me.
Gina (46:03)
Mm-hmm. I wouldn't be able to handle it.
If the lights went out and I felt someone slap me, just sheer blind panic. I don't know what I would do.
Kathryn (46:13)
I would immediately drop to the ground just play dead. That's literally all I would do. would just pause. I would possum on that shit 100%. You got me. Yeah, absolutely. Because I wouldn't know what else to do. So I would just drop. I'm a freezer.
Gina (46:15)
Yeah, that feels, yeah, that seems, grab the ketchup and squirt it all over yourself. I'm hit. I'm very much hit.
Yeah. Oh, the possum
approach. The possum approach is a good. I'm a runner and you can't really run very effectively in the dark. No, I don't, yeah. You can't fight back, they're a ghost. What are they gonna do, die again? I guess you could get salt. Or Sage, but there would be no time for Sage. Maybe there's time for Sage. Yeah, and we're back to square one. You've to do the possum approach. Yeah, Kathryn's way is the only way.
Kathryn (46:37)
You can't, it's pitch black, exactly.
There's no time. Well, you're in a kitchen, but you can't find it because it's dark.
Gina (47:02)
as usual, the best and only way. But yeah, I mean, that's pretty much the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. It is a place that has meant so much to so many different people and so many different types of people over the years that it's just one of those places where some of them never left. And I cannot wait to go there someday, especially with you.
Kathryn (47:03)
As usual, as per-yuge.
Yeah, we definitely need to. We've mentioned this before. We did not hit up a ton of notable spooky spots when we were down there because we were just wandering. That was something that I think was on the initial list. I think.
Gina (47:30)
No.
Kathryn (47:40)
It was on a list of places we could stay or something and then saw the price and bounce or something like that. It was on a list somewhere and we did not stick to our list at all, even if we did have spooky stuff on there, so we didn't make it, but we definitely have to go.
Gina (47:45)
Mmm.
Yeah.
No.
Yeah, completely agree. And this time we will still get caught up in the majesty of New Orleans, but we will remain focused enough to get to one place and then we can set ourselves free.
Kathryn (48:08)
constructive fun as we tend to have.
Organized chaos.
Gina (48:14)
Yes, exactly.
Yeah, always. Do you have anything for me?
Kathryn (48:21)
So I do.
we had a call to action at the end of the Hodag episode when you were telling us the angel statue story to send us any...
urban legends that you remember from your childhood, and my dutiful father sent us one. So I'm going to read the email that he sent now. It says, it just occurred to me that as high school kids, we had our own version of the angel statue story that you told at the end of the Hodak episode. So when he was younger, there was a, quote, popular spot for kids to, quote, park.
Gina (48:44)
All right.
Kathryn (49:05)
after a date until the cops chased you away. This is code for a makeout spot. ⁓ The story always involved someone's older sibling, cousin, or friend and went something like this. My older brother had a friend whose sister went to the movies with her boyfriend. They went to the parkway to make out afterwards. And when it was time to go home, her boyfriend couldn't get the car to start.
Gina (49:09)
He
Kathryn (49:33)
they decided he would walk to find help from someone in another car or a house or whatever he could do while she stayed in the car as it was winter and she wasn't dressed to walk in the snow and cold. He told her not to unlock the doors for anyone until he got back. She fell asleep but was awakened by a thumping sound.
Gina (49:55)
The thumping sound.
Kathryn (49:56)
You tell I did not read through this before. Was awakened
by a thumping sound outside the car. She couldn't see out the windows they had become covered with frost. She realized that the thump thump thump was something hitting the car. Curiosity got the best of her and she opened the door to find her boyfriend.
with a rope around his neck hanging from a tree, the gentle wind blowing his lifeless body against the car. I feel like I should have done a content warning. Sorry.
Gina (50:30)
my ⁓
Kathryn (50:32)
Some versions of this story, urban legend, ended with her also being found dead. But then someone would always ask if they were murdered or how do we know that actually happened if she was murdered? So that was kind of like how the urban legend would unravel. So it seems like most of the versions of the story that he would hear had her, know, whoever the girlfriend was, was the one who lived to tell the tale.
type of situation. So yeah, that was his urban legend which I feel like that there were versions of that story that also circulated for us when we were young, always with like a make out spot situation.
Gina (50:59)
you
Yeah.
That's, that's, cause it reminds
me of the guy with the hook hand.
Kathryn (51:17)
I was just gonna say that I think that was ours, the hook hand guy. Yeah.
Gina (51:19)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yeah, interesting. Ooh, that is, I, you know what, am more scared about the hanging one than the hook man one.
Kathryn (51:30)
Me too, that seems more sinister. I don't know, we've talked about this before where it's almost scarier if you don't see the thing that's scary. So at that point it's like, who did this? You have no idea.
Gina (51:37)
Yep.
Mm-hmm.
Because it could just be a person and not even necessarily a monster or, you know, some big evil villain person thing.
Kathryn (51:46)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. For sure.
Yeah.
Gina (51:54)
really?
Kathryn (51:55)
Yeah, but and it seems
like the the one that he experienced when he was younger, there was like a specific spot in the town that he grew up in that it was said this would happen at. Which, fun fact, is like not too far from me where I live now.
Gina (52:07)
Hmm.
Hey,
you're by the makeout spot, nice.
Kathryn (52:16)
thinking
I was by like the ghost story spot. I'm imagining like Phil and I showing up to this make out spot like, hey, fellow kids. We're gonna make a.
Gina (52:21)
Two sides, same coin.
You
Kathryn (52:30)
Do kids still make out? Is that still a thing?
Gina (52:34)
No, they just swap labubus and that's it.
Kathryn (52:38)
shared TikTok videos.
Gina (52:40)
Yeah, I remember on never forget there was this one time when I was in college when a guy, he was a few, it was one of those, I think I was a senior, he was a freshman, and I think he wanted my number, but he asked for my Snapchat name, and I remember being horrified, and I felt bad.
Kathryn (52:57)
That happened with me
when I was out with you one night. Do you remember that? I was telling Phil this recently. We were on the East side. were on Brady Street, which like, obviously for those who don't know, that's where the college kids hang out. And I was like, we were like mid to late And guy asked me for my Snapchat. And I don't remember what I said, but I literally said something like, you know.
Gina (53:03)
Is that when we were on the East Side?
Yep, okay, yeah.
Kathryn (53:24)
Ew, gross, you're too young for me or like something like I was like aggressively no.
Gina (53:29)
And now, where is Snapchat now? Do people still even use that? I haven't looked at it in years. Yeah. Yeah, what's the deal?
Kathryn (53:30)
Yeah, that was, yeah.
Icecream, iscreamyouscreampod@gmail.com Where are we with Snapchat? Like I have it, but I don't,
I like, I will send things to one or two people. There's no reason for me to have this app for the reasons I use it for.
Gina (53:49)
Hmm.
I read, I don't know if this is true, but I read that the younger generation, like Gen Alpha or whatever they're called, is using social media less. Again, don't know if it's true, but I can both see that and support it.
Kathryn (54:00)
Yeah. Yeah,
there is a, we're like coming back around where they're like, hey, have you heard of a digital camera that doesn't have a phone on it? It's like that type of thing is happening where like, honestly, the tweets, et cetera, that are being created around this are like really hilarious because there's a lot of that where they are, well, they're burnt out with technology because they've never lived a life without technology.
Gina (54:11)
⁓ my god.
Kathryn (54:29)
or social media or whatever. And so they're like discovering analog, which is fantastic. I support it, but also really hilarious and adorable. Yeah.
Gina (54:41)
I appreciate that so much.
Kathryn (54:44)
Yeah, that's real.
Gina (54:44)
Well,
I guess I'll meet you at the makeout spot later. But...
Kathryn (54:48)
Yeah, I'll
give you the address off camera. No one else is allowed to come. Cool. Yeah. Yeah, well, our next episode will be recorded from the makeout spot. Ew, that my dad used to go to, I just realized. no. Gross. Gross. My dad didn't exist before my mother, I'm sure.
Gina (54:54)
Okay, great. I'll book my flight now, and then I'll see you in 12 hours.
Yeah!
Kathryn (55:18)
Gross. She was his first kiss when they met at 30.
Anyway, I'm gonna go unpack that trauma until next time, little spoons, keep it cool.
Gina (55:33)
Keep it creepy.
