If you are looking for a way to celebrate Halloween that’s a bit outside the norm, whether it’s due to repetitiveness, a disinterest in partying, or a desire to explore New Orleans during one of its most festive times of the year, check out what your options are that don’t involve cups of bright red mystery juice and a school bus to Frenchman Street:
1. Trick-or-treating on St. Charles Avenue
If you go to Tulane, chances are you have been dying to get a look inside one of the crazy mansions on St. Charles since you first laid eyes on them. Well, Halloween is your chance! Grab a friend and a candy-basket, don your costume, and hit the town. At worst, they’ll have a candy bowl on their porch, and at best, you’ll get some great compliments on your fit! Pro tip: borrow a little kid for the night to avoid weird looks.
2. Rocky Horror Showing at Prytania Theater
A little known neighborhood secret is that Prytania Theater (a small, one room theater a short ten-minute drive from campus) has two showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween! Show up at either 10 PM or midnight to view the fun Halloween classic. If you’ve never been, be sure to draw a big V on your forehead. You’ll thank me later.
3. Ghost Manor
By now, most of you have probably seen the St. Charles Skeleton House, either on Instagram or in person during your travels. But if you’re sick of seeing pictures of Marrow-lyn Monroe and her “great bone structure,” head to Ghost Manor, another awesomely-decorated house. This one is on Magazine Street and features cool ghost lighting effects and a bunch of other spooky decor.
4. Check Out a Cemetery
For those with no fears, New Orleans has some of the coolest cemeteries I’ve ever seen; they help contribute to our spooky, creepy, voodoo vibe. What makes them special is that all the caskets are above ground due to our notoriously high water levels, so when you walk through a cemetery, the dead are right there next to you. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 are both free for the public to visit.
5. Hit the Costume Shops
If there is one thing NOLA knows (besides parades, food, floods, etc.), it’s costumes, which is why there are tons of unique costume shops across the city. Gather some pals who are known to procrastinate and stop by Funky Monkey, Southern Costume Company, or Uptown Costume and Dancewear. Maybe you’ll find the perfect costume to wear that night, and you will definitely have a blast trying on tons of fun ones.
Hopefully one of those ideas appeals to you. But if not, you can always head to the nearest dorm bathroom, have a seat in a stall, and read what The Well has to say about how alcohol affects your body using vampire emojis. Happy Halloween!
Cover Photo: Maddy Harbert
About Joely Fishman
Joely hails from Bellmore, NY and is loving exploring her new home of New Orleans. While she loves exploring new restaurants, don't ask her about Taco Bell—she's never been!
Joely hails from Bellmore, NY and is loving exploring her new home of New Orleans. While she loves exploring new restaurants, don't ask her about Taco Bell—she's never been!
