The Haunted Musee Conti Wax Museum

915-923 Conti St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112

On the exterior, 917 Conti Street in the French Quarter seems to be nothing more than another big beautiful historic building. Inside, though, was something else altogether! This location holds a myriad of secrets that are just waiting to be uncovered.

This historic building, in its long past, was once home to a boys' academy known as Jefferson Academy. But prior to serving as an academy, it was the site of another story involving murder, death and scandal, and perhaps the origins for some of the hauntings that are believed to still linger here.

Silverstre Blasini and his wife were among the Spanish colonists who founded and settled New Orleans. They bought land to set up what appears to have been an inn or lodging house for Spanish colonists. After Silvestre died, which had to have happened before the sale of Louisiana back to France in 1800, his wife and son, Silvestre Jr. inherited the family business. A few years later, though, Madame Blasini, too, fell ill and died.

In Creole society, it was customary for eldest to inherit the most from their parents. This case was no different. Here, Silvestre Jr. inherited the most. Now, he had a half-brother from his father's first marriage. According to Madame Blasini's will, she stated specifically that her eldest son, Silvestre Jr., was to handle the sale of the property. She did not approve of her step-son's attitude or behavior. But, he petitioned the courts, stating that as the eldest, he should be made executor of the deceased's estate in the absence of any husband or surviving parent.

The court actually sided with the step-brother. Silvestre Jr. was livid. An all-out battle ensued through the courts. In the end, justice prevailed. It was determined that the mother of deceased had made her will known to local authorities while she was still alive. The half-brother had basically been written out, and his attempts at inheritance were denied.

It is believed that in death, the mother of the home at 917 Conti Street's spirit has been found in the upstairs apartment where she may have once lived. Her energy is referred to as a very welcoming spirit, to the point that a former bartender at the space exclaimed he had heard what sounded like a woman's voice welcome him into work with a simple, welcoming greeting, "Hello." This is a story we hear from many other bartenders here, too.

As for Silvestre Jr., it is believed that he turned this space into the academy only a few years after his mother's death. He died before the Civil War, selling the building in 1858, but by then it had already been a school since the late 1820s. We're not sure where all of these boys came from, but what we do know is that over the years it seems there are a multitude of different occurrences taking place in this building.

On the first floor, specifically in what is the kitchen area, a shadow figure has been known to walk by the passageway or door leading to the back of the house. Additionally, on the second floor, a similar shadow figure has been seen pacing around the reception room. This occurrence takes place quite often.

Moreover, there have been claims from staff and patrons that the spirit of a young girl has been sighted up on the second floor. Her presence was first discovered when an employee was talking to his manager. During their conversation, they briefly recall seeing a little girl who walked into the adjacent, unoccupied room. The restaurant employee and his manager investigated together and, surely enough, there was nobody there.

Now, what about a young boy's ghost? This, too, has been sighted here. In fact, a picture surfaced of a young boy near a window. This spirit is said to also roam the property. It is unknown where he came from or if he is a former student of the academy.

However, let us jump ahead in time. Jefferson Academy closed sometime in the 1880s. At this point, the structure was converted into a boarding house. We have found remnants of stays here from the late 1880s all the way to the 1920s. In 1920, a coffin factory even found its way in. Can you imagine making coffins right on Conti Street? Not long after, though, this building was home to the Sweet-Orr Garment factory.

It was while the Sweet-Orr factory was in business that a horrible fire took place. The fire killed a few occupants and the business was destroyed. The Sweet-Orr business was well known for its successful brand of pants and coveralls. The factory was moved to a nearby building shortly after.

Years later, the American Brewing Company opened, converting the building into a brewery. It was from here that they sold Regal Beer (this is Louisiana, after all!). Today, people still find old Regal Beer bottles around the state as keep sakes. The historic brewery was located right here at the Conti Street location, if you can believe that, in the heart of the French Quarter. Later, this building became a furniture shop and showroom, which it served as for some years. Eventually, Musee Conti moved in and opened its doors in 1964. The attraction served as a New Orleans wax museum...one, we would add, that was incredibly creepy.

The Wax Museum Musee Conti displayed the most famous bits of history and lore from New Orleans. But, like all good things, this came to an end in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina, when it suffered considerable flood damages. The attraction remained closed for several years but did temporarily reopen. The Musee Conti Wax Museum officially closed its doors for good in 2016.

But, the paranormal activity never closed its doors.

Today, this historic building has a few different businesses inside. But, the hauntings seem to never cease. And so, on our New Orleans Haunted Pub Crawl, we make this a stop. But, even if you don't join us on tour to learn more about this history and the hauntings, you can always visit on your own. We highly recommend heading upstairs to the top floor. It's definitely worth a visit with your friends. And, who knows . . . Perhaps you'll witness something, too.