For a bed and breakfast that is incredibly centrally located, look no further than the Creole Gardens Inn, which conveniently is just a block from the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, only three blocks from the museum district and at the doorstep of the lush Garden District.

From the Reverend to the Escorts

The Creole Gardens Inn was originally built in the 1840s for the Reverend Benjamin Palmer, a staunch supporter of the Confederate Army and a personal friend of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Palmer lived in this house during the Civil War and after—that is until he met a tragic end when he was struck by a streetcar while crossing the street in 1902.

For history buffs and architecture enthusiasts, the Creole Gardens is the perfect fit. The bed and breakfast is part of an old historic mansion; some of the rooms were once the old slave quarters of the house while others were once used as a bordello during the notorious Storyville era. A few of the rooms are even named after infamous prostitutes in New Orleans during this time period, like Miss Egypt Vanita and Miss Lulu White.

Ghosts of the Creole Gardens Inn

But with an old house comes entities who have never left; the Creole Gardens Inn certainly has its fair share of the latter. When the Inn was being remodeled before its grand opening, the proprietor witnessed 400-pound doors slamming shut, only to reopen a few minutes later.

Bathroom tiles that were to be laid out that next morning were stacked oh-so-neatly when the proprietor showed up to get to work. After the Inn officially opened, the paranormal activity only increased. Guests sometimes witness shadow people glide right past them and they always speak of that unnerving, eerie feeling of being watched.

In Room 2C, that uncomfortable feeling only strengthens. Cold spots have guests shivering and burrowing deeper into their bed sheets, and some even experience the sense of being pushed or losing their balance.

Visiting the Creole Gardens Inn

For visitors looking for their own version of an oasis in New Orleans, the Creole Gardens is right on the money. The Inn has its own banana courtyard and for those traveling with their pets, the Creole Gardens is pet-friendly! The Creole Gardens Inn prides itself on being not your average style bed and breakfast, and what would a stay in New Orleans be if it wasn’t just a little quirky?