Have you ever watched a television show about ghost hunting? Or one of those horror films that feature disembodied footsteps, cold spots, and people attempting to investigate such phenomena? Whether you’re a believer in the supernatural or not, most people can’t deny that there is a certain thrill in thinking about these things. I am no exception. When I found out that I could actually participate in a real ghost hunt, there was no way I was going to turn that down!

Uh. “Real” and “ghost” in the same sentence?

Okay, let me be upfront. I’m not a believer in the supernatural. But I do admit that I’m willing to be convinced otherwise. I find the concept of ghosts and other paranormal things rather fascinating and do wish (hope?) they were real.

New Orleans is the perfect place to do a ghost hunt as many claim it is the most haunted city in America. And there are a lot of things that support this idea: the city is built on an ‘ancient Indian burial ground’, the city faced (and continues to face) destructive events such as hurricanes, and deadly disease was rampant in the city’s early days. I figured that if I’m going to attempt finding a ghost, New Orleans would be the perfect place to do it!

Someone actually offers ghost hunts?

Yup. In full disclosure, Ghost City Tours offered me a free tour of my choosing during my visit to New Orleans. I decided to do their Ghost Hunt because when else would I get the opportunity to officially search for ghosts? I was thrilled to take them up on their offer!

So, what was the tour like?

On a humid summer evening, I arrived at 1022 Royal Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter. I was met by Michael Bill, the guide, and three other tourists: a mom and her two teenagers. Michael Bill told us that this house was haunted and for him, this night would be a “paranormal investigation” because he knows it is haunted. For us, however, it would be a “ghost hunt” because we didn’t know that for sure. We were then ushered inside.

The original house, a creole cottage, was built in the 18th-century but the current structure is 19th-century. It was decorated with all sorts of weird items to create a creepy atmosphere. The best thing about the house, though, was the first occupant we met – Tiger. A skinny grey cat with white feet who liked me for some reason. His wild eyes, however, made me wonder just how many ghosts has this poor cat seen?

We started the night with stories about the house. It was apparently once a hospital and so some of the ghosts relate to that period. There also is a pervert ghost in the bathroom who likes to grab women’s butts. And there is a depressed ghost who died in a house fire nearby. The main ghost, however, is Chloe, a pre-teen enslaved girl. It is quite the variety “living” here!

After introducing us to the house’s inhabitants, Michael Bill then handed out various pieces of technology. The fun part about this was recognizing them from paranormal investigation television shows. I won’t lie – even as a nonbeliever, it was still thrilling! We had everything from voice recorders, EM Pumps, camcorders, temperature gauges, laser grids, etc.

We spent some time asking the ghosts various questions from inside the house as well as in the back courtyard. Everything was voice recorded and I got to wave around a Tribo electric field meter and an EMF meter, both of which sometimes blinked at me. Why, I have no idea – but I guess I cannot confirm nor deny the possibility of a passing ghost! While everything was pretty tame, I did enjoy the unique experience of it all. And then suddenly, it all changed.

Uh…what happened?

Michael Bill decided we should graduate from simply sending questions into the ether. We were still to ask random questions out loud but this time, include instructions to turn on/off a flashlight. It quickly became apparent that these ghosts love flashlights. My favourite moment was when the teenaged girl asked Chloe if she thought our questions were stupid. The flashlight blinked on. I actually couldn’t blame Chloe… My enjoyment in trying to figure out if this was real or not came to a screeching halt when I started to pay full attention to the questions the other three tourists were asking. It seemed that they recently lost a close family member and most of their questions were an attempt to identifying the ghost as that person. Can I just say, awkward??

Do I recommend Ghost City Tour’s Ghost Hunt?

Overall, I actually do recommend it! When else will you get the opportunity to pretend you’re a paranormal investigator? I did not come away from this tour a new believer in ghosts but I do still allow for the possibility. Besides, if ghosts are real, this is a good controlled environment in which to meet one. And? The next time you look at a paranormal investigative show on television, you can be all like, “eh. I’ve done that!”

Please note, I did receive this tour for free; however, all opinions in this post are my own and are my honest feelings.