New Orleans: Congo Square Voodoo History & Marie Laveau Tour

Where New Orleans Kept Its Spirits Alive: Congo Square & Voodoo's Real Story

You walk Congo Square and the French Quarter with a guide who separates Voodoo's real history from its Hollywood version. You learn about Marie Laveau's actual life, handle traditional artifacts like gris-gris bags and vevers, and end at Voodoo Authentica: a functioning temple and educational space run by practitioners. The whole tour takes around two hours and includes access to explore the temple afterward.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Louis Armstrong Parkpass by
2. Congo Squarepass by
3. Voodoo Authentica20m

Explore Congo Square and Voodoo history

• Visit Congo Square in Armstrong Park
• Explore cultural rituals and music site
• Learn about Marie Laveau's life and legends
• Pass through the French Quarter
• End at Voodoo Authentica temple and shop

The experience

Drums. That's what you hear first when the guide stops at Congo Square, not actual drums playing right then, but the echo of them, the weight of centuries of rhythm that once filled this patch of ground in Louis Armstrong Park. For hundreds of years, enslaved Africans gathered here to practice their own music, rituals, and spirituality in the only space the city allowed them to be themselves. That's where New Orleans Voodoo actually began, not in the tourist shops or the legends, but in the real lives of people who refused to let their traditions disappear.

The tour moves through Congo Square and into the French Quarter with a local guide who knows the difference between what Hollywood invented and what actually happened. You'll learn about Marie Laveau, the woman whose name got tangled up in so much myth that the real story got buried. She was a businesswoman, a practitioner, a person, not just a legend. The guide walks you through how Voodoo functioned as a hidden spirituality in the 1700s, how it got commercialized in the 19th century, and how it still works as a living religion in New Orleans today. No cemetery visits (the Archdiocese changed those rules), but the story doesn't need them. It lives in the streets and the people who still practice it.

Somewhere in the middle of the walk, you'll handle actual Voodoo artifacts (dolls, vevers, gris-gris bags), and learn what they actually do and mean, which is almost always different from what you've seen in films. The guide explains the objects without the sensationalism, which makes them more powerful, not less. By the end, you're standing outside Voodoo Authentica, a working temple and shop run by actual practitioners. Everyone who works there practices Voodoo. Almost everything sold there is made by local practitioners. You can spend as much time as you want exploring after the tour ends, which most people do.

What’s included

Your tour includes a walking route through Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park and the French Quarter with a professional local guide, hands-on learning about Voodoo artifacts and their meanings, the history of Marie Laveau and Voodoo culture in New Orleans, and access to explore Voodoo Authentica (a working temple and educational space) after the tour concludes.

Before you book

Days and timesFriday to SundayDeparts at 15:00

AgesAdult (16 to 74 years) · Senior (75 to 95 years) · Youth (5 to 15 years) · Child (2 to 4 years) · Infant (under 2)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.Operator's directions: “The tour begins at the Archway to Armstrong Park on Rampart Street.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tours by Foot New Orleans

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the real history of New Orleans Voodoo without the tourist mythology. A local guide who knows the difference is what makes that possible in two hours.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 15 years); Child (2 to 4 years); Infant (under 2).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

Does this tour visit St. Louis Cemetery #1?

No. The Archdiocese of New Orleans changed security regulations, so cemetery visits are no longer part of this tour. The guide covers Marie Laveau's history and significance without the cemetery stop.

How long is the walking tour?

Around two hours, covering Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park, the French Quarter, and ending at Voodoo Authentica.

What's included in the tour?

A walking tour of Congo Square and the French Quarter with a professional local guide, information on Voodoo culture and history, hands-on learning about Voodoo artifacts, and time to explore Voodoo Authentica afterward.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and public transportation options are available nearby.

What will I learn about Voodoo artifacts?

The guide explains the meaning and uses of Voodoo dolls, vevers, and gris-gris bags: what they actually are, not Hollywood versions.

Can I shop at Voodoo Authentica after the tour?

Yes. You have as much time as you'd like to explore the shop and temple after the tour ends. Everything sold there (except African and Haitian art) is made by local practitioners.

Is this tour suitable for all fitness levels?

Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. Service animals are allowed.