10 ways to embrace your inner vampire in New Orleans
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World Vampire Day is Sunday, and we've got several ways to have the most fangtastic time in the City of the Dead.
Why it matters: We live for the undead mythology in New Orleans.
The big picture: New Orleans has a long history with vampires, and recent pop culture fascination with the creatures of the night has Louisiana front and center in books, TV shows and movies.
- Here are a few of our favorite bloodsucker-friendly activities in the city.
📚 Get to know Anne Rice
Anne Rice was a New Orleans novelist who created the vampire Lestat in her "Vampire Chronicles" series. She died in 2021.
- Her 1976 book "Interview with the Vampire" was adapted into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
- It's now a TV show on AMC. Check out the New Orleans filming locations.
- You also can take a self-guided tour of Rice's former properties.
🩸 Eat at Vampire Cafe
This French Quarter restaurant welcomes vampires and mortals.
- The theme is "luxurious dining one might expect when a vampire is your host," the website says.
- Red "Fangria" is served in blood bags, along with alcohol-free options.
- And don't worry: There are no silver utensils here. Gold only.
👯 See a vampire burlesque show
Le Vampyre Cabaret is held monthly at The AllWays Lounge with "spooky, sexy and silly vampires."
🤑 Go shopping at Boutique du Vampyre
This vampire-themed gift shop has all the things a wannabe nightwalker needs, including custom fangs.
- It also offers escape rooms and other vampire adventures.
🧛🏻 Laugh at "Renfield"
Nicolas Cage plays Dracula in this 2023 dark comedy filmed in New Orleans. Watch the trailer.
- After you've streamed it, swing by St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to see Cage's pyramid tomb.
- Or eat at Cochon, which Cage told Garden & Gun was his favorite place to eat in New Orleans.
👑 Hail the vampire court
A group of New Orleanians formed the vampire court a few years ago.
- Maven Lore, the king of the court, told CNN that "everything felt right" when he was being fitted for his first set of fangs. Go deeper.
📺 Cheer on Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder is the actor best known for his portrayal of vampire Damon Salvatore on "The Vampire Diaries."
- The charming bad boy of the night is from Covington.
- And, he's married to Nikki Reed, who played vampire Rosalie Hale in The Twilight Saga movies. Think they have matching coffins?
🎬 Watch "The Originals"
This popular TV show, which is part of "The Vampire Diaries" universe, is set in New Orleans and has it all: vampires, witches and werewolves.
- But it doesn't actually have much of New Orleans in it. Most of the episodes were shot in Georgia.
- Despite the movie magic, it's a fun binge watch once you get past the vampires' pronunciation of "New Or-leenz."
- "True Blood" is another vampire show that was set in Louisiana and only partially filmed here. It's based on the Sookie Stackhouse book series.
🪦 Visit a cemetery
Pay your respects and revel in the knowledge that you will not be joining the mere mortals in the city's above-ground cemeteries.
👻 Take a ghost tour
Guides are happy to tell you more about the city's long history with vampires, ghosts and other things that go bump in the night.
- Reddit has suggestions for the best ones.
📅 Coming up
- Vampire Fan Weekend in September offers paid photos ops with your favorite on-screen vampires.
- And, the Anne Rice Vampire Ball is the day after Halloween.