Halloween is the one day of the year when we go out of our way to participate in extra spooky experiences. Many people like to dress up in their scariest costumes and head to haunted house - the kind where people dressed in even scarier costumes jump out at visitors and chase them through the halls with various weapons, usually a chainsaw. If you didn't get chased by a guy in a hockey mask wielding a chainsaw, did you really go to a haunted house? Short answer: yes. I spent my Halloween at a place that doesn't outsource their scares to fake monsters in masks, if you know what I mean.
The Myrtles is a Southern Louisiana plantation like no other. Tucked away among giant live oaks that have seen centuries of suffering and framed by the crepe myrtle trees that are the home's namesake, the house is invisible from the frequently traveled highway that runs in front of it. As you turn off of that highway and begin up the winding drive, it feels as though you are traveling back in time.
The house and grounds are gorgeous, with beautiful ironwork on the front and back porches, trees laced with Spanish moss, and a courtyard dotted with quaint tables and centered by a fountain. Cats lounge lazily on the porch and in the gardens. The atmosphere at the plantation is calm and quiet. Too quiet.
Since the main home was finished in 1796, the Myrtles has had a complex, and often painful, history. Murder and death seem to be more prevalent here than other antebellum homes. Children, slaves, and even one of the plantation's owners have died there in gruesome and mysterious ways. I'll leave the specifics out because no one tells the story better than the tour guides at the Myrtles, but it seems as though the pain of the past has caused some of those who suffered to stick around.
The Myrtles is now a bed and breakfast that gives tours daily, and Halloween is their Super Bowl. I spent the day with the employees, going on several history tours throughout the day to shadow their tour guides. As the rain added to the creepiness of the too-still grounds, the tour guides donned their 19th century dress and prepared for the rush of people who braved the monsoon for the Halloween mystery tours.
As the groups moved from room to room, a new tour guide told the tales of centuries of pain that have resulted in the overwhelming number of reports of paranormal happenings on the property. A psychic center reportedly pierces through the house in its Ladies' Parlor and into one of the bedrooms above it (that you can rent out as a part of the B&B). In this room there have been claims of guests having vivid dreams of the Civil War; waking up with sheets tucked in tightly around them and pulled up to their chins; objects like luggage and clothing being moved and unpacked by unknown entities; and, most creepily of all in my humble opinion, porcelain dolls taking on a life of their own.
Other stories include that of a haunted mirror that is believed to hold the trapped souls of a woman and her two children who were poisoned by a slave named Chloe, who was only hoping to make them ill in order to heroically save them. Chloe was killed brutally for her crimes and her soul is said to still roam the property as well. In fact, a famous photograph taken in the 1990s when the grounds were deserted has been verified by National Geographic seems to have captured Chloe's spirit standing between the house and the gift shop (which was actually the first building built on the property in 1794).
Other reports of other-worldly activity include heavy footsteps going up the stairs and then vanishing, sounds of children playing or crying, orbs, and sounds of a rocking chair in rooms where there isn't one, and feeling an icy kiss on the forehead after being tucked into bed.
Oh, and did I mention a ghost cat?
My experience at the Myrtles was creepy in the most perfect way. After going in the house a few times, I began to feel a heaviness and tightness in my throat, and am still reviewing my massive collection of pictures to see if I caught anything. I trudged around the grounds in my rain gear after dark to soak up the atmosphere as much as I could. I loved it. For all the energy that seems to still reside at the Myrtles, all of the spirits appear to be friendly. Mischievous, yes; but so far there has been no evidence of negative or evil energy.
I love the Myrtles and think everyone needs to visit it, but don't take my word for it. The Myrtles has been featured on several television shows like The Oprah Show (YOU get a ghost, YOU get a ghost, we're all getting GHOSTS!), Ghost Hunters, Unsolved Mysteries, Travel Channel, History Channel, and many more. The New York Times, National Geographic, and USA Today have also published articles about the property.
The Myrtles is still family-owned and the people are great. If you're brave and looking for a new experience, check out their website and plan a visit. You won't regret it.
