Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters Of New Orleans

We really enjoyed this “ghost” tour! Jacey was an amazing and very well informed guide! The thing that for us made this special was that they only focus on the stories that are true and have been verified through research. The rumors and fables are not part of it. The history of New Orleans - from its founding and early days through the post-Katrina era provides the backdrop for the haunting true stories discussed throughout the tour. I would definitely do this again and would highly recommend to anyone! Thanks for the fun and memorable evening!

This tour is amazing! Jaycee is absolutely wonderful! Excellent narrator and only gives the true details. Also very entertaining! I would definitely do more tours offered by her company!

Jacey was so awesome! Very communicative before the meetup and gave our small group of 4 a wonderful tour. She was very personable and is very knowledgeable about the history of NOLA. She was an amazing storyteller! The way she told each story made it so easy to picture everything happening right in front of us. She brought the history to life with her vivid descriptions, engaging personality, and attention to detail. It felt like we were being transported back in time rather than just listening to a tour. She truly made the experience memorable!

Edward is a fantastic storyteller. From ghosts, murders and mafia, his knowledge and enthusiasm make for a great time!

We booked the Ghosts, Gods & Gangsters walking tour with Spirit of Empire for a group of 10, and it exceeded expectations. Edward was an incredibly engaging storyteller—knowledgeable, animated, and clearly passionate about New Orleans’ darker history. He shared fascinating, true stories that brought the city’s past to life in a way that kept everyone fully captivated. The pacing was perfect, the route was interesting, and the time flew by. This is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a memorable and well-run walking tour. Highly recommend!

Dr Edward Simon is a fantastic storyteller! We all listened intently as he told us about ghosts, goblins and gangsters! Highly recommend!!

I found this tour using reviews. There are so many tour options online. The reviews were right! Great tour! Great guide! I was in town with friends for a few days and we wanted to do something a little different. It was really interesting to hear some of the stories of NO past. Highly recommend!

I have done many French Quarter “ghost” tours over the past approx. 25 years. Dr. Edward Simon’s tour is a best in class and now my favorite. He keeps a smaller more conversational group, versus the loud gawker type guides in garish dress. He speaks to the facts versus going into emotion and sensationalism. I recommend him to anyone wanting a high quality historical learning experience yet still with much real humor and memorable stories you may spend the next weeks researching to grasp the full extent of the matter.

We had the best time on this tour, highly recommend! Team Edward was hilarious and gave a great overview of the city and all the history that came with i.

Edward was Great… Very knowledgeable and a Good Storyteller… Was tired from walking all day, almost didn’t go, but so so glad I did. Edward was so interesting and it was an entertaining experience… also very informative.

Edward was great! He brought the dark history of NOLO to life (er, death) for us and it was fantastic! We saw several other tours on ours and they looked very commercial and theatrical. If that's your vibe, go there. But if you want a more unique and intimate tour, Dr. Edward Simon is your guide.

Our whole family ( two generations of adults) thoroughly enjoyed our evening tour with Edward. I learned so much! And it was totally interesting. I appreciated that the ghost and gangster stories were based in true facts and enhanced with historical depth. Really, hearing the historical details was just what I wanted. I felt really fortunate that we had chosen THIS tour. Highly recommend.

Edward and his wife were very knowledgeable of New Orleans and Louisiana. They were engaging and entertaining. My husband and I were very happy with our selection and look forward to enjoying his podcast moving forward.

He was a fantastic story teller! I would recommend taking this tour, the smaller group was perfect and being able to ask questions (about more than just ghosts) was a great way to learn more about the city!

Our tour guide Dr Edward Simon was very informative as well as personable and friendly! He made the tour very interesting our group would definitely and highly recommend this tour!

Edward was an absolute great storyteller. We enjoyed the stories and learned more about New Orleans.

We visited the sites and heard the stories of some infamous stories of New Orleans, and some of the stories that inspired other ghost tales. The tour guide is engaging, passionate, and well informed on the stories covered as well as any related questions we had. There was a great mix of historical facts and the supernatural, making it interesting regardless of your belief in the supernatural. Another thing that made a great difference is the limited size of the group, definitely the tour to book!

If you're visiting New Orleans and looking to mix a little history with some of the city’s darker, more mysterious past, I highly recommend checking out the Ghosts, Gods, & Gansters of New Orleans- Quartier Macabre walking tour. Dr. Edward, the main guide, brings so much energy and passion to the experience. His mix of humor, deep knowledge, and genuine investment in everyone on the tour really makes it something special. One thing I appreciated is how he actually encourages guests to look up some of the stories he shares—especially the more gruesome ones—so you can fact-check and dive even deeper into the history yourself. It’s not just spooky tales for entertainment; there’s real history woven throughout. His fiancé, Jayce, happened to join the tour the night I went, and having her there added another layer of fun. Her own stories intersected with his in some cool ways, and watching them bounce off each other while making sure everyone was having a good time was honestly just a bonus. At one they were dueling in Idioms, and unfortunately Mr. Simon lost the battle to one of Jacey's. This is hands-down a tour I’d recommend to anyone visiting New Orleans. A perfect mix of history, humor, and a little bit of the macabre.

Wonderful tour-delved into the history and culture in New Orleans. He is an excellent story teller that was able to tell you both the legend lore and the substantiated facts of all this wonderful city’s most intriguing and grisly sites. One of the best tour guides we have ever experienced.

Dr. Edward is a wonderful tour guide. He gives you a true taste of New Orleans and its dark history. Dr Edward is very personable and articulate.

Dr. Edward was the best and went out of his way to accommodate our family when he heard how much my daughter had been looking forward to the tour on our brief trip to NOLA. He was engaging and a super entertaining storyteller with a great mix of spooky, history and culture! We especially appreciated that all of his stories/information were factual!! Not too much walking but enough to see many sights along the way! Highly recommend!!!

It was awesome! Guide was very knowledgeable and energetic throughout the entire tour! The rain didn’t hold us back. Best tour in NOLA

Edward was an incredible guide! Engaging, knowledgeable, and full of spine chilling stories that brought New Orleans’ haunted history vividly to life. From the moment the tour began, his energy and passion for the city’s darker side kept us completely hooked. He masterfully weaved together tales of ghosts, voodoo, notorious criminals, and bizarre legends, all with just the right mix of humor and suspense. Unlike other tours that rotate through different guides, Edward is a one-man show so you know exactly what you’re getting: a consistently top-tier experience led by someone who truly knows his craft. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a deeper, darker dive into the soul of New Orleans.

Not my first time bringing visitors to Dr Simon’s tour and certainly not my last. My family had a great time, everyone from my college history professor brother in law to my ballerina/pilates instructor sister and my classical musician father were amused, enlightened and appropriately unnerved by Edward’s exhaustively researched, hilariously presented tales from the dark side of this city.

Our guide, who is also the owner, Edward is an experienced guide, a genuine storyteller and all around a great guy. The group was small, 10 person limit, which made it easy to hear and see Edward. Stop looking and go with this tour company! You will be happy you did! Thank you for a fantastic night!!

I coach Quiz Bowl and when I decided to bring 8 teens/young adults (age 16-18) to NOLA, I did some research before booking us a nighttime tour. This tour came highly recommended from people who had experienced both good and bad tours in the Big Easy. A few of my students had parents that tagged along for the trip and they also signed up to go on the tour with us. I was a little nervous at first, because we had a mixed bag of parents and half of my students weren’t sold on the idea of the tour. They LOVED IT! The 17 year old in my group was probably one of the more skeptical students in the beginning. When talking to him the next day he said that if we get to come back next year, he wants to do the tour again. Not only would I highly recommend this tour to older teens, young adults, and true crime lovers alike, but I will be back with a mostly new group of students next year…if we get to make the trip.

So, I was in town with a group of mostly newly graduated high school seniors…soon to be college students…for a Quiz Bowl competition. Some of their parents even tagged along for the tour. We had a blast! Dr. Edward was a wonderful storyteller and we enjoyed every bit of the tour. One student that was with us that hasn’t graduated said that we have to do the tour again next year if we get to come back. Considering the fact that the same student was groaning about the idea of a “ghost tour” a few days earlier, I would say that is high praise. I would strongly recommend this tour for older teens, young adults, and adults that just really enjoy the creepy side of life.

This was so much fun!! So much good history mixed with great storytelling! Pick this tour!!! You won’t be disappointed!

Dr. Edward Simmons was a phenomenal guide. The entire tour was entertaining, educational, and exciting.

My sister and I had the pleasure of doing a tour with Spirit Empire, and I cannot recommend him highly enough!! This experience was seamlessly organized and enjoyable. Our guide the one and only Dr. Edward Simons was exceptional, his knowledgeable about the locations we visited and very passionate about sharing the rich history and culture of New Orleans French Quarter. His enthusiasm made the tour much more engaging. I can't wait for our next adventure

Perfect blend of history, spook, and murder. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable as well as just a great guide. He had us stand in perfect proximity around the hotspots, knew when to amplify his voice, and was genuinely interested in our questions. Perfect way to start off our weekend in Nola!! Our group of friends had different levels of interest in the supernatural and Dr. Edward left all of us thrilled having done the tour. Thank you so much

I've done many, many tours in the city over the years. Edward gives one of the best I've seen - if not thee best. He's both knowledgeable and engaging, a master story teller of the historically accurate. Will look for his tour again.

Dr. Edward was great. My daughter said “wow he has a great storytelling voice”. We learned a lot about NOLA’s history and its dark side past and current! If you like true crime and history this is the perfect tour for you!

Professional & knowledgeable. New Orleans, is deeply rooted& the way the stories of historic events were told were superb. Definitely, recommend to anyone who is curious& vacationing to the Big EZ.

This was one of my favorite tour experiences of all time. The guide creates a visually and mentally immersive experience. He has the perfect voice and commanding storytelling style for the perfect spooky tour experience. A must for your NOLA vacation.

Our tour guide did an excellent job. He was well versed on all aspects of the tour. I would definitely recommend this tour.

What a great choice in NOLA tours ! ! We looked at MANY and almost made a decision on a big group typical ghost tour when Spirit Empire popped up on my FB. The picture pulls you in and the description sells you. This is not your typical big box brand "spooky ghost tour" or "vampire search tour". This is not about scary stories and spirits lurking about New Orleans. This is a small group tour about fact vs fiction, myth vs legend, reality with a few twists here and there. We LOVED this tour ! ! The host, Edward Simon, is so engaging and interactive and so much fun ! ! He sites facts, is hilarious and engaging in telling the stories of New Orleans creepy haunty history. So much so that we had our phones out bookmarking sites to read later. We will DEFINTELY be booking again when we return to New Orleans.

The Ghosts, Gods, & Gangsters of New Orleans tour was an exceptional experience. The small group size created an intimate setting that allowed for a more engaging and personalized exploration of the city’s stories. Edward’s extensive knowledge and ability to present information in such a direct yet entertaining way truly set this tour apart. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and we would not hesitate to do it again. Highly recommended!

Great personality and story teller. Interesting and engaging stories. You can tell that lots of time and genuine effort went into the research and that’s he’s truly passionate about it.

Highly recommend this for families too! If you have any interest in history Dr Ed is very animated and will draw you in with his story telling!

Eddy was awesome! Great experience and super informative!!! We learned a long of new things! And he was so fun to get to know also!

Edward was such a great story teller, and truly chose a fantastic range of stories to tell. Enjoyed seeing NOLA from the eyes as a native resident as well. Highly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about the city’s spooky history!!

By far one of the best, most informative tours. Edward was able to narrate the history of New Orleans and had us hanging on his every word.

Now this was a cool tour! Edward was very knowledgeable and had lots of very interesting talking points on the long, very dark and sorted history of New Orleans. My girlfriend and I enjoyed the small group environment as it allowed a more personalized experience.

Edward is very knowledgeable about New Orleans and talks about the city with great passion. He was engaging and kept our interest for the whole tour. We loved that there were only seven of us in our group.

Ed was personable, accommodating & enthusiastic. I was happy to be apart of an intimate sized tour group. He offered a fun perspective !

Had an awesome time, learned a lot, very entertaining without being cheesy! There were a few well known stories but had no clue about the ties to the Mafia! You should definitely book this tour!

This was a great tour a good mix of true crime stories, history and a touch of paranormal. I liked that Edward didn’t embellish the stories with a lot of unnecessary fluff and mythes, New Orlean’s history has enough dark stories and mysteries already. Edward was very engaging and funny as well as knowledgeable about New Orleans and able to site sources for all his stories. Also loved that Edward keeps the groups small which makes the experience much more personal.

Edward was fantastic, leading us around the French Quarter. His knowledge was top notch and very entertaining.