Historic Voodoo Museum, New Orleans

Founded in 1972, this homegrown museum is the kind of place that might make even the hard-headed skeptics reconsider their views. Indeed, in New Orleans, Voodoo is not just spooky window dressing for tourists. For many locals, it remains part of real spiritual life. People still light candles for good luck, seek help in matters of love, and turn to potions when ordinary flirting has apparently failed.

Inside, the museum gathers a compact but fascinating collection of objects tied to Voodoo history and practice. Expect portraits of Voodoo legends, African items connected to the religion’s roots, and plenty of good luck charms protecting from evil, known as gris-gris. The rooms are small, atmospheric, and packed with details, giving the place the feeling of a cabinet of mysteries rather than a polished modern exhibition.

For visitors who want more than a look around, the museum also offers personal psychic readings with a local priestess, either in person or over the phone, because the spirits have apparently accepted modern telecommunications, too... Those looking for a deeper experience can arrange ritual services performed by local practitioners, including blessings, curse removals, weddings, and other ceremonies. In other words, this is not your standard “please exit through the gift shop” museum experience.

To keep things calm, the museum limits how many visitors can enter at once. As two people leave, two more are allowed in, which means you can explore without feeling pushed along by a crowd breathing down your neck. And yes, there is a gift shop, stocked with love potions, books, customized gris-gris bags, snake oils, handcrafted dolls, candles, and other souvenirs that render you slightly more mysterious after visiting New Orleans...