LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans

For anyone chasing a shiver, a brush with American Horror Story, or a generous helping of dark New Orleans history, the LaLaurie Mansion is ready to oblige. The catch here is that you cannot go inside. And, frankly, it may be for the best. The exterior alone has enough gloomy grandeur to make you lower your voice, even in broad daylight.

Part mansion, part nightmare fuel, this dwelling is often described as one of the most haunted places in New Orleans. Its grim reputation is tied to a wealthy Creole couple, Madame Delphine LaLaurie and her doctor husband, whose elegant social image didn't stop them from committing appalling acts of cruelty against the slaves in their household. According to the story, in 1834, one desperate slave set fire to the mansion in a bid to escape the torment and thus ultimately exposed the abuse inside. The LaLauries bribed the police and fled to New York and then France, leaving behind a trail of dead and dying former servants.

When the news of the atrocities became widely known, a mob of local citizens descended on the residence, smashing and destroying whatever they could reach. By the time the authorities restored order, the house was badly damaged, with scarcely anything remaining but the walls.

And because New Orleans history rarely stops at “already dramatic enough,” the mansion later picked up a modern celebrity footnote. In 2007, Nicolas Cage, one of the most eccentric Hollywood stars of his generation, bought the house for a rumored $3.4 million, reportedly thinking it might be the perfect place to write the great American horror novel. Despite his commitment to atmosphere, Cage didn't get far with the novel and allegedly lost the house after tax troubles with the Internal Revenue Service.

As for the property itself, it remains standing: elegant, infamous, and heavily loaded with stories you probably would not want to hear at night. So, whenever you walk by, look up, take in the façade, and remember — in New Orleans, some houses do not need open doors to let the ghosts out...