Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar offers vibrant nightlife, great drinks, and a colonial vibe in a visible brick-and-timber building dating back hundreds of years. Originally, as its name indicates, a blacksmith shop, today it welcomes history buffs and fans of strong spirits and great cocktails from all over the world.
If you're looking for a ghost tour of New Orleans, this venue is purported to be one of the more haunted in the city. In fact, it's said that the ghosts of pirates, Jean and Pierre Lafitte themselves, haunt this bar. Fear not, however; the ghosts here are said to be of the friendly type.
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar - one of the highlights of 10 Creepy Facts and Legends about New Orleans (Read all about New Orleans here)
photo by KSloane-Boekbinder (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
History of Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
The building in which Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar is located was built between 1722 and 1733 and is reputed to be the oldest structure in use as a bar in the nation. Jean Lafitte, the owner, was both a blacksmith and a privateer in the classic pirate mold.
In the mid-1940s, it was turned into Café Lafitte, a popular nightlife locale for a bohemian set, and celebrities like Tennessee Williams were regulars. Though it was sold in 1953, it remains a popular nightlife attraction even today and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
photo by Spatms (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
What to Know About Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
The question of whether Lafitte's is haunted can only be answered by individual visitors, with many claiming they have proof, while others claim the only spirits there are of the liquid variety. It is a bar, so it's not a family-friendly establishment, and kids are not allowed. They also do not serve food; it's only drinks at this establishment.
As with much of the French Quarter, the only parking is street parking, and that's difficult to find. Bourbon Street and the entire neighborhood are very walkable, however, and that's the best way to get around.
photo by BoBSerrone (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
Location: 941 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116, uSA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 3 pm
Phone: +1 504-593-9761
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