Of course, you can still access the audio-only version through your podcast player, should that be your preference.

Today’s guest got fast-tracked to an interview because she’s a Patron of HH! If you feel moved to help support our show, you too can become a patron at patreon.com/homespunhaints. There are even benefits at the free level of membership.

Haunted Bars in The French Quarter

Jennifer told us a story about her experience at The Morgue Bar in the French Quarter. The Morgue Bar used to be located at 626 St. Philip Street in New Orleans. The building served as a morgue during the yellow fever epidemic in the 1850s. In the Summer of 1853, nearly 1/5th of the city’s population suffered and died from the disease.

The Morgue Bar

The same building later became The Morgue Bar & Lounge. Not just named for it’s previous use, the bar was wholly morgue-themed, embracing its macabre history, as New Orleans tends to do. During its operation as a bar, patrons and staff often reported strange occurrences, such as refrigerators mysteriously unplugging, and toilets overflowing for no apparent reason.

The Crow Bar

The Morgue Bar was unfortunately more of a tourist spot than a fun place to hang out, although it wasn’t not fun, being surrounded by spooky stuff. At the time, Diana preferred another goth bar just a couple blocks over on Decatur, called The Crow Bar. That one was an actual goth club. A legacy goth club, dating back to the 1980’s. A New Orleans legend, in its own right. So goth, in fact, that when they offered free admission on Halloween night to patrons in costume, Diana’s costume (as the character Death from The Sandman comic) was deemed too pedestrian, so she had to pay a cover.

In an interesting bit of French Quarter goth trivia, the former owner of The Morgue actually purchased The Crow Bar, and renamed it The Whirling Dervish.

Haunted Nottoway Plantation

Today’s guest also had a personal story from when she visited Nottoway Plantation in her youth. Nottoway, the largest antebellum plantation mansion in the South, is notably haunted. The most well-known ghost is called Miss Josephine. She’s suspected to be one of the daughters of the original owner, John Randolph. In life, Josephine never married, and remained at Nottoway until her death. Visitors and staff hear her footsteps, and catch glimpses of a figure in a white gown.

The Louisiana plantation is so haunted, it was featured on Discovery Channel’s “Ghost Lab.” Fortunately, most of the property’s spirits are friendly. Well, friendly to adults, at least. Perhaps young Jennifer’s admittedly bratty behavior was just enough to send Miss Josephine over the edge.

Ghost Tour in Galveston, TX

After leaving insanely haunted New Orleans to end up in slightly less haunted Texas, for the first time Jennifer didn’t feel constantly haunted. She must’ve missed that feeling, as she sought out local ghostly tourism opportunities. She wanted to share that Eddy Specter’s Ghost Tour really is the #1 haunted afterdark activity in Galveston, TX. Find out more at facebook.com/eddyspecter.

Video Episodes of Homespun Haints

Well Hainted Loves, what did you think of Homespun Haints’ first video episode? Did you enjoy getting to watch our shocked reactions to our guest’s spooky Southern ghost stories? We’d love if you left us a comment on YouTube about what you thought. While you’re there, you might want to subscribe to our YouTube channel, because we are working behind the scenes to bring you more video content soon. Stay tuned, and hopefully you’re already having a spooky day!

The post Ghosts Taught Me to Cuss in French appeared first on Homespun Haints.

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Episode Promotions

Acid Queen Jewelry

We fell in love with Acid Queen Jewelry’s distinctive aesthetic, and we stayed fans when we learned every piece is lovingly designed and hand-made by artist Alex Camacho. Each piece draws inspiration from folklore, myth, astrology magic, and science fiction.

You can get your own Acid Queen Jewelry work of wearable art at acidqueenjewelry.com.

Moving Past Murder

Our podcast promotion this week comes from Moving Past Murder by Collier Landry.

Sideshow Oddities at Graveface Museum

Upon entering the museum, you immediately meet Clementine, the five-legged cow. She is real, and sits in front of her original backdrop.

Continue wandering through the room and you’ll encounter a creature labeled as a two-headed African tiger (also real, but we’re not sure it’s a tiger), a two-headed fawn, and a two-headed pig.

There are also other sideshow oddities that aren’t merely creatures formed in the womb when God wasn’t looking. The museum holds a Haitian Vodou zombie skull and several shrunken heads.

And then there are the gaffs—creatures made from parts of other things to look like they’re real. This FeeJee Mermaid is a perfect example. And, in our interview, Chloë talks about the man who is responsible for the bulk of the gaffs that appeared around the country in the 1940s and ’50s.

About Chloë Manon

Chloë may help run Graveface Museum, but she’s also a skilled artist and taxidermist. Check out her work on her Instagram!

We hope you had fun listening to this episode and perusing the fantastic images from Graveface. Until next time, have a spooky day!

The post That’s Not a Real Mermaid, Is It? appeared first on Homespun Haints.