Entry No. 41 — the New Orleans file — filed under: roadside-oddity

Cajun Pride Swamp Tours (Manchac Swamp)

This privately owned wildlife refuge sits in the Manchac Swamp about 25 miles from New Orleans, where flat-bottom boats glide under draped Spanish moss past free-roaming alligators. The bayou here is steeped in dark local lore: a voodoo priestess remembered as Julia Brown (also called Julie White) is said to have cursed the area before the September 1915 hurricane that wiped out three nearby settlements: Frenier, Ruddock, and Napton. Add in the rougarou werewolf legend and the drowned ghost towns, and the cypress threads feel a long way from anywhere.

The move: Take an afternoon boat through the moss-hung bayou and ask the guide to tell you the Julie White curse story before you reach the open water.

• 📍 LaPlace
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 110 Frenier Rd, LaPlace, LA 70068

Hours: Added 2026-06-22 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-22