Ghost Manor, the animatronic Halloween spectacle that transforms a Garden District Victorian into one of New Orleans' most beloved free attractions, is coming back for 2026 after sitting out last year's season entirely. Owner David Gentry says the nightly show at Second and Magazine streets will run October 15 through 18, October 22 through 25, and October 29 through 31, weather permitting, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The 2025 cancellation wasn't Gentry's choice. As WGNO reports, Gentry said Ghost Manor was forced to cancel in 2025 because of unexpected road construction near the property. Official statements posted on the Ghost Manor website explained that the roadwork project lasted three months through Halloween.
That's no small detail for an event of this scale. The same site statement notes the free, sidewalk-viewable show draws more than 10,000 visitors to the corner of Magazine and Second streets each October, with the entire coordinated performance watched from the public sidewalk rather than the home's yard.
A Hiatus With Precedent
This wasn't the first time Ghost Manor has gone dark. According to a report from Very Local, the full animatronic show was also suspended in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic because sidewalk crowds couldn't be safely distance-managed at the time, with a static lighting display installed in its place. The 2025 season was also paused.
Ghost Manor confirmed the show's return for 2026, according to the WGNO report, ahead of Gentry finalizing this year's run dates. The house itself carries some architectural weight beyond the animatronics: the Queen Anne-style Victorian at 2502 Magazine Street was originally built in 1892, according to a profile from 97.3 The Dawg.
From One Ghost to a National Contender
Gentry's haunted house started small. In an interview with Very Local published in 2021, he recalled beginning Ghost Manor in 2012 with a single illuminated ghost that appeared to move window-to-window, inspired by the Victorian architecture of the house he'd just bought. The production has since grown into a multi-character animatronic spectacle with synchronized lighting, animatronic skeletons and hand-carved pumpkins.
That growth hasn't gone unnoticed nationally. Ghost Manor is a popular haunted house in New Orleans' Garden District that was featured on ABC's “The Great Halloween Fright Fight” in 2023, per WGNO. MyNewOrleans.com reported that the Gentry family appeared on the show in 2023. The production has also picked up industry honors, including “Best Overall” and “Best Motion Prop” at the 2023 Home Haunter Awards and “Best Digital Display” in 2022, according to the Ghost Manor website.
Gentry's haunted house started in 2012 with a single illuminated ghost, according to Very Local. The annual production has continued to grow.
Part of a Neighborhood Tradition
Ghost Manor is a residential Halloween display. A report from NOLA Weekend featured the attraction. For neighbors and visitors alike, Ghost Manor's return for three weekends this October signals that the attraction is once again lighting up Second and Magazine.
