The mansion's history of horror began in the early 1830s, when Madame LaLaurie was known to have kept her slaves in inhumane conditions. Rumors of abuse and mistreatment circulated throughout the city, but it wasn't until a fire broke out in the mansion in 1834 that the full extent of the horrors within were revealed. Firefighters who responded to the blaze discovered that several slaves were chained to the walls and floor of the attic, some of them mutilated and tortured in grotesque ways. The slaves reported that Madame LaLaurie had been responsible for their abuse, and she quickly fled the city to escape prosecution.

The mansion was abandoned for many years, but it's said that the spirits of the slaves who suffered and died there still haunt the building to this day. Visitors to the mansion have reported strange noises, ghostly apparitions, and a feeling of overwhelming dread. Some have claimed to see the ghost of Madame LaLaurie herself, still wandering the halls of her former home.

The LaLaurie mansion has been owned by several people since then and has been used for different purposes, a school, an apartment building, and a luxury condominium. Now it's a private property and it's not open to the public, but many people still take tours around the neighborhood in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the infamous mansion.

It's important to note that the cruelty and abuse that occurred in the LaLaurie mansion is a dark and painful chapter in the history of New Orleans and should be remembered as such. When visiting or discussing the mansion, it's important to do so with sensitivity and respect for the suffering of those who were enslaved there.