New Orleans Woman Shows Haunted Apartment Where Edgar Degas Lived

A woman living in New Orleans has revealed the spooky details behind living in an apartment world-renowned French impressionist artist Edgar Degas once resided in.

Degas was most well-known for his pastel drawings and oil paintings, but his former apartment has plenty of other stories hidden in its interiors. The home was not Degas's well-known mansion, but it was actually his first property that he used as a studio.

Katie Hurley, who runs the TikTok account @KThisIsCool, shared her experience living in the New Orleans unit in a recent video.

Hurley said she loves the 250-year-old house and is "obsessed with it," despite its haunted origins.

Everything from the woodwork to door hinges shows the home's past. There are several gas lamps scattered throughout and an outdoor patio and courtyard that one can imagine families spending time in hundreds of years earlier.

"A lot of people tear out the insides of these gorgeous old apartments," Hurley said. "They put in gray floors. They put in white kitchens. Boom, try to sell them for a million dollars. So I'm really glad the integrity of this apartment stayed the way that it is."

From the crown moldings to marble fireplaces set throughout the home and even the exposed brick that gives the rooms more character, Hurley said she was thoroughly impressed by the home she now calls her own.

That even includes a creepy black and white tiled hallway that Hurley says gives "Shining vibes." There's also a creepy bathroom that Hurley said gives her the "heebie-jeebies."

"There are certainly ghosts in here," Hurley said.

Spooky Occurrences

Hurley said she originally chose to live in the old apartment for its "obvious beauty."

"It's the most unique and well preserved historical apartment I've ever seen, the owners have done an amazing job upholding its original glory," Hurley told Newsweek.

She was also excited about the history of the area, which brings along quite a bit of ghost lore.

"We have a lot of ghost tours that come by the building," Hurley said. "The home itself feels unlike anywhere I've lived, one bathroom and the back of the house in particular have a vibe that isn't necessarily scary but just feels heavy."

However, New Orleans is a town where residents have plenty of things to "cleanse" a haunted home, from sage, palo santo sticks and crystals, Hurley said, adding she's already done this a few times so far.

"The apartment still does have a spooky feeling but I am okay with it," she said, adding it "doesn't bother" her much.

"I think it adds to the fun of the apartment," Hurley said. "Who knows if it truly is 'haunted' but it certainly has a lot of interesting energy in it and I love that. We will do our best to respect the space and pay it homage."

What Makes a Haunted House?

According to Conner Gossel, the creator of The Haunted Historian and a location scout for Ghost Adventures, many reasons can lead to a home becoming haunted.

Tragic deaths on the property are an obvious reason, but other times residents report spooky experiences on homes built on or near ancient burial grounds or cemeteries or in places that had past ritualistic practices in the home.

"There are hauntings whose root cause isn't plainly clear," Gossel told Newsweek. "I've encountered properties haunted by former owners whose only stated reason for lurking the halls is because they loved the home so much in life."

Many residents often miss the early warning signs of a haunting. This can be anything from "misplaced" personal items or strange sounds attributed to the house "settling." Even movements and shadows out of the corners of your eyes can be explained away if you're a skeptic, Gossel said.

"But when you look at all of these occurrences happening simultaneously and repetitively, you start to get a clear idea that something strange might be going on," Gossel said. "And it's important to get that idea in your head, because more often than not, the activity is only going to become more pronounced from there.

Often, a haunting becomes a "problem" when residents experience voices and figures at their bedsides or even moving objects.

"As a general rule of thumb, if you don't feel safe being in your home, or if a spiritual force is altering your way of life and the security of your loved ones, it's likely time to call some professionals or start packing boxes," Gossel said.