Mona Lisa Lane

New Orleans, LA · Miscellaneous

Mona Lisa Lane is near Popp's Fountain, in the southwest corner of City Park. Local legend has it that in the early 1900s, a wealthy philanthropist provided the city with a large collection of statues, with the condition that one of them in particular be given preferential treatment and must stand alone. This particular statue commemorated the donor's daughter Mona, who had passed away. The bronze statue depicted a young woman in a pose reminiscent of "The Birth of Venus," but with a mysterious Mona Lisa smile. The city built a mile-long walkway that ended in a cul de sac where the statue rested on a pedestal. However, the site became popular as a teen hangout, and a nearby car chase toppled the statue. It's pieces were retired to the basement of the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the teens who frequented the spot started spreading stories of Mona's ghost. The tales say Mona appears all over City Park, not just her cul de sac. She is a figure dressed all in white eith a forlorn expression, and is reported to float up to car windows and scratch on the glass before she disappears. Reports say her lane has now become overgrown.

Geographic Information

Address
SW Corner of City Park
New Orleans, LA
Get Directions »
GPS
29.99557241, -90.09843082
Parish
Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Nearest Towns

Quick Answers

Is Mona Lisa Lane really haunted?
Visitors rate Mona Lisa Lane at 45.5 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 2 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.
Where is Mona Lisa Lane located?
The address is SW Corner of City Park, New Orleans, LA. GPS coordinates: 29.99557241, -90.09843082.
What kind of haunted place is Mona Lisa Lane?
Mona Lisa Lane is listed under Miscellaneous in our Louisiana section.
What is the nearest town to Mona Lisa Lane?
New Orleans, LA is the closest town, about 3.2 miles away, with Metairie (3.4 mi.) and Jefferson (3.9 mi.) also nearby.

Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other regulations.

Share Your Experiences

Comments (2)

  • Tim |

    I visited Mona Lisa Lane in the late 80's....I was actually there because I'd heard the stories. I don't remember the gate being there but I remember parking on Zachary Taylor and walking down the lane. I went in the morning because even though I was a pretty big young man, I was by myself and a little shaky. It was about 11am but it was a cloudy overcast day. I got all the way down the lane to the cul de sac and talked myself into sitting down and looking around. I was sitting in front of the big oak tree on the south east side of the circle looking at where the statue would have been....when I go an eerie feeling that I was being watched......I started to get up and chills ran down my neck as the hair on my arms stood straight up. I didn't see anything but my instincts told me to get the hell out of there. I started walking back up the lane toward my car and about half way there I could swear I heard footsteps about 50 feet back.....I looked over my shoulder but didn't turn my head all the way around because I didn't want to stop. In my peripheral vision I could see what looked like the shadow of someone coming fast......I took off running until I got to my car. When I looked down the lane, I saw someone that may have been female looking up the street at me......and then all of a sudden it was gone. I turned the key and started my car.........hit the accelerator and never looked back.

  • Lauren Nicole |

    I’ve had an experience similar when I was young. I was with my dad and little brother playing on the swings when all the sudden we see a woman stumbling in and out of the trees. She was getting closer each time see passed. She was making a moaning/ crying sound as she appeared to be wearing a long white dress and looked wet. She all the sudden started coming at us at an incredible fast speed and we ran to the car. We looked in front of us and she was gone.

Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the truest sense, ghost stories. Haunted Places makes no claims that any of these stories are factually accurate or scientifically provable.