Where is the House of the Rising Sun?
 

Where is the House of the Rising Sun in New Orleans? I definately want to visit it during my stay. <BR> <BR>Thanks

I bet Meg will know! <BR> <BR>For some reason I think I've seen it... years ago...don't remember where exactly tho'? <BR> <BR>(Meg, if I'm fabricating let me know. I could've dreamed it.) <BR> <BR> <BR>Great song, either way.

When we were in New Orleans we stayed at the Hotel Villa Convento. While we were on several city tours, the guides would point to our hotel and say that it was rumored to be the House of the Rising Sun. Boy, were we surprised.

There was a television special last year on VH-1 or some other music channel. It profiled Eric Burdon, the singer who popularized the song with his group "the Animals". As I recall, there is a specific house in NO known to have been the house question and I think it may now be a convent house (not certain of that). The house was shown in the special and the current occupants were interviewed as to their knowledge of the house's history (they were quite unaware of the colorful history and understandably surprised).

There was recently an article published by the AP on the origin of House of the Rising Sun. I believe it is all fiction and its origin is just a very old folk song. <BR>Here is the web address for one of the articles. I seem to remember it was a 2 part series. I am sure you can find the other one by surfing. <BR>http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/t...Sun000917.html

I don't know. I've heard different things. I have heard carriage drivers say that Villa Convento is the house on which the song is based, but I've also heard carriage drivers dish out pure B.S., so I don't know how much stock I'd put in that. I've also heard that it's a house in Algiers. Others say that it just refers to all the houses of ill repute that existed in the area - of which there were many - especially in the Storyville district/era. I agree that it's a great song.

I think the house you are referring to in Algiers is a Bed and Breakfast with the same name.

Yes, there is a B&B by that name across the river, but I've also heard the "real" house is in Algiers. I also found on the internet that The Animals' lead singer, Eric Burdon, who recorded the song in 1964, thinks the house is located at 826-830 St. Louis which operated as a brothel from 1862-1874 and was named after the owner Marianne LeSoleil Levant whose name means "rising sun". Burdon said that he was also taken to drug dealer's homes, insane asylums, prisons, private parties, etc. by people claiming to know which house really was The House of the Rising Sun. Who knows? It could be Commander's Palace which was once operated as a brothel.

There is a bed and breakfast in Algeirs by this name, but there is another "House..." that is mentioned on my tourist map to be on St. Louis St. between Bourbon and Dauphine near the Hermann-Grima House. I'm not sure if you can tour it. Good luck.