Haunted History

Crowley’s motto may be the town that’s “Rice and Easy” (it’s in the middle of rice country), but it’s also considered one of the most haunted in Acadiana.

August 1, 2023

Cheré Coen,

1 | Crowley Moton Co. & Ford Building

History Lesson

The old Ford Motor Company building, built in 1920, is now home to four city-run museums: The Ford Automotive Museum, the Rice Interpretive Center, History of Crowley and J.D. Miller Music Recording Studio where native musician J.D. Miller wrote the hit single, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” and recorded it with Kitty Wells. Some claim it’s haunted, but no one knows by whom. Maybe Wells?

2 | Grand Opera House of the South

Be Entertained

Celebrities have visited Crowley to perform in the Grand Opera House, from Clark Gable and Enrico Caruso to appearances by Babe Ruth and former Gov. Huey P. Long. The 1901 elaborate theater still used today also houses a few who refuse to leave once the stage lights dim. Folks have witnessed a woman in white, children and a 6-foot man — none of them alive.

3 | History Alive Guided Tour of Historic Downtown Crowley

Ghost Lesson

Acadia Parish librarian and archivist Claire Doré gives visitors an historic tour of downtown Crowley every fall — and her stories naturally include a ghost or two. “Crowley was kind of a Wild West town so we have a unique history.” If you’re lucky on the History Alive Guided Tour, you’ll get a glimpse inside the historic Rice Theatre, said to be very haunted, Doré claims.