Carville National Leprosarium
Carville National Leprosarium  
Podcast: The Atlas Obscura Podcast
Published On: Thu Feb 05 2026
Description: We visit a remarkable institution where people with Hansen's disease, or leprosy, learned to play music, had Mardi Gras parties, and published their own newspaper.    Check out Wendy Chin-Tanner’s novel, King of the Armadillos, based on her father’s experience at Carville.We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.