The must-see of New Orleans
New Orleans is a city where time tends to stand still and you’ll find a whole host of activities that will keep you busy during your stay. There are tours of the Quarter, nightclubs, museums, and tours of some of the most famous buildings in Louisiana. Listed below are some of the best things to do while you are staying down in New Orleans so you don’t miss out on anything the city has to offer.
Frenchmen Street
If you go to New Orleans, you have to stop at Frenchmen Street. Walking down Frenchmen Street will take you down four blocks of French culture. There are bars, live music establishments, art galleries, and nightclubs to view and enjoy. It is the perfect place for a bit of jazz and music in whatever establishment you choose whether it is a club, bar, or restaurant.
French Quarter
The French Quarter is lively and full of cultural history, which may seem like an oxymoron, but New Orlean’s keeps its history alive. The cobblestone streets hold Faulkner House Books, Jackson Square, and the Cabildo. Most of the buildings are on the National Historic Landmark register and make for great stops for any tourist.
The neighborhoods are ringed in intricately designed balconies, hanging plants, and amazing places to eat. The Quarter is the gateway to many of the City's most historic attractions, including Bourbon Street, Garden Street, and Harrah's Casino, which is a notable stop for any tourist for the food as well as the slots.
Garden District
The Garden District is only 3 miles from the French Quarter and houses some of the most beautiful homes in the city. The houses have some of the loveliest architecture and these well-preserved treasures offer a much-needed break for any traveler from the confines of the city. The trees are covered in ivy and gardens are loaded with some of the most beautiful plants. The area also features little cafes, shops, and the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.
Photo by Ben Dutton
Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is a place to visit while you visit the Quarter and is easily one of the biggest tourist attractions in New Orleans. Bourbon Street is the place to come for the nightlife. It is pretty quiet during the day, but when the sun goes down, the street comes alive with people. There are different pieces of Bourbon Street to enjoy.
"Upper Bourbon Street" has the most popular attractions for the visiting tourist, including famous restaurants and bars, buildings, and strip clubs. It is also home to the New Orleans Musical Legends Park where you can hear free live jazz fests and other live performances.
"Lower Bourbon Street" is the place to come for the LGBTQ+ community. There are many gay nightclubs, bars, and restaurants to enjoy, including Oz and the Bourbon Pub. Where "Upper Bourbon Street" and "Lower Bourbon Street" meet is where Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, kicks off, which is one of the biggest parties of the year in America. That festival alone brings 100,000 people to the city.
Cemetery Tours
Going on a cemetery tour in New Orleans might seem morbid, but it is not as horrific as you might think. There are "cities of the dead" scattered all over New Orleans that offer startling sights and historic scenery. Some of the oldest cemeteries are fairly dilapidated, but the old tombs and mausoleums are worth the visit.
They are also are a perfect place to visit for a ghost tour. Many of the cemeteries come with their own ghost stories. The St. Louis Cemetery is the number 1 cemetery to visit for ghost stories. You can also learn about the city's more significant dead, including Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of St. Louis.
The Cabildo
The Cabildo was once the seat of the Spanish government and is one of the most important places in American History. The Cabildo was where the Louisiana Purchase took place. Visitors can see the room where the Louisiana Purchase took place and was finalized.
Today, it is the Louisiana State Museum. It has a little of everything from the City's colorful past from Native American art and history to colonial-era clothing, paintings, and artifacts. It even has a death mask from Napoleon Bonaparte!
New Orleans Museum of Art
If you’re looking to soak up cultural history of not just New Orleans, but the world, take a stop at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). The museum opened in 1911 with only 9 pieces, but now has over 40,000 works of art, making the vast collection of art from local artists to European Masterpieces an incredible collection to have amassed in little over 100 years.
New Orleans Swamp Tours
Right off of some of the beaches of New Orleans, you can take a visit to the Bayo. There are several swamp tours that go up and down this stretch of country that shaped Louisiana's role in the United States. You can go out in airboats or flatboats and cruise the swamps to see some of the more unique creatures and plants that live there. The guided tours will give you a unique angle of New Orleans, one you will surely not forget if you end up closer to the wildlife than you might have expected.
St. Louis Cathedral photo by Stephen Walker
St. Louis Cathedral
One of the most notable landmarks in New Orleans, the St. Louis Cathedral is one of the oldest cathedrals in New Orleans. Built-in the 1700s, the cathedral that sits there today is the third of its name as the first two burned down.
If you’d like, you can attend one of the religious services to sit and listen to the words of saints reverberate off of this beautiful church, both in architecture and spirit.
Audubon Nature Institute
The Audubon Nature Institute is a giant facility home to an aquarium, zoo, and the famous butterfly gardens the entire family can enjoy. There is something for everyone at the Audubon Nature Institute with kid-friendly exhibits for the children and interesting lectures and films for the adults.
The aquarium and zoo are also packed to the brim with local and exotic animals. There are fish tanks full of stingrays, sharks, and other fish from the Gulf of Mexico. They also have an expanded Jaguar Jungle exhibit which is as cool as it sounds. The animals include bats, tree frogs, poison-arrow frogs, and even jaguars!
Final Thoughts
There is almost no end to what you can see and do all over New Orleans. The city is a center of history and showcases the rise of the jazz culture in a huge way. It is also a place of fun and mystery between jungle jaguars and ghosts. Anyone would enjoy their stay in New Orleans, just about any time of year. If you’re thinking of heading down to New Orleans sometime in the future, use our guide to direct your exploration of the Big Easy.
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