With an endless sea of options to choose from, it's important to know why New Orleans should come first when choosing the perfect vacation destination. From unique summer festivals and events to seasonal entertainment and delicacies – Crescent City is the perfect place to start or end your summer.
Find out why in our pick of New Orleans' top attractions.
➤ National World War II Museum
The World War II Museum is dedicated to the Americans who took part in the battles. It will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children. The exhibition presents aircraft used by the US military during the Second World War. In addition, there are several expositions in which they tried to recreate pictures of military operations and cities where battles were fought.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 5 pm ;
- Price: Admission starts at $30;
- How to get there:you can quickly walk from the city center.
➤ Garden District
An old cemetery, the home of a writer whose books bring vampires to life, and pleasing greenery around – it's all about the garden district. The local cemetery is considered the oldest surviving in New Orleans. The local architecture fascinates and makes you want to stop in order to fully enjoy the beauty. It is worth setting aside a whole day to methodically explore all the nooks and crannies of the quarter and the sights.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: you can reach the area by tram St. Charles or by taxi from anywhere in the city.
➤ French Street
French Street is a haven for musicians from all over the world. Colorful houses, which house numerous clubs and cafes, seem to have come off a postcard. Juicy colors, jazz overflows, bright lights of evening lanterns – the street is beautiful at any time of the day, but at night life on it flares up most of all. More often than not, you can hear jazz here. There are so many people in the establishments during the tourist season that it can be difficult to find a place for yourself.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Fee: free;
- How to get there: you can take a taxi from any part of the city.
➤ Urban park
The New Orleans City Park is spread over nearly 1,300 acres. This is one of the largest parks in the United States of America. Previously, a sugar plantation was located here, which lasted until the end of the 19th century.
Walking in the park, do not forget to visit the local botanical garden. In these picturesque places, you can often see small wedding processions or accidentally stumble upon a live concert. And in one of the corners of the park you will find a miniature network of tramways and passenger trains that run on weekends.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: walking distance from the city center.
➤ Mardi Gras World
New Orleans hosts the Mardi Gras festival every year, which attracts both locals and thousands of tourists. The company of the same name Mardi Gras – one of the largest manufacturers of bright and complex carnival costumes.
Exhibits at the Mardi Gras Museum are devoted to this. At the beginning of the 20th century, on the site of the museum, there was a workshop where carnival decorations and masks were made. On the tour you will see how the artistic carnival direction developed and what it ended up with.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 5 pm;
- Cost: The price of the entrance ticket should be checked on the official website in advance;
- How to get there:you can take a taxi from anywhere in the city or catch the museum bus that travels throughout the city.
➤ St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
In one of the cemeteries of the New Orleans has a very special atmosphere. The famous voodoo queen Marie Laveau is buried here. Previously, the entrance to the cemetery was free, but then, for reasons of safety and preservation of monuments, tourists were allowed only with a guide. The oldest graves in the cemetery date back to the end of the 18th – early 19th century.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 4 pm;
- Price: the minimum cost of the entrance ticket – $20;
- How to get there: Walking distance from the French Quarter
➤ Audubon Zoo
New Orleans Zoo – This is a huge picturesque park that sheltered a variety of animals. This is a great place for families with children, but even if you are already an adult and came alone, you will not get bored. Judging by the reviews, the animals in the zoo are friendly to people and are happy to make contact.
You can go into the enclosure to some of them to talk closer. For example, goats are allowed freely. It is best to come here in the morning, because in the evening some animals go to the houses for dinner.
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 4 pm;
- Price: The cost of the entrance ticket should be checked before visiting;
- How to get there:it's a short walk from downtown.
➤ Streetcars in New Orleans
What would a tour of New Orleans be without a ride on the streetcar! Ticket prices depend on the fare you choose. The tram network covers a significant part of the city. Over the past decades, the appearance of trams has not changed at all. Each product is carefully looked after.
Thanks to this, a trip on such a tram can become one of the most atmospheric events of the entire trip. Along the tram route you will see the city in all its glory. The terminus is located near City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art.
- Opening hours: every day;
- Price: it is better to check the cost immediately before the trip;
- How to get there: you can walk to the tram stop from anywhere in the city.
➤ Jackson- square
Jackson Square is sometimes also referred to by its old name “Army”. In the center of the square there is now a monument depicting Jackson riding a huge cast-iron horse. The square was designed and built in the 19th century. Since then, the city authorities have tried their best to preserve the original appearance and atmosphere of this place.
Near the square is a majestic cathedral, which can be visited for free. There are almost always a lot of people in the square. Someone came from another country to enjoy the architecture, and someone lives in the city all his life, but got out to the square to meet with friends. This place is very popular with locals.
- Opening hours: every day from 8am to 6pm;
- Price: temporarily closed;
- How to get there: walking distance from the French Quarter.
➤ French Quarter
The oldest district of New Orleans, from which the whole city began. The first buildings were erected here in the first years of the 18th century. Architectural monuments attract crowds of tourists every year, so the streets of the French Quarter are always busy.
The Mardi Gras carnival takes place on the main street every year. And through the house you can stumble upon a bar or a music club, from where charming jazz flows. The French Quarter is famous not only for gourmet cafes, but also for a huge variety of shops where you can find both standard souvenirs and rare antiques.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: you can take a taxi from anywhere in the city or walk from the center.
- Working hours: held at the end of April – in early May;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: The festival site is within walking distance from the city center.
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 5 pm;
- Price: entrance ticket costs from $55;
- How to get there: The most convenient way to get here is by taxi.
- Opening hours:every day from 9am to 4pm;
- Price: Admission starts at $6;
- How to get there: you can quickly walk from anywhere in the French Quarter.
- Opening hours: Hours vary by event;
- Price:the cost of the ticket should be checked before visiting;
- How to get there: the hall can be reached on foot from the city center.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: walking distance from the city center.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- < strong>Cost: free;
- How to get there: Walking distance from City Park.
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 6 pm;
- How to get there:within walking distance of City Park.
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 5 pm;
- Price: Admission starts at $20;
- How to get there:you can take a taxi from anywhere in the city or walk from downtown New Orleans.
- Opening hours: 24/7;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: You can take a taxi or a tourist bus.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: prices for excursions should be clarified in advance before visiting;
- How to get there: you can get here either by taxi or by sightseeing bus.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Fee: free;
- How to get there:you can walk here from anywhere in the French Quarter.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: you can get here by tram or walk from the city center.
- Opening hours: 8am to 6pm;
- Price: free;
- How to get there : you can walk from anywhere in the French Quarter.
- Opening hours: every day from 12 noon to 5 pm;
- Fare: Tickets start at $8;
- How to get there: A short walk from the center of the French Quarter.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Fee: free;
- How to get there: a quick walk from downtown New Orleans.
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➤ New Orleans Jazz & Traditional Music Festival
Jazz – one of the symbols of New Orleans. In the French Quarter, on any day of the year, you can hear the jazz busting pouring from numerous cafes and clubs. But April – a special month for lovers of this direction. The end of April and the beginning of May are captured by the spirit of the jazz festival!
The most famous bands perform alongside young performers. Thousands of melodies soar into the air. On the territory where the festival is held, restaurant points are open, where the menu offers gourmet dishes to match the music. Every year people from all over the world flock to the festival! Sometimes it's not crowded here.
➤ Long View House and Gardens
If you want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of past centuries even deeper, then you should visit Long View House and Gardens. This house was built in the middle of the 20th century, more precisely in 1941. For more than 40 years, the Stern family lived in it. Their personal belongings, household items – everything remains in its place and is maintained in almost perfect condition by the museum staff.
A wonderful garden adjoins the house. The best time to visit the mansion – March and April. At this time, the plants in the garden begin to bloom, spreading a heady aroma around. The property hosts a variety of community activities, from group gardening to outdoor yoga classes.
➤ Presbytery
The monumental building was originally built for the needs of the clergy. It is now a functioning museum owned by the Louisiana State Museum. The Presbytery has several permanent exhibitions that contrast strongly with each other. One is dedicated to the colorful Mardi Gras festival, which takes place on the main street of the French Quarter.
The second exhibition will tell you about the hurricanes that quite often hit the city. The presbytery was rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th century, and the reconstruction was completed towards the middle of the century. It was supposed to be a residential building for members of the clergy. But what is interesting, the Presbytery did not function for a single day for its intended purpose.
➤ Preservation Hall
The stylish building of the hall conveys the spirit of the 20th century. Music concerts are held here, which rarely attract many visitors due to the limited space of the hall. The audience often sits on the floor to be closer to the musicians. An amazing atmosphere of New Orleans jazz reigns here, which penetrates the very depths of the soul.
Tickets for concerts must be booked in advance, preferably several days in advance. It's very funny to read reviews that start with an unsightly place with little furniture, and end with calls to visit the lobby, because the quality of the music more than compensates for everything else.
➤ Store Street
The long street is home to many specific shops and pleasant cafes. Life here boils day and night. Although the closer to the evening, the more people flock to the street. In local shops you can find the most unusual and original souvenirs, clothing, figurines and other things. Some stores are downright freaky, but that only adds to the charm of the street. One of the largest and most popular antique centers in the city is also located here.
➤ Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
A cozy museum of sculptures is located on the territory of the City Park. Here you can find a variety of sculptures: from classical compositions to funny and even playful sculptures. What is especially convenient – there are many shops everywhere. Even despite the large number of visitors, finding a place to sit down will not be a problem.
Next to the sculptures, you can find active fountains that provide musical accompaniment to the walk. This is a quiet and cozy place where you can surrender to your thoughts, wander and analyze the sculptures you meet on the way.
➤ New Orleans Museum of Art
The art museum building looks quite simple and modest compared to other houses in New Orleans. The museum was founded at the beginning of the 20th century and is located on the territory of the City Park. The well-known collector Isaac Delgado played a significant role in the early years of the museum's life.
Today, the New Orleans Museum of Art has both permanent and temporary exhibitions, most often devoted to contemporary art. This is the main museum of the city, which every local resident has visited at least once. Here you can see not only art objects, but also historical monuments from different eras and countries.
< li>Fee: check the ticket price before visiting;
➤ Aquarium of the Americas
A huge aquarium complex occupies an extravagant building in downtown New Orleans. The aquarium was opened in the last decade of the 20th century. Here they have collected a huge collection of marine creatures that are related to the waters of New Orleans and adjacent territories. During the tour you will see many species of fish and jellyfish, sharks and rays.
The pride of the – one of the few white alligators in existence that was caught on the banks of the Mississippi River. Tourist tunnels are laid through aquariums. When you walk along the corridor, you get the feeling that you yourself are swimming among the many marine life.
➤ Bayou Sauvage National Forest
– An extremely popular place among both tourists and the local population. This is one of the largest reserves in the United States of America, which stretches over 93 kilometers.
There are many fresh and brackish marshes and, as a result, the corresponding flora and fauna. During the tour, you can watch marsh birds in their natural habitat. The month of visiting should be chosen depending on what you want to see. For example, once a year bald eagles fly here – endangered bird species.
➤ Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
The Lafitte Preserve is located outside of New Orleans, but not far from the city. The swampy area of more than thirty-seven square miles has become a refuge for rare species of animals. The most interesting activity, which annually attracts crowds of tourists on sightseeing buses, – watching alligators in their natural habitat.
The National Historical Park consists of six natural areas separated from each other, each of which is interesting in its own way. A tour of the park will bring pleasure to both sophisticated adults and children.
➤ Royal Street
The famous Royal Street stretches through the French Quarter of New Orleans. The first buildings appeared here in the 18th century, most of them have survived to this day in their original form. Bright facades, delicious smells from cafes, measured jazz pouring from clubs, – Walking along the Royal Street is a real pleasure. Some of the houses are home to art galleries, where you will find both classical displays and exhibitions of contemporary works of art.
➤ Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
The ancient cemetery became world famous after the release of the films “Interview with the Vampire” and Dracula 2000. This is a favorite place for directors who make films about vampires. Picturesque scenes among family crypts have a special enchanting and at the same time frightening atmosphere. There are more than a thousand crypts on the territory of the cemetery, each of which is an outstanding architectural monument.
➤ St. Louis Cathedral
Saint Louis Cathedral was built on the site of three churches that existed at the beginning and at the end of the 18th century. In the 19th century, builders completed work on the central tower of the cathedral, where the bell tower and clock are located. At the end of the 20th century, the cathedral was given the status of a basilica.
➤ Pharmacy Museum
Cones, jars with various ingredients, antique medical instruments – This museum is like a magic shop. However, like any pharmacy shop of the early XX century for a modern resident of a large city. In addition to general-purpose tools, the exhibition presents more highly specialized items, such as dental equipment.
➤ Audubon Park
350 acres of amazingly picturesque grounds, designed for cozy walks alone or in company. Near the park there is an aquarium building and a zoo, which will be equally interesting to visit for both adults and children. In addition, entertainment points can be found within the park. For example, a golf course that was built at the end of the 19th century and then rebuilt in the 21st century.