If You Like…
Architecture
The urban ‘skin’ of New Orleans – her buildings and streetscape – is the most distinctive in the USA.
Royal Street This is quintessential French Quarter: stroll past fine Creole town houses and wonderful iron balconies.
St Charles Avenue Live oak trees shade some of the most beautiful plantation-style mansions in the South, best viewed by streetcar.
Esplanade Avenue Another shady street where the villas are French Caribbean inspired; Degas once lived here.
Coliseum Square Lovely multilevel historical homes from this pretty little park.
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater Lovely, colorful Creole cottages are scattered over this area like candy.
Preservation Resource Center Your one-stop shop, as it were, for learning about the city’s architecture.
Creole Cuisine
The flavors may stem from France, Africa and the Americas, but New Orleans has developed her own cuisine.
Commander’s Palace One of New Orleans’ most legendary restaurants, a proving ground for many a young local chef.
Patois Excellent French cuisine given a New Orleans twist, housed in a wonderfully atmospheric historic home.
Galatoire’s Where the New Orleans elite still gathers every Friday; a restaurant and experience of another era.
Dooky Chase The grand dame of African American New Orleans Creole cooking.
Jacques-Imo’s Café An eclectic twist on Creole traditions.
Free Stuff
You don’t have to spend a lot to soak up the magic of this enchanting city.
Jackson Square One of America’s great town greens and the heart of the Quarter.
Frenchmen Street A ton of fun, especially on weekdays, when the crowds thin out but music still plays.
Mardi Gras No introduction necessary.
New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park Soak up the rich history of jazz here.
Preservation Resource Center Can provide all you need for a self-guided architecture tour.
Sydney & Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden Take a pleasant stroll around 60-odd sculptures.
Green Spaces
Semi-tropical New Orleans fairly bursts with greenery; these are some of the public places where her nature is preserved.
City Park The largest, most beautiful green space in the city of New Orleans.
Bayou St John This waterway is one of the nicest places for a stroll in the city.
Audubon Park A great green lawn overhung by live oak trees in Uptown.
Lafitte Greenway A pedestrian and cycling path that connects some of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods.
The Fly Stroll along the riverside while kids play and pets poke around the trees.
Live Music
No city in the country can match New Orleans for its history and depth of live-music venues.
Tipitina’s Legendary live music in Uptown; heaps of character and atmosphere.
d.b.a. Hosts local legends and international acts of acclaim throughout the week.
Spotted Cat One of the great smoky jazz bars of New Orleans.
Preservation Hall Find wonderful old-school jazz in the heart of the French Quarter.
Hi Ho Lounge Shows range from bluegrass to punk to hip-hop to electronic dance music at this eclectic venue.
AllWays Lounge Come for frontier-pushing music, experimental stuff and damn good dance parties.
Museums
This city is unafraid to have fun, but it’s also unafraid to learn about itself and the world around it.
New Orleans Museum of Art Features both contemporary work and a large archaeological section, plus a gorgeous sculpture garden.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art A mesmerizing peek into the aesthetic of America’s most distinctive geographic region.
Backstreet Cultural Museum Enthralling journey into the street culture of African American New Orleans.
Insectarium Bugs! Fun for kids, but also accessible to adults, especially those with an interest in the animal kingdom.
Le Musée de f.p.c. Learn about the city’s unique demographic, the free people of color.
National WWII Museum This enormous institution provides fascinating insights into the largest armed conflict in history.
The Arts
The arts have always held a deep influence over this unabashedly creative city.
Contemporary Arts Center Regular rotating installations feature at this excellent arts museum.
Royal Street Packed with galleries that showcase the many iterations of local art.
New Orleans Museum of Art Classic landscapes share gallery space with ancient archaeology.
Palace Market A regular showcasing of some of the city’s most creative minds.
Marigny Opera House A funky little performance venue located in an old church.
Saenger Theatre Beautifully restored performance space for all manner of shows.