Things to do in New Orleans
19 extraordinary things to do in New Orleans
Whether you’re passing through for a few days or planning a longer stay, there are plenty of things to see and do in New Orleans that will keep you entertained. The city’s also known as ‘The Big Easy’, and while live music is the main draw for many holidaymakers, there’s a feast of other attractions that will strike a chord with you.
While lots of modern cities may look similar with their tall buildings and familiar coffee shops and stores on the main streets, New Orleans is refreshingly different. The French Quarter is home to an incredible range of shops, bars, restaurants, sights and architecture that help create an atmosphere and way of life you won’t find anywhere else. Settle into the sedate pace of local life and look forward to exploring the many sounds and tastes that New Orleans serves up year-round.
The Mardi Gras Carnival at the start of each year is a captivating celebration. And when you add in the flavours of the local Creole cuisine, cocktails such as the famous Sazerac, and the buoyant Bourbon Street nightlife, you’ve got the recipe for a great holiday in New Orleans.
New Orleans is also home to many museums and parks, and of course, there’s the opportunity to get out onto the water on a Mississippi River cruise for a different perspective of the city. We’ve picked out some of our favourite spots in ‘The Big Easy’ below to whet your appetite for an awesome American adventure in Louisiana.
Mardi Gras Carnival
The origins of the New Orleans Mardi Gras can be traced back to March 1699. The official start of this famous carnival is the 6th of January each year, and it runs until the end of ‘Fat Tuesday’, more commonly referred to as Shrove Tuesday - when the celebrations are in full swing.
If you’ve never witnessed the incredible vibe, colours and party atmosphere of Mardi Gras before, we’d highly recommend adding it to your ‘must-see’ list. It’s a wonderful way to let your hair down, have a lot of fun and experience a little slice of history in an energetic and exciting way.
The amount of work that goes into the preparations for Mardi Gras is astonishing. It pretty much never stops with plans being out in place for the following year as soon as the current carnival comes to an end. You can see this attention to detail burst into life through the purple, gold and green costumes, masks and floats.
Regardless of the time of year you’re visiting New Orleans; you can get a glimpse behind the scenes of what goes into creating the magnificent floats at Mardi Gras World. This studio and museum also tells the fascinating history of the festival and provides a flavour of the carnival’s traditions and unique culture. This carnival is certainly one of the best things to see and do in New Orleans.
The French Quarter
The French Quarter in New Orleans was established over 300 years ago in 1718. It’s the city’s oldest neighbourhood and a great place to stay for easy access to many of the most popular attractions. We’ll explore some of these below, but bear in mind this area has so much to offer; we can’t cover it all here.
The French Quarter Festival
Every April, this free festival celebrates the finest local music, food and drink. French Quarter Fest started out in 1984 and has grown to become a highlight of the New Orleans calendar for locals and holiday makers alike.
It’s geared up for all ages and musical tastes, featuring genres such as jazz, R&B, funk, folk, gospel and more being performed live on over 20 stages. Food and drinks are served in various locations in the French Quarter, so you can enjoy a tasty treat to the background of fantastic music.
The French Market
A New Orleans mainstay since 1791, the French Market District is a way of life in this part of Louisiana. No New Orleans holiday is complete without a leisurely stroll to savour the sights, sounds and tastes of the stalls, restaurants, festivals and events.
Before or after exploring the French Market District, a pit stop at Café Du Monde is a must. Its café au lait and beignets (fried dough covered with powdered sugar) are unmissable, and you can watch the world go by as you chat about where to visit next.
Royal Street
Royal Street is steeped in New Orleans history - being one of the city’s original thoroughfares. But, while it runs parallel with its more notorious neighbour, Bourbon Street, it enjoys a much more laid-back vibe with luxury hotels, art galleries, shops and street performers filling the air with gentle music.
This is a great place to stay during your trip to ‘The Big Easy’ as it’s well situated for several of the most-visited neighbourhoods and attractions. So wander out of your hotel lobby, stop for a coffee and browse the many boutiques and antique shops in search of a bargain or a souvenir to remember your trip by.
Bourbon Street
Whether you’ve been to New Orleans before or not, you’ll almost certainly have heard of Bourbon Street. This iconic destination is renowned for its nightlife, live jazz & blues music and rowdy party atmosphere. Bourbon Street plays an important role in many New Orleans festivals, including Mardi Gras and French Quarter Fest. Enjoying a night out on Bourbon Street can be a real eye-opener, but it’s definitely worth checking out.
While it’s a bustling place to be in the evenings, taking a trip down Bourbon Street during the daytime provides an altogether different experience. There’s a diverse range of restaurants, shops and intriguing antique stores to enjoy, as well as the 18th and 19th-century buildings that reflect the city’s Creole, French and Spanish influences.
Preservation Hall
Used as a performance space since the early 1960s, Preservation Hall is the beating heart of live music in the French Quarter of New Orleans. With acoustic live jazz concerts from local musicians almost every night of the year, you can tune into the authentic sound of the city in the wonderful surroundings of an old Creole townhouse during your holiday. Look forward to enjoying a few drinks, discovering new artists and meeting some amazing characters with fascinating stories to tell.
Jackson Square
Jackson Square is a public park located in the heart of the French Quarter. The 2.5 acres offer plenty of things to see and do in New Orleans, including shopping, listening to and watching street performers, appreciating the architecture, enjoying views over the Mississippi with a coffee and sampling some flavoursome local food.
The bronze statue on horseback in Jackson Square depicts General Andrew Jackson, who led troops in the Battle of New Orleans. The 15-tonne sculpture was dedicated to him on the 38th anniversary of the battle in 1853.
The Cabildo is located on Chartres Street with Jackson Square. This magnificent museum, set in a stylish Spanish colonial building, provides an oasis of calm and an engaging glimpse into New Orlean history and culture. The building has its own interesting past, which dates back to the late 18th century.
St. Louis Cathedral
The stunning St. Louis Cathedral was built in 1727 and lays claim to being the oldest continually active Roman Catholic Cathedral in America. It takes its name from being dedicated to King Louis IX - the French Monarch.
Whether you want to take photos of its beautiful exterior or go inside to marvel at the various artworks and stained-glass windows, the cathedral will leave a positive impression on you as you make your way through Jackson Square.
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
One of the many unique and best things to do in New Orleans comes in the form of the city’s historic voodoo museum. Located on Dumaine Street, it’s been entertaining and informing visitors from all over the world since 1972.
Not many holidaymakers are familiar with the history of voodoo in ‘The Big Easy’, so if you’re looking for an affordable, eye-opening experience off the beaten track, this quirky attraction in the French Quarter will deliver more than a few surprises.
Garden District
The Garden District in New Orleans is a stylish neighbourhood with many amazing mansion houses, plants & flowers, classy boutiques, galleries and renowned eateries. It’s worth booking a walking tour around the Garden District to learn more about the architecture, its history and some of the celebrities who have homes here. New Orleans is definitely a city of contrasts.
If you spend a few hours in the bars of Bourbon Street and then stroll through the Garden District the following morning, you’ll see exactly what we mean. It’s a huge selling point, though, because it means you can get the best of all worlds and create a variety of memories to take back home.
Magazine Street
Spending at least one day taking in the six-mile stretch of shops, bars, galleries, museums, restaurants, and more that make up Magazine Street is an absolute must during your trip to New Orleans.
We simply don’t have space to go into everything you’ll find on Magazine Street here, but rest assured; it has an incredible variety of experiences to offer. For example, you might want to buy a new outfit from a local fashion designer, get a tattoo to commemorate your holiday, go bargain hunting in the many antique stores, or just sample as many of the local delicacies as possible as you make your way down this terrific thoroughfare.
Sazerac House
If you’re partial to a cocktail or two or just want to try something new on holiday, you should add Sazerac House to your New Orleans itinerary. In June 2008, the Sazerac was designated the official cocktail of the city, and at the historic house bearing its name, you can learn more about its history, how the component parts are made, and, best of all, sample an authentic and carefully crafted Sazerac and other cocktails for yourself. There’s also a shop on-site, so you can grab a bottle of your favourite spirits and take them home to share with your friends.
National WWII Museum
Since opening on June 6th, 2000, over two million visitors have passed through the doors of the National WWII Museum. It’s one of the most popular things to see and do in New Orleans and depicts the stories, people and artefacts behind many of the headlines of the time.
There are countless interactive exhibits, poignant photographs and live events to explore, which bring the history, significance, horror and hope of WWII to life in a compelling and engaging way. Whether you’re into military history or not, you can’t fail to be moved by the many tales of war and the impact it had on people, not only in America but across the entire world.
You find the National WWII Museum in the city’s historic Warehouse District on Andrew Higgins Drive, which lies between Magazine Street and Camp Street. As this attraction is popular year-round, we’d recommend booking your tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment when you’re holidaying in New Orleans.
Audubon Zoo
Also on Magazine Street is Audubon Zoo. It first opened its doors over 100 years ago, in 1914. At 58 acres, it’s a huge space with more than enough to see and do to fill a whole day. Whether you’re on holiday in New Orleans with young children or as a couple, Audubon Zoo is a great way to spend some quality time away from the city surrounded by nature.
Some of the creatures you’ll come across include alligators, lions, elephants, flamingos, wolves, rhinos and monkeys. There are plenty of attractions within the zoo, including the swamp train and the Bambu Village Asian Discover trail. Cool Zoo is a firm favourite with kids of all ages. This massive water park within the grounds is a great place to meet new friends, have fun in the sun and enjoy a thrilling break from seeing all the awesome animals. You can also take the weight off your feet and enjoy a spot of lunch in the shade when you’ve had a busy morning.
There are over 2,000 animals that call the Audubon Zoo home. Within that total, there are approximately 300 species, including many endangered in their native countries and habitats.
City Park
To give you an idea of the sheer scale of City Park, it’s about 50% bigger than Central Park in New York. Some other impressive numbers include the park being over 170 years old and taking up 1,300 acres of land.
As well as lush gardens, playgrounds and walking trails, the park is used for several sporting activities such as golf, tennis and cycling. So whether you want to escape the buzz of the city for a leisurely picnic or work up more of a sweat, City Park caters for everyone.
Louisiana Children’s Museum relocated to the park in 2019 and has a fantastic selection of indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits to keep kids of all ages entertained and curious while having fun.
New Orleans Museum of Art
From one museum to another - the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) has over a century of history in City Park, having opened in 1911. Your imagination will be captivated and fired by over 40,000 items on display here, ranging from African and Native American Art to photography, sculptures and textiles. The NOMA is packed full of history, creativity and culture, making it one of the city’s most-visited tourist attractions.
The fact it’s located in City Park only adds to its appeal. Spending a day in the park is a world away from some of the busiest streets in New Orleans, but the great thing is that it’s close by, so you can split your time depending on your interests and the weather.
The NOMA is also home to many events across the arts, wellbeing and fundraising, so it’s worth checking the website to see what’s going to be on during your stay in the city.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Many of the best things to see and do in New Orleans involve the great outdoors. The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Reserve includes six different sites, two of which are within easy reach of New Orleans.
Barataria Preserve is less than 20 miles from the city. Exploring these wetlands and looking out for the various creatures that call it home (alligators, birds and deer, to name a few) is a magical experience. You can book an organised tour in advance or see things at your own pace. However you decide to visit, you certainly won’t be disappointed as you enjoy a small section of the 26,000 acres covered by the preserve.
If history is more your thing, you won’t want to miss a trip to the Chalmette Battlefield - the site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The imposing Chalmette Monument reaches 100 feet up into the sky, and its observation deck gives a birds-eye view of the battlefield as well as scenic vistas over the Mississippi River and to ‘The Big Easy’ in the distance. You’ll also find Chalmette National Cemetery on the same 143-acre grounds where more than 16,000 American troops are laid to rest.
Making your way down the majestic Mississippi
Cruising the Mississippi River is the perfect way to unwind from the hectic pace of modern life and all its trappings. Enjoy a daytime or evening jazz cruise with local dishes such as chicken and sausage gumbo and bayou seafood pasta aboard the Riverboat City of New Orleans.
You might want to set sail for a romantic way to round off your New Orleans trip in style or to simply enjoy a different perspective of the city from the river that winds its way through this unforgettable American city. Either way, there’s something about a relaxing river cruise that’s hard to put into words. It’s sure to be one of the many highlights of your time in Louisiana.
And that’s a wonderful way to wrap up this article on some of our favourite things to see and do in New Orleans. We’ve barely scratched the surface of ‘The Big Easy’ here, but the places and attractions above are a great starting point for your holiday in this characterful and
Many people come to New Orleans for the live music but fall in love with the entire city and everything it has to offer. As we mentioned earlier, it’s a city of contrasts, from its raucous nightlife and festivals to serene parks, architecture and places to enjoy the wonder of nature.
It’s easy to see why an estimated 19 million people come to the city each year. Visiting the city as part of a New Orleans Multi Centre holiday makes for an unforgettable US experience.
Get in touch with us today to chat about New Orleans becoming your next holiday destination.
