New Orleans attractions

The St. Louis Cemetery consists of three cemeteries, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is New Orleans’ oldest and most famous resting place. On the National Register of Historic Places, the Roman Catholic cemetery was established in 1789, and most of the graves and vaults are above ground.

The oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley, the Old Ursuline Convent also once functioned as a school for girls, a hospital, and an orphanage. Its rich collection of devotional art and artifacts makes it a treasure of New Orleans’s Catholic community, while ghost hunters routinely investigate the site for reports of paranormal activity.

With 4,000+ works by local artists, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans is one of the premier destinations for Southern art in the United States. Established in 1999 and named after local businessman and art lover Roger Ogden who donated 600 works of art to the collection, the museum covers paintings, sculpture, and photography.

With interactive exhibits, plus an extensive selection of memorabilia and machines used in the D-Day landings, the National WWII Museum offers a fascinating insight into the USA’s role in the Second World War. Learn all about the planning that went into the landings and see what life was like for the men and women involved in the war.

A Garden District alternative to the tourist-trafficked French Quarter, this 6-mile (10-kilometer street is known for its stash of antique stores, independent shops, galleries, and bars. It's popular with both visitors and locals as a place to stroll, hunt for one-of-a-kind treasures, and indulge in authentic Creole cuisine. 

Named for a legendary 19th-century pirate, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve includes six sites scattered throughout Louisiana that offer outdoor activities, history lessons, swamp tours, and more. See them on an airboat tour of Barataria Preserve in Marrero—a 26,000-acre (10,521-hectare) wetland rich in wildlife.

Bourbon Street may hog the spotlight, but in New Orleans, the real party is on Frenchmen Street. This little three-block section of the French Quarter is home to the numerous music venues and dance halls that have put New Orleans’ 7th Ward on the map. Order a drink “to go,” and pop in and out of a variety of venues like the locals do.

A powerhouse of historical relevance, the stately Cabildo on Jackson Square served as the seat of New Orleans government during the Spanish Colonial period and was the signing site of Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Today, it’s home to a museum showcasing Louisiana’s early history through original artifacts, photos, and exhibits. 

Home to the New Orleans Saints football team, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (also known as the New Orleans Superdome) is the state's premier sporting and concert venue, regularly hosting the Super Bowl, college basketball Final Four games, and big-name music concerts.

Steeped in history, the Laura Plantation lies just outside of New Orleans. Originally built in 1804 by a French naval veteran of the American Revolution, the plantation was erected on the site of a former village of the Colapissa tribe. The Creole-owned sugar plantation is now known for its extensive exhibitions on slavery and the South.

One of New Orleans’ favorite live music venues, Preservation Hall sits in the heart of the French Quarter and is known for its Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Dating back to 1961, the hall boasts a festive and intimate atmosphere,and crowds pack in the door every night to hear some of the city’s best music.

The only mint that printed both U.S. and Confederate coinage, the Old U.S. Mint today houses several exhibits. Learn about the former mint’s coin production, as well as New Orleans Jazz history during a visit (the site doubles as a destination for music lovers. It was built in 1835 as part of Andrew Jackson’s “Bank War,” an effort to eliminate national banks in favor of state banks.

A hotbed of musical talent, this historic New Orleans neighborhood is one of the best spots in the city to catch a live show. Dating back to the early 1800s, Faubourg Marigny is a nightlife destination popular with locals looking for authentic jazz and blues without the French Quarter crowds.

Showcasing the wealth of marine life found throughout North and South America, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is a must-visit destination for nature lovers. From the colorful recreated Caribbean reef to a penguin colony, there’s plenty to entertain all age groups.

Dive into America’s Civil War history, follow events through the eyes of Confederate soldiers, and pore over authentic Civil War artifacts at New Orleans’ Confederate Memorial Hall Museum. Through memorable accounts and in-depth exhibitions, Louisiana’s oldest museum provides insight into the war that shaped the American South.

Step inside the colorful life of New Orleans at Mardi Gras World. The annual Mardi Gras festival is as much a part of the fabric of the city as jazz music and the Mississippi River. This fun and informative museum brings together a dazzling collection of floats and costumes from the event.

Even if you can’t visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras, you can still learn all about the famous New Orleans tradition at The Presbytère. Part of the Louisiana State Museum, The Presbytère boasts an interactive exhibition that includes an impressive collection of Mardi Gras artifacts and memorabilia."Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana," documents the celebration’s extensive history, from its origins to present day traditions. Visitors also learn about Mardi Gras events in Louisiana’s rural areas.The Presbytère building has a unique history of its own. It gets its name from its location. It is built on the site of the residence, or presbytere, of the Capuchin monks. It was designed in 1791 to match the Cabildo on the other side of St. Louis Cathedral. The Presbytère was used as commercial space and even served as a courthouse from 1834 to 1911 before becoming part of the Louisiana State Museum.

Hit hard by the floods of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood is still dotted with abandoned houses and empty lots. Despite these reminders of the disaster in this working-class and predominantly African-American neighborhood, the vibe in the area today is one of hope, inspiration, and resilience.

The top-rated school of its kind in the city, the New Orleans School of Cooking earns rave reviews for its hands-on classes that dish up signature Creole and Cajun dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and pralines. Chef instructors offer expert tips and tricks so that guests can whip up an authentic taste of New Orleans back in their home kitchens.

Located 25 miles (40 kilometers) upriver from New Orleans, Destrehan Plantation is the oldest documented plantation house in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Learn about life in the antebellum South while wandering the grounds among ancient oak trees.

Located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Beauregard-Keyes House is an historic residence and museum dedicated to the home’s famous residents—Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard and American author Frances Parkinson Keyes—who lived at the house almost a hundred years apart.

The Whitney Plantation was one of the most infamous plantation estates in Louisiana, having housed some 60 slaves between 1819 and 1860. Today, the site serves as one of the only slavery memorial museums in the United States, having opened in 2014. Through original period buildings, art exhibits, and first-person narratives, visitors can gain an understanding of the lives of slaves in 19th-century America.

Known as the “Crown Jewel” of Louisiana’s River Road, Houmas House is a former sugar plantation-turned-museum. A trip here allows visitors to step into the shoes of a wealthy sugar baron in the 1800s. The impressive house has been restored to its former glory, and there are expansive grounds to enjoy.

One of the last few remaining sugar plantations in the South, St. Joseph Plantation is a must-visit for anyone looking for an authentic Southern experience. Built in 1830, the largely preserved house offers a fascinating look into plantation life in pre-Civil War America, when the sugar industry was booming.

Once a massive plantation, Audubon Park is now one of the greatest expanses of open land in New Orleans. Home to sports fields, picnic and playground facilities, a golf course, jogging and biking tracks, and lush lagoons, Audubon Park is where locals and tourists head when they need a breath of fresh air or time to stretch their legs.

One of the oldest squares in New Orleans and still one of the city’s best venues for a day outside in the sun, this compact urban park has hosted countless inaugurations, civic events, and music festivals since 1788. Lafayette Square becomes a lively entertainment destination every fall and spring during two annual music festivals.

Set in the heart of the city known for its voodoo spirits and rituals, the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is packed with altars, eerie statues, and voodoo dolls. Among the hodgepodge of mystical items, you’ll also find historic exhibits and details on the evolution of New Orleans’ voodoo reputation.

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) has one of the biggest art collections in the American South, with an impressive selection of French, Japanese, American, and African art, as well as the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Visitors stroll the gardens, explore the permanent collection, and attend oany of the many interesting temporary exhibits.

Established in the late 19th century as the official red-light district of New Orleans, Storyville was once the city’s most notorious neighborhood, known for is brothels, saloons, and other houses of ill repute. The district was shuttered by the US government at the outset of World War I, and today is the site of numerous housing developments.

The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC seeks to record and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Gulf Shore, with its Creole, Cajun, French Acadian, Spanish, French, Haitian, and Afro-Caribbean influences. The site comprises 13 historic French Quarter buildings showcasing historic photos and documents.