New Orleans attraksjoner

Royal Street often plays second fiddle to its more-recognizable bigger brother Bourbon Street. And while Bourbon Street has its place and charms, there is a lot more going on along Royal Street for those with a more casual disposition and a more discerning eye.

Known for its art galleries, restaurants, and curio shops, Royal Street is just a block away from the hustle of Bourbon Street, but retains all of the French Quarter character and charm. A shopper paradise, the casual explorer of Royal Street will note the French and Spanish architecture, while those with a photographer’s eye will likely fall in love with the wrought ironwork, the fern-filled courtyards, and the cobblestone and brickwork. Royal Street has something for everybody, which is why many prefer it to Bourbon-just one block over, but a whole world of difference. Take a stroll down Royal Street to see why those that come to the Vieux Carrie fall in love with Royal Street.

Often considered the heart of the Quarter, the New Orleans French Market is the grand bazaar that serves as much as a cultural meeting place as it does a market space. Always something to see, smell, eat, or purchase, the French Market is both a farmer’s market and a flea market that comprises over three centuries of history in six city blocks. Located along North Peters Street and bordered by the Mississippi River, walking the French Market is the best way to get a real feel for both the history of the area and its culinary predilections. Eat spicy boiled crawfish, listen to the bands that play on the corners, get a coffee at the famous Café Du Monde, or shop the local boutiques and curio stalls to your heart’s content. There’s nothing like in anywhere, and walking the streets you feel that New Orleans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Few other places on earth can claim a cemetery as both an interesting tourist destination and a cultural icon. New Orleans’ elevation is technically a negative number, so the early settlers to the area had trouble with the bodies of their recently interned washing away come the summer rains. The settlers quickly learned that the only way to properly keep their dead in place was to build raised cemeteries, and thus the tradition of New Orleans’ raised cemeteries took hold.

Lafayette Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, and this nearly 200 year-old attraction has a history that goes beyond the raised cement graves. Ripe with ghost stories and notable New Orleans elites, the Lafayette Cemetery, as any tour guide will tell you, holds the remains of only “Americans,” while the also popular St. Louis Cemetery houses what is left of the Creoles.

Step behind the scenes for the United States’ biggest and most celebrated Mardi Gras celebration at the New Orleans Mardi Gras World warehouse and event center. Located in picturesque Algiers’ Point, Mardi Gras World takes you on an inside tour of the workshop where artisans delicately craft the intricate floats and elaborate costumes that run parade routes every year and help to make New Orleans a Mecca for Carnival celebration.

No two floats are alike and most take months of fine papier-mâché handicraft and painting in order to be ready for the big day. Fun for families and for anyone who’s ever had a passing interest in seeing the how, where, and why these big rigs come together for the big day will enjoy an outing to the Mardi Gras World.

Located on the outlying border of the famous French Quarter, the Louis Armstrong Park is a lovely 32 acre haven, full of beautiful grassy knolls, lagoons, and cultural auditoriums and structures that are everything jazz.

In the southern corner of the park is the historic Congo Square, a cobblestone laden open space that was used in the 17th century as a gathering point, where African-American slaves came to socialize and make music, one of the earliest signs of African influence in jazz. Behind the square lay a plethora of buildings such as the Mahalia Jackson Center for the Performing Arts, Jazz National Historical Park, and the recently renovated Perseverance Hall, where there is now a jazz exhibit and a line of scheduled performances throughout the year. All these places and more are a testament to Louisiana’s long and prospering music tradition in the face of oppression and hard times.

Located downtown in the French Quarter on the northern side of Jackson Square lies the unassuming yet stately Cabildo Museum. A powerhouse of historical relevance, many argue that the Cabildo Museum is one of the most historically significant buildings in America. Built between 1795 and 1799 to replace a building that burned in the great 1974 fire, the Cabildo served as the seat of New Orleans government during the Spanish Colonial period.

It was here that the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803, almost doubling the size of the United States, and it was also here that the seat of the New Orleans City Council made residence, as well as the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1868-1910. Also here, in this very building, several landmark cases were tried, including the “separate but equal” Plessy v. Ferguson in 1986. Today, the Cabildo Museum is one of the finest living examples of New Orleans’ rich history.

If stone bridges, botanical gardens, sculpture, theme parks, hundreds of centuries-old oak trees and numerous waterways are indicative of a good park, then consider New Orleans City Park one of the best city parks in the world. Over 1300 acres of sprawling land comprises this park, making it the sixth-largest urban park in the United States and a routine stop for family fun. Distinguished by a large menu of activities, whether it’s stopping in the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, renting a boat or bike to see some preserved bayou, walking the sculpture gardens, golfing, playing tennis, fishing, or just relaxing in the park on a picnic, a day spent in New Orleans’ City Park is always a good time.

Came to New Orleans to get a taste of antiquity? Then look no further than the Old Ursuline Convent—the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley. But that’s not all – built in 1752, the convent is also a treasure trove of religious antiquity which features, among other religious treasures, the famous Archdiocese archives.

Not just a documentary museum, this ancient antebellum mansion located in New Orleans Garden District also houses some of the best examples of opulent southern décor. Enter via the Chartres Street entrance and be met with the most beautiful manicured garden in New Orleans, while within the mansion, the first thing you’ll notice is a handcrafted cypress staircase followed by some of the most fascinating oil paintings featuring religious motifs. Other rooms tell the various histories of the Old Ursuline Convent—the building was once an orphanage, a makeshift hospital, and even a temporary residence for traveling bishops.

The only mint in existence to hold the designation of printing both U.S. and Confederate coinage, the Old U.S. Mint has a story all its own. Built in 1835 and a product of Andrew Jackson’s “Bank War,” the Mint was built in the Greek Revival style and houses the history of 1838 until 1909 when minting ceased. Visitors can walk the mint exhibits and then the much applauded New Orleans Mint Performing Arts Center where new Jazz is made and the history of the art form is preserved. Located at the brink of the French Quarter and bordering the now famous Treme district, the Old U.S. Mint is a welcome reprieve from sometimes long days on your feet exploring the nuances of the Quarter, and even houses some great Jazz shows itself.

Located just off Highway 90 in the heart of the Warehouse District lies one of the most enticing, modern, and comprehensive World War II museums in all the country; New Orleans own World War II Museum. Rated a 29/30 on Google and scoring high marks across every major review site, the National World War II Museum (also known as the D-day Museum) explores the lives of the American men and women who took part in World War II through letters, recruitment posters, weapons, film, and even fighter plane replicas and a real Sherman tank.

Famous for its interactive exhibits, the New Orleans WWII Museum decided to take things one-step further and offer a 4-D experience in which chairs vibrate and shake, fog and lights bring the on-screen experience to life in something akin to a history-laden Universal Studios ride. In-line with its on-going efforts to bridge the gap between entertainment and education, the WWII Museum offers its guests a chance to visit the Stage Door Canteen.

Even if you can’t visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras, you can still learn all about the famous New Orleans tradition at the Presbytere. Part of the Louisiana State Museum, the Presbytere 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 Presbytere 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 Presbytere was used as commercial space and even served as a courthouse from 1834 to 1911 before becoming part of the Louisiana State Museum.

Little is more iconic to a native New Orleanian than the towering Superdome. The Superdome has served as a cultural symbol for New Orleans since it was first built in 1967, and has since played host to a number of big New Orleans events including numerous Super Bowls, Sugar Bowls, and even as home to the many displaced during Hurricane Katrina. This marvel of engineering spans 13 massive acres and when the crowd cheers for a sporting event, gives the home team a statistically significant home-field advantage. This is the largest fixed-dome structure in the world, and proud home to the New Orleans Saints.

Ask any tourist about the Faubourg Marigny and you’ll likely be met with blank stares. Ask any local about the Faubourg Marigny, and you’ll hear about one of New Orleans’s most interesting and musically active neighborhoods. A triangular area between Esplanade and Elysian Fields Avenue, this historic New Orleans neighborhood spans only a third of a square mile but has a wildly disproportionate concentration of musical talent.

Long a local secret, national attention landed upon Faubourg Marigny when, after Hurricane Katrina, a new wave of interest in New Orleans began, and with the economic resurgence that filled the land the Marigny neighborhood entered the spotlight as a local place to be and be seen. Historically, the Faubourg Marigny was developed as New Orleans’ second suburb in 1806, and was the first recording neighborhood outside of the famous French Quarter.