Things To Do - New Orleans
New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in the world with its interesting mix of cultures over the past couple hundred years, delicious Creole food, jazz music, Mardi Gras revelry, and voodoo ghost tales.
You could visit this city many times over and get a whole different experience each time!
On top of it all, New Orleans is perfect for solo travelers, couples, groups of friends, families, kids, and business travelers!
Here are some of our favorite things to do in New Orleans:
Jackson Square
Named after President Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, this postcard-pretty square is located in one of the oldest parts of the city and is anchored by the iconic St Loius Cathedral.
Jackson Square is also one of the main gathering points for locals and tourists alike with plenty of street performers, musicians, artists, and fortune tellers adding to the special magic of the place.
Another reason people come here is for the world-famous Cafe du Monde and its delicious beignets. For fantastic Creole food, the delicious Tableau restaurant is just nearby.
If you like historical museums, the Cabildo (formerly the seat of Spanish rule) has an extensive collection of artifacts on the history of New Orleans.
French Quarter
The birthplace of Jazz music, home of the raucous Mardi Gras festival, and full of French Creole-style architecture - the French Quarter is a must-see for anyone visiting New Orleans.
There is also plenty of delicious food in the French Quarter ranging from Cajun-style boiled crawfish to some of the best French Creole food in the world.
If you’re looking for spooky Voodoo shops or shops showcasing the beautiful Mardi Gras masks, there’s plenty of them sprinkled throughout such as Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo or Maskarade.
Also, for those who like exploring the history of cocktails, the Sazerac Bar is the birthplace of the famous drink and offers a fantastic tour including a drink at the end!
Also, don’t miss the dazzling Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone!
Garden District
If you want a fun and free activity while seeing some of the famous New Orleans mansions - a walk around the Garden District is a great choice.
A convenient way to get there is with the charming St. Charles Street Car.
You’ll get off at the St. Charles and Washington stop, head to Prytania Street, and walk east.
This street has a large collection of beautiful houses including the house with the cornstalk fence, Women’s Opera Guild Home, and the Gilmour Parker House.
Keep going until you hit Jackson, turn right, and then you’ll see the gorgeous Buckner Mansion.
When you hit Coliseum, go west and along this street, you’ll see the Seven Sisters, Caroll Crawford House, Rice Brevard House, and then eventually the famous restaurant Commanders Palace.
From here, you can wander around the neighborhood to see more houses or turn south for Magazine Street, which is retail therapy heaven!
Ride a streetcar
One of the coolest things about New Orleans is the stylish and super convenient streetcars that criss-cross the city. It’s hard to find good public transport in most American cities, so I was very impressed by how useful these were.
It’s best to download the New Orleans RTA app which you can use to track the streetcars and pay via your phone when boarding.
We used them many times to get to some of the outer reaches of New Orleans such as New Orleans City Park and Audubon Park.
Swamp Tour
One of the most fun, family-friendly activities in New Orleans - taking a Swamp Tour is a great way to see an important ecological and cultural icon of the area.
The history of the swamp is important since the Cajuns, who are descendants of French Canadian refugees, flourished in the bayou when they moved here in the late 1700s.
We loved the easygoing pontoons with the rooftops vs the fast-moving, noisy hydrofoil boats because you could move around to different sides of the pontoon to observe the wildlife and fauna.
The swamp tour driver will most likely draw some gators to the boat with, believe or not, marshmallows. The gators are pretty adorable when they swim over - they almost resemble tiny pets as they swim over with their wagging tails.
The swamp tour is especially great for families and kids and is one of the most popular things to do.
This and many of New Orlean’s best attractions are part of the City Pass New Orleans.
Oak Valley Plantation
One of the best-preserved and most photogenic plantations in Louisiana, the Oak Valley Plantation is a slice of American history that is worth checking out.
For starters, there is no better tree tunnel than the one framing the front lawn of the house.
During the Plantation Tour, the guides dress up in the clothes of the time and give all sorts of interesting historical tidbits. They also don’t shy away from talking about the dark historical past of slavery, which the plantation had several of.
Later on, you’re free to roam around the grounds and join the tour of the slave sheds to see the conditions they lived in.
I’ll admit it felt wrong at times to see how beautiful the plantation and the perfectly manicured grounds were in contrast to the slave sheds, but the plantation is meant to be a living museum so visitors could see a slice of life back in the day.
You can also stay overnight in the plantation, which is great in the early morning and evening hours when all the visitors have departed.
National WWII Museum
Even though I knew that it was one of the most highly rated attractions on TripAdvisor, Google, and Yelp, I wasn’t expecting the National WWII Museum to be such an amazing experience!
The museum itself is gigantic, spanning five large, cavernous buildings!
You’ll need at least half a day to go through the museum - we could easily see a full day here.
The exhibits are broken down into several areas such as the buildup to the war, D-Day, European and Pacific Theaters, Road to Berlin, Road to Tokyo, and many more.
We were stunned by the amount of detail and care put into all the exhibits - with fair coverage given to all sides of the war be it German, American, or Japanese.
There is a nice mix of audio, video, and plenty of well-preserved historical artifacts to see. Even if you’re not into war history or museums, I think this museum is great for all types of people.
Jazz
Being the birthplace of Jazz music, it would be a crime not to catch a jazz show while visiting New Orleans. There are plenty of places to hear jazz music - here are some of our favorites:
The Spotted Cat Music Club in the Faubourg Marigny is a legendary spot for jazz. Definitely check out their schedule before heading by as they tend to get packed when a popular musician is playing.
Jazz funerals are one of the unique things of New Orleans you won’t find anywhere else. If you’re lucky enough to see one, expect to see one of the most colorful, raucous, and interesting funerals you’ve ever been to.
For a different kind of Sunday Church service, swing by a Jazz Sunday at Saint Augustine Church from 10 am until noon.
Bywater District
One of the most colorful neighborhoods in New Orleans, you’ll find a beautiful blend of French, Spanish, and Caribbean-styled houses here.
The area has been in a constant stage of change ever since Katrina hit, with new people moving into the neighborhood due to its prominent location near the French Quarter.
There’s plenty of character here - it’s very much worth it to get out of the normal tourist area and walk around a bit in the Bywater.
Some recommendations to check out would be Studio Be, JAMNOLA, The Country Club, Bywater Bakery, Dr. Bob Folk Art, and Saint Germain.
Backstreet Cultural Museum
The Backstreet Cultural Museum is a fascinating look into the culture and history of the Mardi Gras Indians.
What are the Mardi Gras Indians? Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, a bond formed between the local Native American tribes and Africans. Over time this manifested itself in the colorful costumes you see during Mardi Gras, jazz funerals, and other traditions only found in New Orleans.
In the museum, many of the most spectacular costumes are on display as well as the history behind it all. The place is very small but very well worth it - you won’t see anything like this anywhere else.
While we were there, a jazz funeral procession nearby was starting up - so we were able to attend it and walk alongside. It really was like nothing we’ve ever experienced!
Audubon Park
350 acres of green serenity, the Audubon Park was designed by the Olmsted Family, who is famous for designing Manhattan’s Central Park. It’s named after John Audubon, one of the world’s most famous bird experts. The world-famous Audubon Zoo is also located here.
The park is right next to Loyola and Tulane University with many jogging trails, ancient oak trees, and plenty of peaceful corners to hide away in.
We loved strolling around, looking at all the interesting vegetation, and just absorbing in all the beautiful nature.
If you have the time, it’s definitely worth a weekend walk around this park!
Shopping on Magazine St
For some of the best shopping in New Orleans, you need to check out this 6 mile stretch of the city's best boutique shops, galleries, and cafes.
A good place to start is the intersection of Magazine Street and St Andrew Street, heading west.
Bring some comfortable walking shoes if you intend to walk the whole street or feel free to just browse a small slice of the shops!
Some of our favorite shops and restaurants were Century Girl Vintage, Octavia Books, The Vintage, CR Coffee Shop, and Le Petite Grocery.
Frenchmen Street
Located in the happening Marigny District, this street is the place to go for live Jazz music! You’ll find a large array of live music venues and feel a buzz in the air from all the excitement.
Some of the best venues to check out are The Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, d.b.a, and Blue Nile.
For some interesting Cajun Creole inspired hot dogs, make sure to check out Dat Dog.
Another great thing about Frenchmen Street is that you’ll find a better mix of locals and tourists here versus the French Quarter.
New Orleans City Park
Another popular park with the locals, the New Orleans City Park has many interesting things to see.
The Singing Oak is a large live oak tree with many wind chimes placed all over its branches. When it’s windy enough, you’ll be serenaded by the musical chorus of chimes.
The New Orleans Museum of Art is one of the city’s largest and oldest museums with many interesting works of art.
You can find a large concentration of live oaks at the Roosevelt Mall.
There is also an interesting Botanical Garden, an amusement park for children called Storyland, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
Mardi Gras World
If you love the floats and costumes of Mardi Gras, you have to check out Mardi Gras World! In this giant museum warehouse, you’ll be able to walk amongst some of the most colorful and famous floats, characters, and costumes from many years past!
On top of it all, it’s also a live workplace where many artists are actively working on future Mardi Gras artwork. I loved being able to chat with them and ask about the pieces they were working on!
Recommended for families and kids!