Top Attractions in New Orleans

New Orleans is a city that wears its history proudly and celebrates life with an intensity found nowhere else in the United States. The Crescent City rewards those who wander its neighborhoods slowly, savoring every bite, beat, and beautiful balcony along the way.

The French Quarter

The oldest neighborhood in New Orleans is a living museum of wrought-iron balconies, Creole townhouses, and hidden courtyards. While Bourbon Street gets all the attention with its neon-lit bars and live music clubs, the real magic lies on quieter streets like Royal Street, lined with antique shops, art galleries, and street musicians. Jackson Square, anchored by the stunning St. Louis Cathedral, is the heart of the Quarter, surrounded by tarot readers, artists, and the iconic Cafe Du Monde, serving beignets and chicory coffee since 1862.

Garden District

A short streetcar ride from the French Quarter, the Garden District is one of the most beautiful residential neighborhoods in America. Stately antebellum mansions sit behind cast-iron fences draped in jasmine and wisteria. Magazine Street, which borders the neighborhood, stretches for six miles and is packed with boutiques, restaurants, and galleries. Take a walking tour to learn the stories behind the grand homes, then visit Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, an atmospheric above-ground burial ground dating to 1833.

National WWII Museum

Consistently ranked as one of the best museums in the world, the National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience during the war through immersive exhibits, personal testimonies, and an extraordinary collection of artifacts. The museum spans multiple pavilions and includes a 4D theater experience narrated by Tom Hanks. Plan to spend at least half a day here, and do not miss the rooftop bar at The Higgins Hotel next door for cocktails with a view.

City Park and the Sculpture Garden

Spanning 1,300 acres, City Park is one of the oldest and largest urban parks in the country. Its ancient live oak trees, some over 800 years old, create a canopy of green that feels almost mystical. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features over 90 works set among lagoons and moss-draped oaks. The park also houses the New Orleans Museum of Art, Storyland playground, paddleboats, and a miniature golf course.

Food and Dining Scene

New Orleans may have the richest food culture of any American city. Creole and Cajun traditions form the foundation, but the cuisine has evolved through centuries of French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Vietnamese influences. Start your morning with beignets at Cafe Du Monde or a full Creole breakfast at Brennan's, where bananas Foster was invented.

For a quintessential New Orleans lunch, grab a muffuletta at Central Grocery on Decatur Street or a roast beef po'boy dressed with gravy and debris from Parkway Bakery and Tavern in Mid-City. For fine dining, Commander's Palace in the Garden District has been a culinary landmark since 1893, famous for its turtle soup, jazz brunch, and 25-cent martini lunches. Dooky Chase's Restaurant in Treme serves legendary Creole soul food, carrying on the tradition of the late Leah Chase. The Vietnamese community in New Orleans East has also created an incredible food scene, with Dong Phuong Bakery producing some of the best banh mi in the country.

Outdoor Activities

While New Orleans is known for its indoor pleasures, the city and surrounding bayou country offer unique outdoor experiences.

  • Swamp Tours: Take a guided boat tour through the bayous and swamps surrounding the city to see alligators, herons, turtles, and cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Many tours depart from the Barataria Preserve, part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park.
  • Biking the Lafitte Greenway: This 2.6-mile paved trail connects the French Quarter to Bayou St. John, passing through Mid-City and offering a car-free route through the heart of the city. At Bayou St. John, locals gather for picnics and kayaking.
  • Audubon Park: Located in Uptown near Tulane and Loyola Universities, this beautiful park features a 1.8-mile jogging path beneath ancient oak trees, a golf course, and Audubon Zoo, home to Louisiana native wildlife and a famous white alligator.
  • St. Charles Streetcar: Ride the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world through the Garden District and Uptown, passing mansions, universities, and centuries-old oak trees. It is both transportation and a scenic activity in itself.

Nightlife and Entertainment

New Orleans invented jazz and continues to be one of the greatest live music cities on earth. Frenchmen Street in the Marigny neighborhood is the locals' alternative to Bourbon Street, with clubs like the Spotted Cat Music Club, d.b.a., and the Maison offering live jazz, brass bands, funk, and blues every night of the week with little or no cover charge.

Preservation Hall in the French Quarter has been showcasing traditional New Orleans jazz in an intimate, no-frills setting since 1961. For a more modern scene, check out Tipitina's in Uptown, the legendary venue that has hosted everyone from Professor Longhair to the Neville Brothers. The Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel is the birthplace of the Sazerac cocktail and one of the most beautiful bars in the country. Late-night brass band sets at the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street are a rite of passage for locals and visitors alike.

Hidden Gems

Backstreet Cultural Museum

Located in the Treme neighborhood, the oldest African American neighborhood in the country, this small museum documents the traditions of Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, second line parades, and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs. The hand-sewn Mardi Gras Indian suits on display are breathtaking works of art that take up to a year to create.

Bacchanal Wine

Tucked in the Bywater neighborhood, Bacchanal is part wine shop, part restaurant, part backyard music venue. Grab a bottle of wine and a cheese plate inside, then head to the lush courtyard garden where live bands play under string lights. It is one of the most romantic and relaxed spots in the city.

Crescent Park

This 1.4-mile linear park along the Mississippi River in the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods offers elevated walking paths, native plantings, and stunning views of the river and the downtown skyline. The Rusty Rainbow Bridge, a dramatic arched pedestrian bridge, serves as a memorable entrance. It is a peaceful escape that most tourists never discover.