New Orleans Destination Guide

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Things to See & Do
Guide to Sightseeing in New Orleans

The ghost capital of the United States and the home of the continent's biggest annual street party, New Orleans has always been something of a place apart from the rest of the nation, and has long had an almost mythical status. Voodoo, jazz and a European ambience that you won't find anywhere else in the central United States all go to create a truly unique experience.

Jackson Square

Jackson Square is considered to be the very heart of New Orleans. At the centre of the historic French Quarter it is surrounded by the finest and most interesting buildings in the city, including the 1850 House and the Cabildo. The Cabildo dates from the late 18th century and was once the seat of the Spanish colonial governor. The signing of the Louisiana Purchase took place here in 1803. The 1850 house, it is no surprise to learn, was built in 1850 by a Spanish colonial family to a Parisian style that is typical of the elegant French Quarter. Both are now run by the Louisiana State Museum.

The St Louis Cathedral dominates the square. Built in the mid-19th century, on the site of several previous cathedral churches, it is a marvellous European style basilica.

The square itself is also worth exploring, with its central garden and statue of General Andrew Jackson - the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. The walkway and iron balustrade that encircles the garden is the home of many street artists, tarot readers, and New Orleans blues and jazz singers.

Bourbon St and The French Quarter

The French Quarter is the most famous part of New Orleans, and what most people consider the "true" city. Oriented around elegant Jackson Square it is a maze of streets lined with colonial mansions and town houses. The much photographed iron balustrades that front the balconies are a defining image of the city, and plenty of people spend their time in New Orleans simply browsing the shops and bars here.

Bourbon St is the central thoroughfare. Although it can be a little bit tacky it is still worth wandering down its length to see the well-worn tourist spots such as Lafitte's Blacksmith's shop. Royal St is more elevated, with refined shops selling top-quality expensive jewellery and antiques. However, the more rewarding parts of the French Quarter are the numerous narrow streets and alleys, such as Pirates Alley north of Jackson Square near the cathedral, where you can still get the sense of discovering the city for yourself.

Besides the simple pleasures of wandering the quarter there are numerous museums and places to visit, including the Conti Wax Museum and the Napoleon House. Up in the north of the quarter the Voodoo Temple and the St Louis graveyards always draw those visitors fascinated with the city's ghoulish side.

Louisiana Swamps

The Louisiana swamps that surround New Orleans and the Mississippi are rich in wildlife, and offer some unique scenery that make a half-day trip out of the city well worthwhile.

Swamp boats offer floating tours of the area, starting only a short bus ride across the Mississippi River from the city centre. Tour guides on board tell you the history of the region, including the incredible Cajun people who somehow settled this inhospitable terrain. The animals are generally used to the tour boats and it is usually easy to get some fabulous pictures of snakes, alligators and numerous wading birds as they bask in the sun.

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World is a museum/theme park dedicated to New Orleans's famous carnival. Kerns Studios here creates many of the fabulous floats and sculptures that makes the carnival day procession one of the world's most colourful events, and visitors can tour the "dens" where hundreds of talented artists create and decorate the sculptures that will adorn each "krewe's" float.

The subject matter runs the whole gamut, from fantasy monsters, to the latest stars of Hollywood blockbusters and classical stars of the silver screen. Life size models of cinema icons ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Mickey Mouse greet you, and creatures of myth and legend are on permanent display. Guests can enter into the spirit of carnival themselves by dipping into the Mardi Gras wardrobe and dressing up as colourful figures of history. Permanent exhibits include the largest float ever to take part in the Mardi Gras parade, the 240-foot "Captain Eddie's SS Endymion".

233 Newton St, New Orleans.
Take the Canal St free ferry to Algiers, where Mardi Gras World provides free transportation from the ferry.
Open: 09h30-16h30.
Admission: USD15, adults; USD7.25, children.

Mississippi Steamboat Cruise

The Steamboat Natchez is New Orleans's only surviving steamboat from the 19th century, when these mighty paddlesteamers used to ply the Mississippi.

Much refurbished, the vessel is surprisingly large, measuring 265ft from its prow to the mighty paddle wheel that drives the Natchez up and down the river, and it is easy to imagine what a crowded place the docks would have been when these river leviathans were sailing through the city regularly.

All cruises last two hours and depart from the city dock, just south of the French Quarter. Although the scenery along the banks isn't always the best, being more 21st century than 19th, this is still an important slice of history. The harbour cruise departs twice daily at 11h30 and 14h30. You can take lunch on board if you book it in advance. The evening dinner cruise boards at 18h00, casting off at 19h00.

Ticket booth & Dock behind Jacksons Brewery on Mississippi River (bottom of Toulouse St).
Tickets: Harbour Cruise: USD18.50 (USD26 with lunch). Dinner Cruise: USD31.50 (USD54 with dinner).

Six Flags New Orleans

Six Flags New Orleans is the premier theme park in Louisiana. Covering 140 acres there is more than enough for anyone here, with six themed areas, most of which take their cue from the famous "Crescent City" nearby. Cajun country and Jazz Plaza offer the cuisine and distinctive entertainment of the south Louisiana region, while "Mardi Gras" recreates the pomp and pageantry of the city's world famous carnival all year round.

Kids will want to head for the DC Comics Super Heroes Adventure section, for rides like Lex Luther's Invertatron and Batman. However, on the other side of the park the Jester ride or the traditional Mega-zeph 'coaster guarantee even more white knuckle thrills.

Junction of I-10 and I-510. 20 miles from central New Orleans.
Admission: USD35.99, adults; USD25.99, anyone under 48 inches (limited access to rides).

* Six Flags New Orleans is currently closed. No opening date has been confirmed yet.

New Orleans Museum of Art

The New Orleans Museum of Art (commonly shortened to NOMA) is the city's premier artistic institution. It has been present in the city since 1911, when it opened as the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art with a collection of 400 paintings and artefacts. It now boasts over 40,000 works, drawn from all over the world and reflecting New Orleans's cosmopolitan nature.

The French collection, unsurprisingly considering the city's heritage, is particularly noteworthy. Most famously there is a series of canvases by Edgar Degas, who visited New Orleans in 1871. The museum is also renowned for its Art of the Americas collection, which draws together works from North, South and Central America, including items from the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilisations. The latest addition to the institution's increasingly significant collection is the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a five acre open-air park showcasing a large collection of sculptures from contemporary artists as well as 20th-century sculptors such as Henry Moore and George Segal.

Collins Diboll Circle, City Park.
Open: Tue-Sun 10h00-17h00. Admission: free. Charges apply for special exhibitions.

Historic French Market

The Historic French Market just south-east of Jackson Square in the triangle formed by Dacatur and N Peters St isn't quite as historic as its name implies, but still remains an essential visit for any tourist. There is evidence that this was once the site of a bartering market for native Americans long before New Orleans was settled by colonials. By the early-19th century the French Market was a bustling hive of commercial activity.

In the decades through the mid-19th century the market moved down the social spectrum. Gallatin St that ran through here was one of the city's most notorious hangouts for sailors on shore leave, and associated illegal activities, such as prostitution, robbery and violence. Nowadays it's all a lot more gentrified and is a great place to browse for genuine Cajun food.

Most tourists will be keen to try the barbecued alligator or snake - more put on for visitors than for any noticeable culinary reason (it tastes, rather predictably, like chicken). The Flea Market isn't the eclectic collection of bric-a-brac and antiques that its name implies, but is rather a number of stalls predominantly selling borderline tacky souvenirs and gifts. East of the market is the Old US Mint building, which houses a variety of exhibits relating to the history and heritage of the city, including a display of the minting plates and coins struck in the city until the mint's closure in 1909.

Cemeteries, Ghosts and Voodoo

The most haunted city in the US - officially - organised tours offer the chance to explore the New Orleans's many cemeteries and old houses of the French Quarter.

Gray Line offers an extensive range of tours of this ilk, including the chance to take a morning visit to St Louis No.1, the most famous cemetery in the city. It contains the tomb of "Voodoo Queen" Marie Laveau. The evening "Ghost Tour" meanwhile visits the many haunted establishments of the French Quarter, including O'Flaherty's, and offers the chance to learn the secret of the "singing rain".

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous take the Bloody Mary Haunted Moonlight Cemetery tour, New Orleans's only after-dark graveyard tour. It is a fascinating walk around Oddfellows Rest, a secret society cemetery, under the guidance of local voodoo practitioner, "Bloody Mary" herself.

 

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