Ah Nahleans, the Big Easy...where life is slow, the Hurricanes are potent, and a mule named Killer has a bloodlust for pedestrians. Life doesn't get any better than that.
I've been to New Orleans several times, the last on a business trip to attend at seminar my boss wanted me to go to.
"There's only one problem," I said. "My husband's birthday is that week."
"Well, we'll pay his airfare to go along with you," Steve said.
I phoned hubby. "How would you like to go to New Orleans for your birthday?" I asked.
"Don't mess with me! That's not funny."
"I'm not messing with you. Steve's sending me to New Orleans for an IT seminar. He'll pay your airfare to go with me. Want to go?"
"I have to go pack!" CLICK. DIAL TONE.
I took that as a "yes".
We were in the midst of a March blizzard when we departed O'Hare Airport. We got an awful lot of strange looks when we landed at the New Orleans airport in at least 100 degree heat, wearing our parkas and our Adirondack Meridian boots.
Buy the Good Times Pass
Choose your pass and complete your purchase securely online. Takes less than 2 minutes
Download the App & Activate
Receive an email with your unique pass code and instructions to download the Smartvisit App. You can also find the Smartvisit App in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Start Exploring
Use the "Explore" tab in the app to find your favorite attractions. Click on an attraction and "Redeem" it to add the attraction to your good times pass.
*You can pick 4 attractions from Pool A and 2 attractions from Pool B (6 total). Your Good Times Pass QR Code will work to get into each attraction you redeemed.
Show QR code at the door
Present the QR code at the gate of each participating attraction. You can get to your QR code at any time from the Passes button on the toolbar of the Explore tab.
*Note that some attractions require either advance booking through the Smartvisit app or their attraction websites.
The Good Times app is similar to City Pass and will allow you 6 attractions to choose.
An alternative to The SmartVisit app is the All Inclusive City Pass app in which you can get 5 days of 25+ number of attractions - with a $10 discount in price on the Pass itself.
My recommendation would be if you're going to be in NOLA for a short period of time the Good Times Pass is likely your better bet. If you're going to be in NOLA 5 days or more then the All Inclusive Go City Pass is likely your better bet.
What we did was buy one of each, activating the second pass only after we'd gone through each attraction we'd chosen on the first pass. (Passes are good for a specified number of days after you activate the pass by using it the first time.) By doing this, the price of each attraction we visited averaged out to $13 per attraction.
When's the best time to visit New Orleans? Only December through February (especially if you're coming from our colder Northern climates) when the NOLA temperatures are a balmy 43 degrees F at worst. Visit NOLA any other time of the year and you'll feel like a rotisserie chicken that's been left on the spit too long. The heat and humidity are that bad. These months are also when you'll find the best deals on flights and hotels.
Avoid NOLA during any celebration, especially Mardis Gras. Leave that one to the Spring Breakers.
Halloween, Jazz Fest (April or May) and any time around the Super Bowl are also times to be avoided.
Crime tends to rise during those times.
New Orleans is not a city you want to drive a car around in. The streets are very narrow, usually packed with pedestrians and parking is the nightmare of all nightmares.
From a budget standpoint, walking is free. Staying in the French Quarter will mean you can walk to most places, including the CBD (Central Business District) and Garden District but French Quarter accommodations there tend to be pricey and then there's the crowd and noise factor to consider.
A much better and economical solution is to ride the St. Charles street car and bus.
Single rides cost $1.25, but if you'd like to hop on and hop off the trolley or bus a few times, consider buying a Jazzy Pass for unlimited rides:
A single-day pass costs $3, a three-day pass costs $8, a seven-day pass costs $15, and a 31-day pass costs $44.
Jazzy Passes can be used on any trolley line and on city buses, too. We bought two 3 day passes which gave us access to any trolley line plus the city buses and that got us anywhere we wanted to go.
With the addition of the new Le Pass app, New Orleans is an even easier city to traverse using public transportation.
Uber and Lyft are widely available throughout the city and are often more affordable and convenient than renting a car. Expect surge prices during big events like Mardi Gras.
TAKING THE FERRY
There are two ferry services in New Orleans: one connects Chalmette (east of New Orleans) and Algiers (on the West Bank of the Mississippi) and allows cars. Since there is also a traffic bridge to the West Bank, you will unlikely use this service unless you spend some serious time in the areas east of New Orleans.
The more popular Canal Street ferry takes riders from the French Quarter/CBD to the Algiers Point neighborhood across the Mississippi River. This ferry is pedestrian only (pets, bikes, strollers, and scooters are allowed), but traveling within the French Quarter and Algiers Point is very easy without a car.
Rates: The ferry costs $2 cash (have your payment ready when boarding), or you can use the Le Pass app. Jazzy passes also work on the ferry.
Hours: The ferry leaves on the quarter-hour from the East Bank/New Orleans CBD and on the half-hour from West Bank/Algiers Point. The ferry runs 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays, with extended hours (and larger ferries) in operation during Mardi Gras and large festivals. The ferry is punctual; plan to arrive about ten minutes before departure.
Route: The Canal Street ferry station is located just past Harrah’s Casino, next to the boardwalk and Aquarium of the Americas. The ferry makes a short trip across the Mississippi and lands in the small neighborhood of Algiers Point, where you can easily walk to bars, restaurants, and along the river path.
TAXIS
United Cabs is the most trusted New Orleans taxi service and even has its own app to compete with the likes of rideshare services. Especially during peak times, try United for rates comparable to or lower than Uber and Lyft.
Getting to know your way around NOLA is very budget friendly, given the variety of free or low cost walking tours, both guided and unguided.
Download a map from the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau for a self-guided tour of the French Quarter, perhaps the most famous neighborhood in New Orleans.
There's a free walking tour of the French Quarter where you pay what you want. Sandy Hester has been doing these tours for 20 years as a licensed tour guide. She has a Master's degree in History and is really knowledgeable and interesting. The tour lasts 1-1/2 hours.
Sandy also conducts the Marigny/Frenchmen Street Stroll and NOLA Tour Guy offers a variety of free tours.
Tours By Foot is another pay what you want tour business that offers various tours.
TAKE A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDE AROUND THE FRENCH QUARTER
Besides walking to explore the French Quarter, a mule drawn carriage ride is well worth the money. The guides are super knowledgeable about the history of the French Quarter and really entertaining. We laughed through the whole tour our driver was so entertaining. As was his mule "Killer" with his bloodlust for pedestrians.
You could find these carriage rides waiting for customers right in front of Jackson Square. We simply walked up to the driver, paid him $10 each and off we went. The tour covered the entire French Quarter.
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Royal Carriages: Offers mule-drawn carriage tours through the French Quarter, providing an authentic experience with knowledgeable guides.
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Visit New Orleans: Lists various horse and carriage tours, including private rides and spontaneous options from Jackson Square.
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Good Old Days Buggies: Provides narrated carriage tours that allow you to experience the French Quarter in a unique way.
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History & Haunts Tour: A specialized tour that explores reported hauntings and legends in the area.
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Private Carriage Tours: Tailored experiences for small groups, allowing for a more intimate exploration of the city.
There's only one place I ever stay at when in New Orleans - Le Pavillon at 833 Poydras Street in the CBD.
(Central Bsuiness District)
Le Pavillon is an older hotel that oozes Southern Hospitality. None of that big chain cookie cutter stuff for us.
At least it oozed Southern Hospitality before someone got it in their head to destroy its beauty and redecorate in what I can only call Hideous French Cathouse.
The hotel used to have this fantastic breakfast buffet with serving tables the length of 2 football fields, filled with any breakfast food you could imagine. This wonderful elderly black woman who worked for the hotel found out my husband was diabetic (as was her own son) so she took John under her wing and made sure each morning he was sticking to his diabetic diet and eating what he was supposed to eat.
It wasn't bad enough they hideously redecorated the place...they eliminated that wonderful breakfast buffet and replaced it with...wait for it...A PB&J BAR! In a 4 star hotel! What WERE they thinking??? That all of their guests would be preschoolers?
The PB&J bar
Accommodations in the French Quarter itself are not only uber expensive but the French Quarter tends to be a 24/7 party, so noisy when you want to be sleeping.
But there are some budget friendly options like Hotel St. Pierre or the Inn on St. Ann, a guest house previously owned by voodoo priestess Marie Laveau.
Best Hotels in The French Quarter here.
GARDEN DISTRICT - Less costly than the French Quarter but still connected to everything by the St. Charles streetcar. The Quisby is considered one of the best hostels in the country and the St. Charles Coach House is a budget boutique hotel with streetcar pick up nearby.
Find the best hotels in the Garden District here
CBD (CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT):
The Canopy by Hilton New Orleans Downtown
Centric French Quarter New Orleans
Morning: Get settled in your accommodations and we'll begin to explore New Orleans or NOLA as it's known.
For starters, familiarize yourself with the St. Charles streetcar and this is how you'll primarily get around - besides your own two legs, that is. (For the sake of this article we'll assume your accommodations are in the CBD)
You'll also be able to ride the city busses if you bought a multi-day Jazzy pass. Your pass will cover both.
Here's a quick run down on what streetcars will take you where:
Just about every line either stops at, starts from, or runs near the ferry terminal on Canal Street, where you could catch the ferry to visit the historic Algiers Neighborhood.
If you’re staying in the business district or on Canal Street, the Riverfront line is a great way to expedite the trip to the lower part of the French Quarter and beyond – Café du Monde, the French Market, or Frenchmen Street.
The St. Charles line is one of the city’s major sightseeing destinations. This is the streetcar you'll ride the most!
It can get crowded – so it’s a good idea to go early in the morning or around sunset.
From the edge of the French Quarter, it passes through the Warehouse/Arts District, where you can access the National World War II Museum or the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and then into the uptown area.
Most visitors disembark in the Garden District – usually at Washington Avenue.
Here, you can for a walk among the neighborhood’s mansions, stop at Lafayette Cemetery #1, or through the shops and restaurants of nearby Magazine Street.
However, the Garden District is just the beginning of the most residential and visually impressive part of St. Charles Avenue.
This part continues until around Tulane and Loyola Universities and Audubon Park and Zoo.
If sightseeing is your main aim, this is a good point to stop and turn back.
Soon after this, the streetcar turns onto Carrollton Avenue, a more commercial street with a variety of restaurants.
With the two Canal lines, it’s more about the destination than the journey.
There are a few great spots along the way – like Chickie Wah Wah, a Canal Street bar with excellent nightly music.
But the main attractions are the namesakes of the two lines.
The Cemeteries line is an option for exploring New Orleans’ above-ground cemeteries on your own, rather than with a guide.
The last stop on the Cemeteries line places you near fourteen different burial sites – from Holt Cemetery, a potter’s field with homemade memorials, to Metairie Cemetery, a huge, opulent necropolis for New Orleans’ wealthiest former residents.
The City Park/Museum line finishes just outside of City Park – an enormous green space containing the New Orleans Museum of Art, a sculpture garden, an amusement park for kids, a botanical garden, and lots more.
Rampart/St. Claude: Beginning at the Union Passenger Terminal, this line is a boon to travelers arriving by train or bus and looking to connect to nearby hotels in the business district and the French Quarter.
For those staying in this part of the business district, near the Superdome, it can also be a great way to reach parts of the French Quarter and beyond.
Rampart Street is the quiet side of the French Quarter, relatively, but you’ll find a growing nightlife along it.
Its endpoint on St. Claude Avenue falls near another cluster of bars and the St. Claude Arts District.
It's not as complicated as it sounds, we found our way around on the streetcar and bus lines without any problem. But if you get lost or confused, just ask the streetcar/bus driver and they'll get you where you want to go.
With that, let's begin to explore the French Quarter. the heart of NOLA. You can walk, ride the St. Charles Streetcar or take a city bus to the French Quarter. If you're not used to the heat and humidity of NOLA then I suggest you ride to the French Quarter.
Wander through Jackson Square, listen to the musicians playing, watch the artists surrounding the square sketching their customers portraits, take a mule drawn carriage ride around the French Quarter.
If you like, you can take a FREE self guided tour of St. Louis Cathedral.
It's beautiful inside!
Now's the time to take that mule-drawn carriage ride around the French Quarter. I recommend this as a DON'T MISS. Your carriage driver will give you a whole lot of interesting history about the entire French Quarter you wouldn't get otherwise. And our driver was hilariously funny in the process. He kept us entertained the entire time.
Usually you can find these mule-drawn carriages on the streets surrounding Jackson Square and they did take walk up customers.
If you purchased the Go City Pass, I'll list what attractions are offered and applicable to our itinerary.
GO CITY - Adventures in New Orleans Bus Tour
GO CITY - Scavenger Hunt
Visit Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo: 628 Bourbon St, New Orleans. (No, nothing to be afraid of...it's just a shop.)
Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau II — the daughter of the first Voodoo Queen of New Orleans — was known for her wild rituals in the swamps around New Orleans. Some believe the ghost of Marie Laveau is haunting Bourbon Street.
Both Marie Laveau II and her mother practiced Voodoo as well as Voudoun, and they had great influence on their multiracial followers. When on the night of June 23rd in 1874 Marie Laveau II performed one of her famous rituals at Lake Pontchartrain for St. John's Eve, some 12,000 spectators came to be part of the event.
Marie Laveau's House of Vodoo is a museum and store. Inside you can find many Voodoo-related items on display, as well as a Voodoo Altar, and spiritual items and books from around the world for sale.
In a back room spiritual readings, spells, and Tarot card readings are held.
You can visit Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo Sunday to Thursday from 10 am to 11:30 pm and Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 1:30 am. On busy days people show up at opening to sign up for readings, so arrive early to secure a spot if this is what you desire.
According to one local tradition, the entrance to the Voodoo underworld can be found in New Orleans through seven gates called the Gates of Guinee, scattered throughout the city's French Quarter.
According to the teachings of Voodoo, the souls of the dead reside in a portion of the underworld known as Guinee. This is not a place of torture or punishment, but rather a murky plane which spirits must pass through before reaching the "deep waters" where they'll be reunited with their ancestors.
One popular theory indicates that the Tomb of Marie Laveau - a powerful 19th century voodoo priestess, whose remains were supposedly interred in the Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 - marks the first star of Samedi's veve. This would place the Gates of Guinee somewhere around the crossing of Canal Street and Basin Street; the other stars in the veve marking tombs or monuments in the nearby streets.
The order the gates are opened in is also of key significance. Approached incorrectly, the gates can allow dangerous spirits to enter the world of the living, dragging the unwary seeker - body and soul - back with them to the land of the dead. A traditional rhyme amongst the voodoo practitioners of New Orleans is said to describe the proper timing for opening the Gates of Guinee; "Seven nights, Seven moons, Seven gates, Seven tombs."
It is said that the seven Guinee gateways are at their most active - and therefore easier to open - on traditional annual holidays; Christmas and New Year, Mardi Gras, All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day, in addition to Ancestors Day, Twelfth Night, and St. John’s Eve.
Walk over to the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Included on your GO CITY pass.
514 Chartres Street, New Orleans
This pharmacy museum showcases its extensive collection and provides educational programs on the history of pharmacy and health care.
Among the holdings of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is a large collection of apothecary jars containing their original ingredients, old wheelchairs, black leather physicians' bags, medical instruments, eyeglasses, optical prosthetic devices, and surgical tools all displayed in hand-carved, glass-fronted cabinets.
Keep your eyes open for an array of voodoo potions, including the famous "Love Potion No. 9." Next to an antique brass cash register, look for a white ceramic jar labeled "Leeches," which nods to a time when the worms were affixed to people's skin in the name of medicine.
The back of the shop has a recreated pharmacist's work area, complete with mortar and pestle, microscopes, and wooden blenders. The museum also highlights the original role of the "soda fountain," which once served the purpose of helping pharmacy customers chase a particularly nasty-tasting medicine.
The museum highlights the role of Louis Joseph Dufilho, Jr., whose work symbolizes the beginning of a system of certifying the professional competence of pharmacists and recognizing the vital role they could play in promoting public health. It also hosts the extensive Dr. J. William Rosenthal's Spectacles Collection on the second floor.
Admission Rates: $10/adults, $7/seniors and students, (tickets purchased at the door).Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm.
The museum offers self-guided tours of two floors of exhibits.
Afternoon: Have lunch at Johnnys Po Boys:
Address: 511 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130 Phone: (504) 524-8129
Unpretentious and not open late, this is the perfect spot to pop in, grab a bite, and enjoy the rest of The French Quarter after lunch.
Diverse menu of po-boys, seafood platters, and salads
Best Po Boys I've had in New Orleans.
Note: Johnny’s Po Boys is cash only!
After lunch continue to explore the French Quarter.
Evening: Have dinner at the infamous Pat O'Brien's: 624 Bourbon Street, New Orleans.
WARNING: Pat O'Briens is known for its Hurricanes (above right). They taste like Hawaiian Punch going down. Do not drink more than one and drink it s l o w l y. When you get up you'll find your legs no longer work. I speak from experience, having taken the term "pub crawl" to new heights when I crawled from the French Quarter to our hotel in the CBD after slamming down 2 Hurricanes.
If the heat allows, have dinner and drinks on their gorgeous patio.
Following dinner take a stroll along the riverfront. The New Orleans Riverfront transforms into a vibrant an
lively area at night, offering a mix of music, culture, and history. The riverfront is a popular spot for late-night gatherings, where visitors can relax, watch the city sparkle in the distance, and enjoy the cool air of the Mississippi River. From live music near the river to serene night scenes in historic parks, the riverfront provides a peaceful yet exciting atmosphere for those looking to experience New Orleans at its most dynamic.
New Orleans Riverfront at night
If you're more up for a night cap, stop at the Carousel Bar to get rehydrated. 214 Royal St., New Orleans.
The Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone is the only revolving bar in New Orleans. Decked out in classic merry-go-round fashion, it has been slowly spinning since 1949, and has long been a hotspot for locals and visitors, including plenty of A-list celebrities.
It might all sound thoroughly gimmicky, but this carnivalesque watering hole has more than enough class to offset the cheese. The likes of Vogue Living and Food & Wine have ranked it among their best bars in the world, and plenty of famous faces have given it their seal of approval over the decades.
Liberace used to perform at the hotel's Swan Room nightclub and often hit the bar after a show, quite possibly being one of the only patrons to ever look more flashy than the bar itself. Other notable patrons have included Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, and Truman Capote. More recently, Michael Jordan and Dennis Quaid have been seen knocking back a drink while taking a spin on the carousel.
The Carousel Bar is one of the most popular bars in the French Quarter, so be prepared to wait for a seat at the bar itself. Plenty of other stationary tables and chairs surround the carousel, so you should be able to find somewhere to sit while you wait. You do not have to be a guest at the hotel to drink at the bar, and there's no dress code. But feel free to dress like Liberace for the full effect.
Morning: Have breakfast at TOAST. 1845 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans.
Breakfast & brunch fare from eggs & crêpes to Monte Cristos offered in a cheerful, intimate space.
Their Monte Cristo is phenomenal.
We're going to spend a day slightly away from the French Quarter today, about 3 miles north of the French Quarter. Take the Canal Street Streetcar to get to City Park.
1 Palm Drive, New Orleans.
This is one of the nicest parks I've ever been in and kids will love it - both little kids and big kids.
Feel free to pack a picnic lunch to eat in the park if you wish!
There's so much to see and do in the park you should begin your exploration of the park at the Oscar J. Thomas Visitor Center. 5 Victory Ave, New Orleans.
This is the entrance for Storyland, Carousel Gardens, and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. It is also a visitor center and a gift shop. Visit for information on the Park, attractions, and events. During business hours, visitors may stop in to purchase snacks and drinks as well as use public bathrooms.
Oscar J Thomas Visitor Center
Since you're right at the entrance to it, start at Storyland. Storyland is an enchanted playground that has been in New Orleanians’ backyard since the 1950s. In Storyland, children can climb aboard Captain Hook’s pirate ship, adventure into the mouth of Pinocchio’s whale or scamper up Jack & Jill’s hill. This outdoor, fairy-tale playground is a child’s dream come true filled with 18 larger-than-life storybook sculptures, featuring classic characters from Grimm and Mother Goose nursery rhymes and trickster character induced folktales from around the world. Children can have fun, play and learn, all while running under the shade of City Park’s majestic oak tree canopies.
The cost to tour Storyland in City Park, New Orleans is $6 per person. This price includes access to Carousel Gardens Amusement Park during operating hours. Children under 36 inches tall and Friends of City Park members can enter for free.
CAROUSEL GARDENS
7 Victory Avenue, New Orleans
Carousel Gardens is a seasonal amusement park. It will reopen Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Featuring 17 attractions guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and two cafés with food made fresh to serve, Carousel Gardens Amusement Park offers something for everyone. It is also home to one of the oldest carousels in the US, also known as the “Flying Horses”.
Season Passholders get the best bang for their buck! Sign up for our digital-pass platform to be able to purchase, register and store your passes and daily tickets on your mobile device.
Friends of City Park receive a 20% discount + $10 off Individual Season Pass
Season Passholders enjoy unlimited access to Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and Storyland for the duration of the season (February–November).
Remember though that your admittance to Carousel Gardens is already covered under your Storybook Gardens $6 daily admittance pass!
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Enter at Oscar J. Tolmas Visitor Center. 5 Victory Avenue, New Orleans
Open year-round, the 10-acre New Orleans Botanical Garden contains more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world. The seeds for the Garden were planted in 1936, when the City Park Rose Garden opened.
This garden is absolutely breathtaking! It contains a number of different features.
Conservatory of the Two Sisters
Originally constructed in the 1930s, the Conservatory has been renovated into a state-of-the-art showcase of plants, featuring two exhibits–Living Fossils and Tropical Rainforest. The Living Fossil exhibit showcases a variety of prehistoric plant life (plants evolved before the development of flowers) from throughout the world. The Tropical Rainforest features an immersive experience and plants from the warm, moist regions of the world, including a tree root exhibit of epiphytes, a waterfall exhibit and cave. The Conservatory is accessible during normal Botanical Garden hours and is included with admission.
Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden
The Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden celebrates the history, influence, and work of Mexican American New Orleans artist Enrique Alférez (1901–1999). The garden is 8,000 sq. ft. and features 15 sculptures set within sweeping footpaths surrounded by greenery and oak trees. The Sculpture Garden is accessible during normal Garden hours and is included with admission.
Yakumo Nihon Teien Japanese Garden
Currently closed for renovation and restoration
The Japanese Garden provides not only beauty and enjoyment for all visitors but also serves as a natural setting for other Japanese arts such as bonsai, ikebana, and sado (tea ceremony). The Garden provides increased awareness and appreciation of Japanese culture, aesthetics, and love of nature among all people in the New Orleans area. The Garden is named after Lafcadio Hearne/Koizumi Yakumo an exceptional writer who lived in both Matsue and New Orleans. The Japanese Garden and is open during normal Botanical Garden hours and is included with admission.
Train Garden
The Historic New Orleans Train Garden is one of the Park’s hidden gems, featuring typical New Orleans home and building architecture made with botanical materials, and replicas of streetcars and trains that wind around the track. The 1,300 feet of track carrying streetcars and trains like those that traveled the city in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, at 1/22 of their actual size, is open during normal Botanical Garden hours.
However, trains only operate Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–4:30pm.
Up for a challenging game of mini golf? Visit City Putt. 33 Dreyfous Drive, New Orleans.
City Putt is ADA accessible and located across from the entrance to Carousel Gardens, Storyland and the Botanical Garden.
The 36-hole mini-golf complex is comprised of two courses:
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The Louisiana Course highlights cultural themes and cities from around the state
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The New Orleans Course highlights streets and iconic themes from around the city, with signs detailing the city’s historic sites at each hole
Closed Mon + Tues
Wed–Fri: 3–10pm
Sat + Sun: 10am–10pm
Last rental 9pm
Adult (Ages 13+): $12
Children (4-12): $10
Second round: Adult $6/Child $5
Children 3 and under: Free
City Park events and facilities are cashless.
Louisiana Children's Museum 15 Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans
The Louisiana Children’s Museum is its own 501c3 non-profit managed and operated independent of City Park Conservancy.
After more than 30 years on Julia Street in downtown New Orleans, the Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM) opened its doors in City Park in 2019. The Museum was meticulously designed to be a social, cultural and learning resource for children and families. Indoors and out, there are tons of hands-on ways to learn literacy, health and wellness, arts and culture, environmental education, and STEM.
There are a bajillion paths to take through LCM. But the easiest way to plot a course is to choose the exhibits you want to see or the things you want to learn. Walk through the reeds or brush up on your reading. Learn the songs of this city or make your own music. The world is your oyster. Hey, you can learn about those too!
Wednesday -Saturday: 9:30am–4:30pm
Sunday: 11:30am–4:30pm
Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays
ADMISSION
Adults & Children (12 months+): $18
Seniors/Active Military (valid ID): $15
Afternoon: Have your picnic lunch at the park or visit one of its eateries:
Café NOMA by Ralph Brennan features an array of artisanal flatbreads, sandwiches, salads and market bowls, alongside an artful assortment of freshly baked breakfast pastries and sweets from Ralph Brennan Bakery.
Filmore in the Oaks is in the clubhouse of the Bayou Oaks Golf Course in City Park, and offers many dining options.
Kitchen In the Garden: Located within the Botanical Garden, Chef Pat White serves up delicious dishes — with fresh, locally grown ingredients — during our outdoor concert series. Menu available nightly on-site.
Parker's Pizza: Open in Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, Parker’s Pizza will impress your taste buds with traditional Italian ingredients. Parker’s Pizza offers pizza by the slice, a 16” large pizza, and an assortment of desserts. Parker’s Pizza also serves beverages, including beer and wine.
Spend your afternoon continuing to enjoy City Park and all it has to offer.
Evening: Treat yourself to traditional, fine-dining creole cuisine at the infamous Brennan's - if you can get reservations, that is! Make reservations up to 30 days in advance since spots fill up almost immediately!
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Morning: Skip Cafe DuMonde and the long lines there and head over to Morning Call Coffee Stand:
5101 Canal Street, New Orleans. Phone: (504) 459-2086
This is a locals hangout and Morning Call has better tasting beignets and chicory coffee than Cafe du Monde.
Start the day by exploring the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
This is where voodoo queen Marie Laveau is buried.
You want to take a guided tour of this cemetery so you get all of the stories behind the tombs.
Tours By Foot offers a pay what you want tour of the cemetery.
GO CITY: Cities of the Dead History Cemetery Tour by Haunted History Tours is included on the Pass.
True story: The first time I visited this cemetery my brother was maybe 6 or 7 years old? According to our guide
if you performed a short ritual that finished with making 3 chalk X's on her grave and made a wish, she would grant your wish. My brother wished for money and walked out of the cemetery to find a $20 bill lying on the sidewalk right outside the cemetery gates. About 3 blocks down the street he finds spare change in a phone booth. The kid kept finding money all day! True story! If he could have he would've slept at the foot of Marie Laveau's grave, drawing chalk X's and making wishes in his sleep!
This tomb belongs to actor, Nicholas Cage - who's a bit of an oddity himself - as are the majority of Hollyweird actors and actresses. If you're one of the Awake & Aware then you know exactly what I'm talking about there.
You used to be able to walk right up to Marie's grave, leave offerings, etc. but I believe now the tomb has been fenced off.
At any rate, a guide is the only way to see Cemetery No. 1. Ours was named Buddy and he kept us laughing the entire tour with his stories about the graves and their occupants. And they were true stories!
For example, one man's tomb had a chimney built on it. He was buried next to his wife. Turns out being buried next to his wife for eternity wasn't any kind of heaven in his mind...so he had a chimney built on his grave as an escape hatch if he ran into his wife in the afterlife.
It's the stories behind the graves and their occupants that you get from your guide that makes the cemetery so interesting and entertaining.
In that same cemetery you'll see an odd pyramid shaped tomb.
From Atlas Obscura: "In 2010, Nicolas Cage purchased two plots in this cemetery using one to construct this strange pyramid mausoleum.
Acclaimed, derided, and memed actor Nicolas Cage has long been known for his eccentric behavior both in front of the camera and in the real world. It seems Cage plans to continue this legacy into death as well, thanks to the odd pyramid mausoleum he purchased in a famed New Orleans graveyard.
Cage has a history with the city of New Orleans, having purchased both the infamously haunted LaLaurie Mansion and the historic Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel. Both properties were foreclosed on in 2009 after a tax debacle. Subsequently, Cage purchased his unnamed tomb in the city's beloved St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, home to the grave of another of New Orleans' supernatural heavies, Marie Laveau.
The empty grave is a stark, nine-foot-tall stone pyramid that stands in obvious contrast to the blockier, above-ground burial sites that have been crumbling away in the cemetery for over two centuries. There is no name on the pyramid yet, but it is emblazoned with the Latin maxim, "Omnia Ab Uno," which translates to "Everything From One."
The actor himself has chosen to remain silent about his reasoning for the flamboyant tomb. Some speculate it's an homage to the "National Treasure" movie franchise, though given that many cemeteries host pyramid grave markers, it may have simply been a stylistic choice. Others think the pyramid is evidence of the strange actor's ties to the probably-fictitious secret Illuminati society. Because of antique portraits bearing an uncanny resemblance to Cage that have surfaced online, the more paranormally-minded suggest that the pyramid is where Cage will regenerate his immortal self. The rumor around town is that Cage has considered himself cursed since owning LaLaurie's mansion (his box office record does reflect this) and he feels being next to Marie Laveau will un-curse him."
If you're not one of the Awake & Aware crowd, then I'll enlighten you.
1. The Illuminati is NOT "probably fictitious". It is a Luciferian cult that currently controls this planet. I can personally attest to that, having been targeted by them in 1999 while working to expose their worldwide pedophile ring. I assure you they are quite real and the ultimate evil.
2. The Illuminati are UBER SECRETIVE, which is why Cage himself has remained silent about the tomb.
3. The Illuminati's symbol is the pyramid, which is why Cage's tomb is shaped like a pyramid.
4. The Illuminati primarily control the planet via their Federal Reserve Bank. Look at one of your dollar bills.
Here Is What Every Symbol of the Dollar Bill Means
The Illuminati Symbol, the Great Seal and the One Dollar Bill
5. Nicholas Cage's tomb is emblazoned with the Latin maxim, "Omnia Ab Uno," which translates to "Everything From One." Their New World Order agenda is a ONE WORLD government with themselves governing it in tyrannical fashion.
The motto of the United States (as seen on our currency) is similarly the Latin, E Pluribus Unum - "Out of the many, one."
It may sound like science fiction but we're dealing with a satanic cult of textbook psychopaths here and psychopaths don't think like normal people do.
The Illuminati's ultimate goal?
TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY.
So there you have the explanation of Nicholas Cage's weird pyramid tomb.
Incidentally, the Illuminati are master black magicians...so it could be Cage is looking to Marie Laveau to help him achieve immortality? Just an educated guess on my part having studied the Illuminati in depth since being targeted by them.
Back to our New Orleans itinerary...
After seeing Cemetery No. 1, head over to the French Market and explore it. This is the oldest market in the U.S.
The Market contains food, souvenirs, basically just about anything you could think of.
The French Market is six blocks of restaurants, shops, a farmer's market, and a flea market. It is nearly half the length of the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Afternoon: Take a break from touring the French Market and have lunch there at Gazebo Cafe.
1018 Decatur St, New Orleans
Serving specialty cocktails, Cajun and Creole cuisine, seafood, salads, and more. Outdoor seating available and live entertainment featuring jazz.
Try one of the New Orleans staples - the Muffaletta.
An Italian Pompeian bun layered with sliced ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and swiss cheese, topped with homemade olive salad and baked. Absolutely delicious!
Take advantage of a FREE guided walking history tour of Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve.
Park headquarters - 419 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 (upstairs from the French Quarter Visitor Center in New Orleans)
Muffaletta
Photo credit: Jean Lafitte Historic Park and Preserve
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve includes six separate sites. Together they highlight the people and environment of Louisiana's lower Mississippi River delta. The park's sites are found throughout south Louisiana - from the cities and towns to the bayous and the prairies.
Follow a ranger from the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve on a riverfront history walk. Rangers share stories on the beginnings and history of New Orleans on these hour long walks Tuesday through Saturday mornings. Twenty-five first-come, first-served tickets are given out at 9 a.m. at the park's French Quarter Visitor Center.
Evening: You're in for a treat for dinner! (This was our #1 fave NOLA activity that we enjoyed the most)
No trip to New Orleans is complete without a riverboat cruise.
GO CITY: Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Cruise is included in the all inclusive Go City Pass.
We opted for the evening jazz dinner cruise on the Steamboat Natchez.
For our dinner on the Steamboat Natchez, we were offered a menu of: Steamboat Salad Salad, Louisiana Style Fried Fish, Bronzed Chicken, Top Round of Beef with au jus, Paddlewheel Pork Loin with Creole Mustard, Penne Quattro Formaggi, Pilot House Potatoes, Maque Choux, Creole Creamed Spinach and Bread Pudding for dessert.
We paid $58 apiece and I didn't think that was at all unreasonable for the dinner we had plus live entertainment.
Following dinner a jazz band took the stage and although I'm not normally a jazz fan, I really enjoyed that band.
The sunset was breathtaking as were the lights of New Orleans after dark. One could almost drift off to sleep in their deck chair, to the steady rhythm of the paddlewheel and the gentle lapping of waves against the side of the boat.
If you're going to visit the "Big Easy" then you definitely need to take a riverboat cruise.
Different options are offered. Visit their website for details.
Morning: Have breakfast at Croissant D’Or Patisserie. 617 Ursulines Ave, New Orleans.
The croissants at Croissant D’Or Patisserie are known for being fluffy and delicious, some of the finest in the Quarter. All pastries, including tarts, tortes, and quiches — are made fresh in this French bakery each morning.
Besides loving the ambiance of the place, I could've eaten my way through that bakery display case!
Bring your sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen and bug juice...we're going to hit the bayou.
GO CITY PASS: Ultimate Swamp Adventures and/or Cajun Pride Swamp Tour By Boat
Explore the cypress swamps on a small flatbottomed airboat. I didn't think I'd get that excited about this trip but we really had a blast! The swamp is beautiful with the Spanish moss hanging down everywhere...and yet kind of creepy at the same time.
We couldn't believe how close the gators would get to the boat...but I guess they've developed a taste for marshmallows! They seemed to have no problem interacting with people and didn't seem aggressive at all.
This airboat ride takes place near Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Gators are most commonly spotted in summer months.
Both self-drive and hotel pickup options are available to fit your budget and schedule. We paid $59 per person for the roughly 90 minute tour.
Captain Brad was very knowledgeable, we learned a lot about the bayou.
Return to New Orleans proper and spend the rest of the afternoon touring the Audubon Aquarium in the French Quarter. 1 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA
Located on the Mississippi River adjacent to the French Quarter, Audubon Aquarium is consistently top ranked, voted as one of the top five in the country in the USA Today “10 Best” reader poll and ranked as one of the top things to do in New Orleans. The Aquarium transports visitors to an underwater world from the Caribbean, to the Amazon Rainforest, to the waters that give New Orleans its lifeblood: the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. With more than 3,600 animals from more than 250 species, including endangered species, such as African penguins, and rare animals, such as white alligators, the Aquarium offers you an experience you’ll never forget.
They have 3 different admittance passes to choose from:
Zoo only, Aquarium & Insectarium, and See all 3. We found the See All 3 pass to be the most economical at
$60 per adult and $55 per child or senior citizen. Website
Evening: Dinner at Gallier's Restaurant & Oyster Bar. 129 Carondelet St, New Orleans
Located in CBD New Orleans and right next to French Quarter; Gallier serves great seafood & oysters along with famous Cajun breakfast & brunch every day.
(Their current breakfast promotions: $3.99 Cajun Breakfast till 9am
$15 for Bottomless Mimosa or Bloody Mary until 12pm)
Join a guided ghost tour with French Quarter Phantoms: ($22 online at frenchquarterphantoms.com). Their guides use city archives, police reports, and newspaper records rather than just repeating urban legends.
However, GO CITY ALL INCLUSIVE PASS: There are a few different tours offered by French Quarter Phantoms: Ghost & Vampire Combo Tour, Saints & Sinners, French Quarter History/Voodoo Tour, Cities of the Dead Cemetery History Tour, Treme Tour.
The tours hit genuinely haunted locations: the LaLaurie Mansion (1140 Royal Street) where Delphine LaLaurie’s documented torture chamber was discovered in 1834, the Sultan’s Palace (716 Dauphine) site of the 1972 mass murder that inspired American Horror Story: Coven, and Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal) where staff still report elevator stops on the non-existent 14th floor.
The LaLaurie Mansion is particularly interesting. This symbolic piece of New Orleans architecture is home to a few ghastly stories.
The LaLaurie mansion is an unmistakable piece of New Orleans's history with its baroque facade, wrought-iron balconies, and rectangular floor plan. The grandiose structure is located on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Marie Delphine MacCarthy Blanque LaLaurie purchased the property and constructed a three-story mansion in 1832. The house quickly gained a reputation as one of the grandest homes in the city's French Quarter.
Madame LaLaurie had a reputation for being especially cruel to the people she enslaved. There were frequent rumors swirling around New Orleans about her horrifying treatment of enslaved people, which extended to torture and murder.
In 1834, a fire broke out at the mansion. When area residents rushed to the scene to help, they resorted to breaking down the doors to the slave quarters after LaLaurie refused to provide the key. They found seven enslaved people locked inside whose bodies had been mutilated. Other rumors said that dead bodies were also found in the attic, their corpses mutilated beyond recognition. When news of the discovery spread around the community, a mob descended on the mansion.
Realizing she was no longer welcomed in New Orleans, LaLaurie fled to Alabama, then onto Paris to live out the rest of her life. The LaLaurie Mansion still stands on the corner of Royal and Governor Nicholls streets and is a highlight of many New Orleans ghost tours due to its macabre and tragic history.
Ghost City Tours offers family-friendly options at 8 PM nightly ($30), while their adult-only “Killers and Thrillers” tour at 9:30 PM ($35) covers documented murders and violent crimes.
Tours By Foot runs free tours (tips expected) that focus more on history than supernatural claims.
Cemetery access after dark requires licensed guides due to city regulations. Haunted History Tours ($25-35) provides the only legal nighttime access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where you’ll see Marie Laveau’s supposed tomb (it’s actually her daughter’s) and learn why above-ground burial became necessary in a city built below sea level. Tours last 90 minutes with about a mile of walking.
Morning: Visit the Garden District and have breakfast at The Ruby Slipper. (There are 4 different Ruby Slipper restaurants in New Orleans, go to the Garden District one to save yourself travel and time.)
After breakfast, tour the Garden District.
Here's a free guided tour and also a self guided tour with map. The St. Charles Streetcar also runs through the Garden District, offering you great views of the Garden District. If you bought the streetcar/bus pass you can ride the streetcar at no additional cost. If you didn't buy the streetcar pass, for only $1.25 cash, the ride pays for itself.
I remember the first time I saw the Garden District as a kid. I was enthralled with the stately old mansions, the manicured gardens with fountains, and the peacocks roaming around in some of the gardens.
In the Garden District you'll also find the offbeat Great American Alligator Museum.
2051 Magazine Street, New Orleans.
Come for the 14-foot-long taxidermy alligator. Stay for the mini costumed gators shooting pool.
Jacob the Carpet Bagger, a YouTuber, takes us on a cool video tour of New Orleans’ attractions on Magazine St, including the Alligator Museum, highlighting our quirky charm and fascinating alligator exhibits from alligator art to oddities.
I had to laugh at the big WARNING DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATOR sign on the tank holding a live baby alligator you had to strain to see. Even the baby alligator apparently found it amusing - photo far right.
Nestled in the heart of New Orleans’s Lower Garden district, among the vintage stores, coffee shops, and restaurants that line Magazine Street, the Great American Alligator Museum celebrates alligators’ 65 million-year-old history on planet Earth. The owners of the museum, Liz and Robert McDade, curated this one-of-a-kind exhibit after years of collecting and selling fossils and minerals.
Highlights of the museum include a 14-foot taxidermy alligator named Fideauax and a 50 million-year-old caiman fossil. There’s also a vast array of alligator-themed artifacts, folk art, comic books, curios, movie posters, TV memorabilia, and more, carefully curated throughout the five-room space.
In the back room of the small museum, taxidermy mini-gators pose in various tableaus. A trucker hat made from alligator skin is displayed in a glass case. And framed on the wall is a photo of the second episode of Leave It to Beaver, in which Beaver and Wally purchase a baby alligator and release it into the toilet.
The museum also chronicles the sad history of poaching alligators for their hides. A display of alligator handbags, shoes, and other accessories from the early 1900s showcases the tragic fate of many alligators. The museum also educates visitors about the largely successful alligator conservation efforts in Louisiana, which have become a model for similar programs throughout the United States.
The donations-only museum offers a fun, whimsical glimpse into these mysterious, ancient animals, their distinctive role in American landscapes such as swamps, marshlands, and bayous, and the intersection of their long history with the comparatively brief history of humankind.
Admission to the Great American Alligator Museum in New Orleans is donation-based, meaning there is no fixed admission price. Visitors can choose to donate as much as they can afford, making the museum accessible for everyone.
While touring the Garden District, keep an eye out for famous filming locations.
"Disney's The Haunted Mansion"... "American Horror Story: Coven"... "Your Honor"..."Mayfair Witches"... stroll around the Garden District long enough and you're sure you run into some familiar facades. The Buckner Mansion at 1410 Jackson Avenue may be among the most photographed, but spots like Commander's Palace, The Pontchartrain Hotel, and the Nolan House (or Benjamin Button House) at 2707 Coliseum Street are also noteworthy spots for movie and television fans. Whether it's movies or television, these famous filming locations definitely have main character energy.
Magazine Street offers an opportunity to shop til you drop. The Garden District is full of local shops and unique finds. Magazine Street is your go-to, with Hemline for women’s clothing, Pippen Lane for children’s clothing (or Peony if you're shopping for both women AND children), Fleurty Girl for New Orleans finds, and Zéle for artwork from local artists. Learn more about shopping on Magazine here.
Evening: Have a meal at Commander's Palace.
Commander’s Palace is the quintessential New Orleans dining experience. Nestled in the Garden District since 1893, it’s hard to miss the iconic blue and white façade. Visit for dinner or brunch on the weekends and indulge in their award-winning cuisine, which includes Creole favorites such as turtle soup, Gulf seafood gumbo and pecan-crusted Gulf redfish. Check out the dress code here and make your reservation in advance.
Looking for something more casual? Le Petit Bleu is their adjacent cafe and quick-service bistro, where you can duck in and get a quick bite to eat.
After dinner celebrate Mardi Gras year round at the Presbytere. 751 Chartres Street, New Orleans.
GO CITY: Included on the All Inclusive Pass.
Experience the extraordinary tradition of Mardi Gras through rare artifacts, scores of magnificent costumes, spectacular displays, and engaging videos of the Presbytere.
Discover rural maskers in cone-shaped hats chasing chickens, the art of float construction, and a statewide devotion to masquerade. From a virtual float ride through crowds begging for beads to a roomful of sparkling crowns and scepters, this exhibition will get you in the carnival spirit.
Admissions
$11 for Adults
$9 for Seniors, Active Military, & Students with ID
FREE for Children 6 & Under
Money $aving Discounts:
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Get $2 off each additional ticket when purchasing tickets to multiple Louisiana State Museums simultaneously.
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Group Discount (15+ with reservation): $2 off per person
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10% Discount for AAA Members
Morning: Have brunch at the Court of Two Sisters. 613 Royal St., New Orleans LA
Court of the Two sisters has a daily jazz brunch plus a buffet with Creole staples like chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Turtle Soup au Sherry, Crawfish Etouffee, and bananas foster for dessert.
You have four dining options. Their courtyard is the perfect place to have a leisurely brunch while listening to the music of NOLA. Your other three options are the Terrace, Royal Court dining room and the Grand Marquee dining room.
The Live Jazz Brunch Buffet runs from 9AM – 3PM DAILY with a wide variety of offerings.
Adults $36; Children Ages 5-12 $14
tax and gratuity additional
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED
Tour the Natl. WWII Museum. 945 Magazine St, New Orleans.
GO CITY: This museum is covered under the All Inclusive Pass.
Photo credit: National WWII Museum
Follow in the footsteps of the citizen soldier in 360-degree displays that take visitors through key settings in World War II. The galleries serve as an immersive timeline and provide a servicemember's view of the war.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations can understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Through exhibits, multimedia experiences, and thousands of personal accounts, the Museum takes visitors on an immersive tour of World War II in every theater of war.
You can easily spend a full day at this museum there are so many different exhibits to see, each of them focusing on a different aspect of WWII. There's over 19,000 square feet of exhibit space housing 19 different exhibits on both the Pacific and European theaters. Plus they just added a new theater, showing a 3D movie presentation.
The basic admission adult ticket is $36. However, check here as there are discounts for certain groups.
You want to take the St. Charles Streetcar to get to our next destination: the Music Box Village.
4557 N Rampart Street, New Orleans
Located in New Orleans’s funky Bywater neighborhood, Music Box Village has captured the whimsical imagination of music lovers everywhere. Designed by the collective talents of over 80 artists and builders, the bohemian sculpture garden contains interactive “musical houses” that play creative harmonies to the delight of visitors.
The Music Box Village is known for surprises. Through its unusual architectural ingenuity, the forested venue becomes a hands-on exploration of sound play. Each treehouse and Creole cottage-inspired structure is actually a musical instrument. The venue also presents live concert performances, ranging from orchestral concerts and bee operas to international headliners like Wilco and Norah Jones.
The project originally began as an experimental prototype of “musical architecture” in 2011 by the nonprofit arts organization New Orleans Airlift. By 2016, after much public success and patron support, the venue found its permanent two-acre home near the Mississippi River. The tree-filled property design was inspired by the “everyday presence of music in New Orleans, and the city’s under-celebrated class of tinkerers, inventors, and avant-garde musicians,” according to their website.
But it’s not just musical magic that gets people swinging; the venue also hosts a series of public art workshops, including Tai Chi, costume sewing, metalwork, and welding. Visitors can sample local New Orleans cuisine, indulge in beverages at the full onsite bar, or attend a series of ongoing panels.
The Music Box Village is open every weekend (with the exception of special shows and private events).
The admission fee to Music Box Village in New Orleans is as follows:
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Adults: $15
On to tour Mardi Gras World. 1380 Port of New Orleans Pl., New Orleans
GO CITY: This attraction is included on the All Inclusive Pass.
Mardi Gras World may sound like a theme park, but it is actually a workshop where the elaborate and fantastic floats get made for the annual New Orleans celebration.
The float masters at Blaine Kern Studios have been making traveling tableaus since 1947 and now provide floats to multiple parades around the country all year round. However the biggest event is still the titular Mardi Gras during which the shop produces 80% of the festival's floats. While the shop began from humble roots, the studio now produces floats using huge fiberglass installations, lights, fabrics and sometimes hundreds of reveling riders. The shop provides tours of their facilities year-round and visitors will get to see traditional Mardi Gras costumes, floats-in-progress, and even get to sample some of the festival treat, King Cake.
Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, with the first tour beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the last tour beginning at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $22
Open 7 days a week from 9:00am to 5:30pm, with our first tour admission beginning at 9:30am and our last admission at 4:30pm.
Mardi Gras does run a free shuttle service that will pick you up and deliver you to their warehouse.
See the above link for details.
Dinner: Have dinner at Olde Nola Cookery. 205 Bourbon St, New Orleans.
This is a nice mid-range priced restaurant that specializes in seafood.
Atmosphere and serving staff are exceptional too!
I love Crawfish Étouffée and the Étouffée at
Olde Nola Cookery was awesome. $23.
For the best authentic musical nightlife in NOLA, go to Frenchman Street.
Most New Orleans visitors don't know Frenchmen Street is where New Orleans musicians actually hang out after their Bourbon Street gigs end. The three-block stretch between Decatur and Dauphine features the city’s most authentic music scene - without the tourist markup.
Start at The Spotted Cat Music Club (623 Frenchmen) – it’s tiny, cash-only, and showcases traditional jazz Tuesday through Sunday starting around 8 PM. No cover charge, just tip the musicians generously. Next door, Snug Harbor (626 Frenchmen) books serious jazz acts in a proper listening room with table service and a solid Creole menu.
Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen) spans two floors with funk, brass bands, and soul music. The upstairs balcony provides perfect people-watching over the street scene below. d.b.a. (618 Frenchmen) combines excellent live music with the neighborhood’s best beer selection – over 200 varieties plus an extensive whiskey menu.
First time on Frenchmen? This VIP music pub crawl includes skip-the-line access and a cocktail.
Morning: Breakfast at Commerce in the CBD. 300 Camp Street, New Orleans.
There’s one solid bet for a local breakfast in the heart of the Central Business District, and that’s Commerce, a classic daytime diner that’s been in the same Sicilian immigrant family for more than 50 years. It’s a true mom-and-pop spot, serving Southern morning-time specialties with a Cajun influence that are served all day.
While not much has changed here over the years, in the last few years Commerce has added weekend hours, bloody Marys, mimosas, and alternative milks.
Nice menu variety and they serve breakfast, brunch and lunch. Daily specials served from 10:30 am to 2 pm. - a different special each day.
Prices were what we'd expect to pay.
You can easily spend two hours to half a day at Vue Orleans. 2 Canal Street, New Orleans.
GO CITY: Vue Orleans is included on the All Inclusive Pass.
Vue Orleans is a family-friendly interactive experience perched at the top of the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans. The tech-savvy attraction takes travelers on a journey through New Orleans as they make their way up to the top of the building. Exhibits feature gesture tracking, touchless interactives, large-scale LED walls and augmented viewers, among other high-tech elements.
Explore the "Confluence of Culture" exhibit to learn more about the historical figures who played a significant role in shaping New Orleans. Here, visitors can interact with installations, such as "Do You NOLA," which features 58 fun facts about the city. From there, engage with the "Dress for the Fest," display, where visitors can see visually stunning costumes worn during famous New Orleans festivals.
The Story Café offers a bit of background on famous New Orleans cuisines. As guests "order" dishes from the interactive menu, New Orleans natives like PBS chef Kevin Belton and "Louisiana Eats!" podcast host Poppy Tooker provide visitors with fun facts about the dishes as they are prepared. And in the "Music of New Orleans" exhibit, patrons will have the chance to listen to 27 song clips that exemplify the New Orleans sound.
Finally, travelers can hop on the minute-long elevator ride to the 33rd floor of the building to see 360-degree panoramic views of the city, including the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. Along with the views, there are additional exhibits, such as "The Working River" interactive table that allows participants to be at the helm of a container ship.
Vue Orleans is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
The attraction offers a three-tier tour package option. Tour package prices range from $29.95 to $39.95 for adults, $27.95 to $37.95 for seniors and $23.95 to $33.95 for kids. The attraction's standard and all-inclusive tours include a complimentary drink on the 34th-floor rooftop, but the inclusive option also offers a guided tour. Note that timed tickets are required to visit.
Paid parking is available at the WTC Garage, located next to the exhibit.
For more information, check out Vue Orleans's website.
This next stop won't be for everyone and it's not for the faint of heart. But we did go to see it out of curiosity so I'm including it. If it's not your cup of tea just scroll on by!
The Museum of Death. 227 Dauphine Street, New Orleans,
A collection of oddities including Dr. Kevorkian's suicide device, the Thanatron. From paintings by serial killers to shrunken heads, New Orleans's Museum of Death displays as many approaches to death as it can fit within its four walls.
The exhibits, which can be very graphic, are not for those with faint hearts or weak stomachs. There is no age restriction because, as the website says, “WE ALL DIE,” but caution and consideration are urged. Those who do visit the Museum of Death who perhaps should not have and wind up fainting get free t-shirts that read “I passed out at the Museum of Death...and lived to talk about it." They call them “falling down ovations” at the museum.
One of Dr. Kevorkian’s suicide machines is on display, as well as a business card from Jack Ruby, who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, who killed President John F. Kennedy. There are letters from serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, several paintings by serial killer John Wayne Gacy, memorabilia (including hair recovered from the crime scene) from the O. J. Simpson trial, and Manson family photographs. And that’s just the beginning.
There are videos in which the death is not reenacted, it’s actually happening on the screen, which is a big part of the reason for Healy’s warning about who should visit. Exhibits on terrorism, cannibalism, and embalming are included, as well as a collection of shrunken heads.
Perusing all of this takes, on average, about 45 minutes, but visitors may stay longer if they like. Photographs are not allowed. The stated goal of the museum is to educate people about death and in so doing take away their fear of dying and make them happy to be alive. The founders want to spur the conversation around death, because too often it doesn’t come up until it is too late.
It's open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $17 (+ tax) admission. No photography of any kind allowed and cameras are not allowed inside.
My honest opinion? I was a cop so am accustomed to this kind of stuff, my husband was a fireman so he was accustomed to this kind of stuff. Let me preface with that. However, apart from the death films? There was really nothing in this museum that I'd shield kids from unless they were very young. Most of the items were memorabilia type stuff related to infamous deaths. I can't imagine this place has handed out many of their
“I passed out at the Museum of Death...and lived to talk about it." tee shirts. I assure you that now days you see far worse stuff on TV. BUT PARENTS USE YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
And now that you've been totally creeped out...LET'S GO HAVE LUNCH!
Afternoon: Lunch at High Hat Cafe. 4500 Freret Street, New Orleans.
The High Hat Cafe is a casual neighborhood spot serving food from Louisiana and the surrounding South.
Catfish is the star of the menu with strong support from Smoked Roasted Chicken, BBQ Shrimp, Slow Roasted Pork, and Fresh Gulf Fish.
Despite only being around since 2009, High Hat Cafe exudes a timeless charm and feels wiser than its years. The trick may be in its honest approach to food and hospitality—the meals here are Southern comfort food at its finest, and you’re likely to be greeted as an old friend when you walk through the door. Blame this on Ryan Iriarte, who has been working here since the beginning, and recently purchased the restaurant with another business partner when, a few years back, the previous owners considered shutting the High Hat’s doors for good.
Inside, the space is warm and inviting, with tiled floors, beadboard walls, and large windows filling the restaurant with natural light. The chrome and formica tables help with the old diner aesthetic, as does the long bar along with chalkboard specials and framed photos of Freret Street in the past.
It’s all in service of a menu that isn’t afraid to play to local tastes, with enough invention to keep things interesting—the BBQ shrimp braised in local beer, smoked chicken, grilled catfish, and pimento mac and cheese are perennial favorites, with sautéed collards, cornbread, and black-eyed peas rounding meals out. The cafe’s rotation of daily specials throughout the week also keeps neighborhood regulars, students, and lunch-hour workers coming back.
No, nothing more woo woo...I promise. After lunch if you're interested in New Orleans history and especially the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the damage they did to New Orleans, the Cabildo has an entire exhibit on the hurricane damage. 701 Chartres Street, New Orleans.
GO CITY: The Cabildo is included on the All Inclusive Pass.
Flanking Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter, the Cabildo was originally constructed in 1799 (when New Orleans was under Spanish rule), as the seat of the Spanish government. Later on, it was here that the Louisiana Purchase took place. After that, this Spanish-style building served as city hall and the state Supreme Court.
Today, the Cabildo is home to a three-floor branch of the Louisiana State Museum, which recounts Louisiana history with the help of Native American objects, Colonial-era paintings, and even Napoleon Bonaparte's death mask. Visitors can also see the room where the Louisiana Purchase was finalized. If you're interested in more recent history, you'll find that at the Cabildo, too. An entire floor is devoted to Hurricane Katrina – the 2005 storm that left New Orleans and surrounding regions devastated. Within the exhibit you'll find multimedia displays and artifacts collected during the cleanup of both hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Tues-Sun 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
$11 for adults; $9 for students and seniors; free for kids 6 and younger.
For those interested:
It’s hard to believe that so many years have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005. The storm flooded 80% of the city and killed more than 1000 people. It especially hit the Lower Ninth Ward hard.
This Hurricane Katrina Tour takes visitors to some of the areas hit by the storm to see how they have recovered in the years since the hurricane, including Lakeview, Gentilly, and St. Bernard.
The educational tour gives guests a closer look at how the city was able to bounce back from the disaster.
One of the most overlooked attractions in NOLA is the Singing Oak. Lelong Drive, New Orleans.
The expansive branches of the "Singing Oak", or Chime Tree, provide shade and coordinated melodies from the beautiful wind chimes hung from the giant oak by local artist Jim Hart.
The melodious 125-year-old tree towers in the heart of City Park, just down the road from the New Orleans Museum of Art. During the summer, the oak provides a reprieve from the sultry Louisiana heat and offers enchanting tunes from the wind chimes strung from the branches. The chimes are all tuned to play as one in the pentatonic scale, (which is the scale used in West African music, early Jazz, and Gospel music, linking it with New Orleans' rich musical heritage) and are painted black to blend in with the plant's natural shadows. The seven instruments range in size, with one reaching a length of 14 feet. The harmonious effect is that of a relaxing, tinkling natural symphony.
Although the Singing Oak is in plain sight of visitors, not many people know about this hidden New Orleans gem next to a beautiful lake. Take a few minutes to sit beneath the Chime Tree and walk away just slightly more relaxed than when you arrived.
Evening: For your last night in NOLA, treat yourself to dinner at my fave New Orleans fine dining restaurant -
Muriel's Jackson Square. 801 Chartres St, New Orleans.
Cajun, Creole and French. $$$$
The Bistro at Muriel’s Jackson Square offers New Orleans classics like Gumbo, BBQ Shrimp, Oysters "Muriel", Turtle soup, Fried Gulf Shrimp Po-boy, Crabmeat Imperial, Shrimp Remoulade & contemporary Creole cuisine like Pecan Crusted Drum & Wood Grilled Tuna while the Courtyard Bar is the perfect place to drop by for drinks &
appetizers. The Séance Lounge is the place for a relaxed, comfortable meeting before or after dining. Comprised of two areas, The Outer & The Inner Séance, the Séance also tells the story of a mystic & checkered past. The Outer Séance addresses the New Orleans era of Storyville & when Muriel's Jackson Square was one of the French Quarter's best bordellos!
Portrait of Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan
The Inner Séance is the preferred domain of the resident ghost, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, & is the perfect spot for an intimate conversation & a drink amongst its plush surroundings.
I won't give you the whole long version of Pierre...let's just say what is now Muriel's was once his home and the thing he treasured most in life. Thing was, Pierre had a wee bit of a gambling problem and lost his beloved house in a poker game.
Before he could be evicted, he committed suicide on the second floor of what is now Muriel's - where the two seance rooms are now located.
Not that he's the only spirit hanging around Muriel's...there are a few there.
Muriel's seance room where the spirit of Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan hangs out
Patrons and employees of Muriel’s have reported seeing the sudden shattering of glasses and objects moving around the room, and hearing unidentified voices on the second floor. Some have reported seeing Pierre dressed in late 18th century clothing. The owners of the establishment maintain that the spirits present in the building are completely harmless and even entertaining. They welcome the spirits of the building to dine with them harmoniously and even reserve a table for the spirit of Mr. Jourdan every night, complete with an offering of wine and bread.
I love Muriel's not just for the tantalizing food and top notch service, I love to go there for the ghosts!
Well, that completes our tour of New Orleans. It's a beautiful city when it doesn't feel like you're standing in a blast furnace. You really should visit there at least once in your lifetime.