Things to see in New Orleans
Attractions
French Quarter
Also known as the Vieux Carré (Old Square), the French Quarter covers a grid of 98 magnificent square blocks. Dating from 1718, it is one of the oldest districts in the country, with superb 18th- and 19th-century architecture. The handsome buildings erected after this time, with their arches, fanlights and filigreed wrought-iron balconies, are actually Spanish in character. The focal point of the French Quarter is Jackson Square, arguably the loveliest square in the USA, and Bourbon Street, the neon-tinged tourist hub lined with daiquiri bars and strip joints.
Address: French Quarter, French Quarter, New Orleans, 70116Telephone:
Opening times:
Daily 24 hours.
Website:Admission Fees:
No
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Old US Mint
Completed in 1835, the Old US Mint manufactured Confederate money during the Civil War and continued to mint US coins until 1909. Its thick walls also served as a prison when Union troops captured the city. Today it houses the excellent New Orleans Jazz Collection, which features music, artefacts and instruments, such as Louis Armstrong's first cornet.
Address: French Quarter, 400 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, 70116Telephone: +1 504 568 6993.
Opening times:
Tues-Sun 1000-1630.
Website: http://www.louisianastatemuseum.org/museums/the-old-us-mintAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
St Louis Cathedral
The simple yet elegant facade of St Louis Cathedral is a focal point of Jackson Square. Named after the former King of France, this is the oldest cathedral in the United States. It is the third church built on this site: a hurricane destroyed the first in 1722 and a fire the second in 1788. Dedicated as a cathedral in 1794, the present building was extensively remodelled between 1849-51. Pope Paul VI designated it a minor basilica during his visit in 1964.
Address: French Quarter, 615 Père Antoine Alley, New Orleans, 70116Telephone: +1 504 525 9585.
Opening times:
Daily 0830-1600, mass at 1205.
Website: http://www.stlouiscathedral.orgAdmission Fees:
No
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Presbytère
Designed in 1791 as a rectory for the priests of St Louis Cathedral, the Presbytère was finally completed in 1813. By then, New Orleans had become part of the United States and the church rented the building to the city for use as a courthouse. It was sold to the city in 1853. Today, it houses a dazzling collection of Mardi Gras memorabilia, from masks and costumes to videos and interactive displays about the history of the event.
Address: French Quarter, 751 Chartres Street, New Orleans, 70116Telephone: +1 504 568 6968.
Opening times:
Tues-Sun 1000-1630.
Website: http://www.louisianastatemuseum.org/museums/the-presbytereAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: NoUNESCO: No
New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)
This excellent museum displays exhibits from the museum's large art collection and hosts major travelling exhibitions. Highlights of the permanent collection are on the upper two floors and include the pre-Columbian collection, Native American art, the Asian wing, American and European paintings, and one of the largest glass collections in the country. There is also an attractive sculpture garden.
Address: City Park, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, 70119Telephone: +1 504 658 4100.
Opening times:
Tues-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri 1000-2100, Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1100-1700.
Website: http://www.noma.orgAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
St Louis Cemetery No 1
New Orleans is famous for its Cities of the Dead (cemeteries) because the high water table made underground burial difficult, so people built ornate marble tombs and vaults above ground instead. Decorated with statuary, mosaics and other ornamentation, St Louis Cemetery No 1 dates back to 1789 and is the oldest of the city's many such burial grounds. It is also one of the most atmospheric, with crumbling tombs and the graves of some of the city's historic personages, including the voodoo queen Marie Laveau.
Address: Treme, 425 Basin Street, New Orleans, 70112Telephone: +1 504 596 3050.
Opening times:
Mon-Sat 0900-1530, Sun 0900-1230.
Website:Admission Fees:
No
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Cabildo
Built between 1795 and 1799, this handsome building takes its name from the Spanish council, or cabildo, which met here in colonial times. It is a fine example of the Spanish colonial style with its wrought-iron balcony railing arguably the most outstanding work from that period in the city. In 1803, in a room called the Sala Capitular on the second floor, France signed the Louisiana Purchase, which ceded a huge territory west of the Mississippi, including New Orleans, to the United States. Today, it houses a museum of Louisiana history, and exhibits include the colony's founding stone and Napoleon Bonaparte's death mask.
Address: French Quarter, 701 Chartres Street, New Orleans, 70116Telephone: +1 504 568 6968.
Opening times:
Tues-Sun 1000-1630.
Website: http://www.louisianastatemuseum.org/museums/the-cabildoAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Hermann-Grima House
Built in 1831 for a wealthy merchant named Samuel Hermann this Federal-style house is among the best examples of American architecture in the Vieux Carré. The highlight is the Creole kitchen, where cooking demonstrations take place over the open hearth, all day on Thursdays from October to May. There are also period rooms and a restored stable.
Address: French Quarter, 820 St Louis Street, New Orleans, 70112Telephone: +1 504 525 5661.
Opening times:
Tours Mon-Tues & Thurs-Fri at 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1400, Sat 1200, 1300, 1400 and 1500.
Website: http://www.hgghh.orgAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: NoUNESCO: No
Garden District
Stretching from St Charles Avenue to Magazine Street and between Louisiana and Jackson Avenues, the Garden District is an elegant National Historic District of pre-war homes. Originally a separate city called Lafayette, which was annexed by New Orleans in 1852, the Garden District was first laid out in the 1820s and was settled by wealthy American businessmen. The handsome Greek revival mansions are still private residences and are not open to the public. One of the grandest homes is the Robinson House, 1415 Third Street, which resembles an Italian villa and was possibly the first house in the city to have indoor plumbing. Author Anne Rice's former home, Rosegate, is at the corner of First Street and Chestnut Street
Address: Garden District, , New Orleans, 70130Telephone:
Opening times:
Daily 24 hours.
Website:Admission Fees:
No
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
National World War II Museum
Celebrating the accomplishments of the Americans who participated in WWII, the museum gives a fascinating political and economic overview of the build-up and mobilisation of the Allied Forces' 17 different amphibious invasions during D-Day. Crammed with maps, filmed narrations, artefacts and photographs, it puts a face on the war.
Address: Warehouse District, 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, 70130Telephone: +1 504 528 1944.
Opening times:
Daily 0900-1700.
Website: http://www.ddaymuseum.orgAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Tourist Offices
New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
Address: Garden District, 2020 St Charles Avenue, New Orleans, 70130Telephone: +1 800 672 6124.
Opening times:
Daily 0830-1700.
Website: http://www.neworleanscvb.comWith knowledge local staff dispensing advice on what to do, where to stay and where to eat, the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau should be your first stop. There is also a Welcome Centre in the French Quarter on Jackson Square, 529 St Ann Street (tel: +1 504 568 5661), open daily 0830-1700.
Tourist passes
The New Orleans Power Pass (www.visiticket.com) allows free admission to many of the city's attractions. You can purchase the pass online for one, two, three or five days.
