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New Orleans packs more into a few square miles than almost any U.S. city, from the 18th-century French Quarter to jazz clubs, a massive WWII museum and airboat swamp tours. Most of the headline attractions sit within a 3 km walk of Jackson Square, and the St. Charles streetcar links the rest for US$1.25 a ride. Here are the things to do in New Orleans worth your time, with hours and prices, timed around the seasons in our best time to visit guide.
Things to Do in New Orleans: The French Quarter
St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square
St. Louis Cathedral at 615 Pere Antoine Alley is the oldest continuously active Catholic cathedral in the U.S., dating to 1794. It is free to enter and open daily from about 9am to 4pm, though hours vary around Mass and weddings. The square in front, Jackson Square, is framed by street artists, fortune tellers and the Pontalba buildings, and the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson has stood in the center since 1856. It anchors the walking routes in our New Orleans neighborhoods guide.
Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street runs 13 blocks through the heart of the French Quarter and is the city’s party strip, packed with bars, balcony-facing clubs and frozen daiquiri stands. It is at its busiest from Thursday to Saturday after 10pm. Walk it once for the spectacle, then head a few blocks to quieter Royal Street, which is lined with antique shops and art galleries instead of neon.
Cafe du Monde
Cafe du Monde at 800 Decatur Street has served beignets and chicory coffee since 1862. A plate of three beignets costs about US$3.65 and cafe au lait about US$3.50, and the original location is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (closed only Christmas Day). Expect a line at peak times; a second, smaller location at City Park is usually faster.
Things to Do in New Orleans: Museums and History
The National WWII Museum
The National WWII Museum at 945 Magazine Street is the top-rated attraction in New Orleans and among the best history museums in the country. Adult admission is US$35.50 and it opens daily from 9am to 5pm. The 4D film “Beyond All Boundaries” and the immersive “Road to Berlin” and “Road to Tokyo” exhibits take most visitors a full day, so plan at least four hours. It sits in the Warehouse District, one of the areas covered in our where to stay guide.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on Basin Street holds the tomb of voodoo priestess Marie Laveau and opened in 1789. It has been closed to unguided visitors since 2015, so you must join a licensed tour, which costs around US$25 per person. Tours run daily and take about an hour; book a morning slot in summer because the walled cemetery has no shade.
Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras World at 1380 Port of New Orleans Place is the working warehouse where many of the city’s parade floats are built. Admission is about US$22 for adults, open daily from 9am to 5:30pm, and the ticket includes a slice of king cake. You can watch artists sculpt and paint floats year round, which makes it a good rainy-day or off-season stand-in for the real thing; the parade dates themselves are in our events and festivals guide.
Things to Do in New Orleans: Outdoors and the River
Steamboat Natchez Cruise
The Steamboat Natchez departs from Toulouse Street Wharf behind Jackson Square for a two-hour Mississippi River cruise. Daytime jazz cruises cost about US$43 to US$48 for adults and run at 11:30am and 2:30pm daily, with an optional Creole lunch on board. The paddlewheel and calliope make it a good introduction to the river that built the city.
Swamp and Airboat Tours
Louisiana swamp tours run year round from about US$35 for a flat-bottom boat and US$60 to US$70 for a small airboat. Most operators pick up from downtown hotels or meet in the Jean Lafitte area, 25 to 40 minutes south of the French Quarter. You will see alligators, egrets and cypress trees, and alligators are most active when temperatures are warm, from April through October.
City Park and Audubon Zoo
City Park at 1 Palm Drive is 50 percent larger than Central Park in New York and is free to enter. It holds the New Orleans Museum of Art (US$20 adult, closed Mondays), a sculpture garden, and the Cafe du Monde location. Audubon Zoo at 6500 Magazine Street charges US$26.95 for adults and opens 10am to 5pm, with a Louisiana swamp exhibit and white alligators.
Things to Do in New Orleans: Music and Nightlife
Preservation Hall
Preservation Hall at 726 St. Peter Street is a small, no-frills room that has hosted traditional New Orleans jazz every night since 1961. Tickets run about US$25 to US$40 for 45-minute sets at 5pm, 6pm and 8pm, and there are no seats or drinks inside. Arrive 30 minutes early because the line forms on the sidewalk and entry is first come, first served. If you are packing for the season, the weather by month guide tells you what to wear.
Frenchmen Street
Frenchmen Street, a five-minute walk east of the French Quarter in the Marigny, is where locals go for live music without the Bourbon Street crowds. Clubs like The Spotted Cat, d.b.a. and Snug Harbor run sets nightly with US$5 to US$10 covers. The three-block strip also has an open-air art market that sets up every evening from about 7pm. Getting there and around is covered in our travel tips article.
