The things to do in New Orleans and the French Quarter are almost endless. New Orleans is a romantic and historical city but she is playful and adventuresome as well. I have found that there are things to do in New Orleans to fit into any budget. There are plenty of free things to do in New Orleans as well as expensive things to do. New Orleans has things to do for everyone including you. While visiting New Orleans you can take a ride on a New Orleans Streetcar, visit the WWII Museum, get your New Orleans Old Time Photo taken, take a Louisiana Cooking class, and take as many New Orleans tours as your heart desires. This page has just some of the New Orleans attractions available.
Don't miss Celebration in the Oaks * New Orleans City Park
If you are visiting New Orleans between Nov 25th and Jan 1st check out Celebration in the Oaks in New Orleans City Park. Celebration in the Oaks remains one of the most beautiful holiday light exhibits in the country, recognized nationally for its elaborate lighting displays. Gates open at 6pm and admission is $7 (children under three FREE!). With admission you get to walk through the 12-acre site that includes the Botanical Garden, Storyland, a children's theme park, and Carousel Gardens, an amusement ride area aglow with holiday magic at every turn! Nightly musical entertainment and a full service cafe featuring our famous hot-buttered rum! This year’s novelty is a 16-foot Christmas tree that appears to dance to music. Visit the Celebration in the Oaks website for additional information, tickets, and other activities at the celebration in City Park.
Take a ride on a New Orleans Streetcar
Take a ride on a New Orleans Streetcar. You have three streetcar routes to choose from. The most famous is the St Charles Line and then there is the Canal St Line, and the Riverfront Line.The famous St. Charles Line is the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world! This route is a 13 mile long loop and runs from Canal Street to Carondelet Avenue. Traveling down St Charles Avenue you will see dozens of historic New Orleans mansions. For extra fun you should get off along the way and enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants along the route (of course I recommend Pascal’s Manale on Napoleon Avenue). For more information on restaurants and attractions along the St. Charles Streetcar line visit my St. Charles Streetcar page.
The Canal Street Line takes you from Harrah's New Orleans Casino at the river end of Canal Street through downtown New Orleans and can take you to two destinations. One streetcar route ends at City Park Avenue at the historic city cemeteries (another free thing to do). The other street car route ends at the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park.
The Riverfront Line takes you along the New Orleans Riverfront. From Café Du Monde and the shops at the French Market to Waldenburg Park, the Aquarium of the Americus, and finally the Riverwalk Shopping Mall and the New Orleans Cruise Ship Terminal.
Visit the many Museums in New Orleans
There is a wide variety of museums in the New Orleans area to choose from. Regardless of your taste and interest I am sure that you will find a museum that you will enjoy. In the French Quarter you will find the Historic New Orleans Collection Museum, The Cabildo Museum and The Presbytère Museum (Hurricane Katrina exhibit). In the warehouse district you will find the World War II Museum, the Civil War Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and for the children the New Orleans Children Museum. All of the warehouse district museums are within walking distance of each other and only a block off the St. Charles Streetcar line. You will find the New Orleans Museum of Art located in Mid City, actually it is located in New Orleans City Park. For more information on the museums in New Orleans check out my Museum page.I recommended this class it is a hoot!
Take a Louisiana Cooking class * French Quarter
Learn to cook like a true Louisianan at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Their classes are entertaining and teach the basics of Louisiana Cooking in a way you'll never forget. They will teach you New Orleans specialties such as Gumbo, Jambalaya and pralines and you get to eat the awesome food they have prepared. When you are finished taking the class you can check out their general store where you can buy everything you will need to take home and impress your friends. The New Orleans School of Cooking and Louisiana General Store is located at 524 St Louis Street in the French Quarter, right down the street from Johnny's Po-Boys Restaurant.
Take a New Orleans Tour
The tour experiences in New Orleans are almost unlimited and there is probably a New Orleans Tour or French Quarter Tour for everyone. Noteworthy tours include Walking Tours such as the French Quarter Night Walking Tour with Dinner and the Garden District Walking Tour; mule-drawn Carriage Tours of the French Quarter and the Garden District; bus tours such as the Hurricane Katrina Tour, New Orleans City Tour, and the Oak Alley Plantation Tour; limo tours; Segway Guided Tours; Riverboat Tours; New Orleans Swamp Tours; and Airboat Tours. Visit my New Orleans Tours page for more infomation on the many New Orleans tours available.
Experience the Entergy IMAX Theatre * On the River Front
Don’t just watch the movie but experience the journey at the New Orleans Entergy IMAX Theatre where the wonders of nature are magnified and where larger-than-life adventures explode with the help of the world's most advanced motion picture technology. The IMAX theater features a special six-channel, multi-speaker sound system and a silver screen reaching five-and-a-half stories tall. The IMAX Theater is one of the stops on the Riverfront streetcar and is located next door to Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
Take a Plantation Tour
There are many plantations in southern Louisiana and a number of them are within easy driving distance of New Orleans, I refer to them as New Orleans Plantations. These elaborate plantation homes line the banks of the Mississippi River along the River Road. They were once the mainstays of the southern way of life. Many of these plantations are now open to the public and offer windows into the by gone past of the Old South. If you are interested in Old South history or architecture, a visit to these magnificent homes is a must. Visit my New Orleans Plantations page for more infomation on the many New Orleans area plantations.
Tour New Orleans in a GPS equipped New Orleans Cruiser * French Quarter
Rent a New Orleans Cruiser and enjoy the freedom of a GPS self-guided tour of New Orleans! You are the driver in this talking car. New Orleans Cruisers are the first and only talking car Tour Company in New Orleans. Riding in our two-passenger Cruiser using GPS technology will allow you to visit over 60 points of interest in the Crescent City. You can also create your own tour or listen to your personal mp3 player and cruise to your jams. The Cruisers are efficient, practical and fun to ride. They will also make parking a breeze when visiting the hot spots in the French Quarters. Rentals are from 1 to 8 hours or multiple days if you would like. Renting a cruiser is fast and trouble-free. A driver must have a valid driver’s license and a major credit card to ride. Drivers must be 21 and agree to the terms and conditions by signing a standard rental contract. The Coupes are brightly painted carrying a 3 ft pole and an attached yellow flag stating, “Rent Me “with a contact number. You can contact New Orleans Cruisers at 504-523-9890.
Tour the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas * On the River Front
The Aquarium of the Americas is located along the Mississippi River front and has been recognized as one of the leading aquariums in the United States. The aquarium features 10,000 animals representing 530 species. Major exhibits include a Carribean reef featuring a clear 30-foot-long visitor tunnel surrounded by a 132,000 gallon tank of sea life; an Amazon exhibit, encased in a glass cylinder that includes macaws, piranhas, and other specimens from the Amazon basin; a Mississippi River gallery, featuring catfish, paddlefish, and the famous white alligator; and Gulf of Mexico exhibit, featuring a 400,000 gallon, 17 foot tall tank of sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays from the Gulf. The Aquarium is one of the stops on the Riverfront streetcar line and is right next door to the Entergy IMAX Theater.
Rent a Bicycle! * French Quarter
The American Bicycle Rental Company invites you to tour America's Southern Jewel City of the South, New Orleans, on an AMERICAN BICYCLE made by American workers. Their Classic Cruiser Bicycles come equipped with extra-wide seats to cushion your tush and extra-thick shock absorbing tires for a smooth ride. American Bicycle Rental Company is a local, family owned business. Come on down to the French Quarter, rent a bike and ...Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! They are located at 317 Burgundy Street and their toll free number is 866-293-4037.
Visit Mardi Gras World * On the Riverfront
Visit Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World for an insider’s view on Mardi Gras. Watch the artists of Blain Kern Studios- the world-renowned masters of Carnival sculpture and float building- at work in their shops. Visit their gift shop and take home a piece of Mardi Gras Magic. View their exclusive Mardi Gras video. Marvel at the artistry and technology of their signature mega- floats. Mardi Gras world in not within easy walking distance to any of New Orleans hotels but they do offer FREE hotel shuttle with purchase of tour tickets.
Audubon Insectarium * CBD
Audubon Insectarium, located right on the edge of the French Quarter in the U.S. Custom House on Canal Street, encourages you to use all five senses as you explore North America’s largest museum devoted to insects and their relatives. You’ll discover why insects are the building blocks of all life on our planet in our newest one-of-a-kind attraction. Thousands of live and preserved specimens illustrate the vast diversity of shape, size and color of Earth’s largest group of animals. Within the Insectarium you will shrink to bug size; wander through a mysterious Louisiana swamp; join the active audience of an awards show for bugs; and be captivated by thousands of butterflies in an Asian garden. You can also touch a bug, shop in the Stanley W. Ray, Jr. Audubon Flea Market for unique insect-themed gifts or swing by the Termidor Tiny Termite Café for a bug-free bite to eat.
Spend a day at the Audubon Zoo * Uptown New Orleans
Audubon Zoo, located in historic Uptown New Orleans, offers an exotic mix of animals from around the globe, engaging educational programs, hands-on animal encounters and lush gardens. Enjoy unique natural habitat exhibits—such as the award-winning Louisiana Swamp and Jaguar Jungle. Audubon Zoo is often ranked among the country’s best for innovation and entertainment value. Grab a bite in the air-conditioned Zoofari Café or Cypress Knee Café, then enjoy a ride on the Swamp Train. The Gottesman Family Endangered Species Carousel and Simulator Ride thrill all ages. Complete your visit with a souvenir from the fabulous Audubon Marketplace gift shop.
Visit the New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park
The Botanical Gardens in New Orleans houses over 2,000 varieties of plants set among the nation’s largest stand of mature live oaks. The 12 acre site contains a water lily pond, and several themed gardens; Rose, Azalea, Camellia, Butterfly and horticultural gardens. My favorite theme garden is the Historic New Orleans Train Garden; it is the largest G-scale garden railroad layout in the Gulf South with a layout approximating the layout of the city itself. Visitors walk on a pathway representing the water surrounding New Orleans. Don’t miss the Tropical Rain Forest and Living Fossils exhibits in the Conservatory of the Two Sisters. Located at 1 Palm Drive the City Park Botanical Gardens is sure to delight everyone who visits. By Admission; Guided Tours available; for information call 504-288-6444.