The 23 Best Things to Do in New Orleans
The Big Easy, of course, has its must-see sights—the New Orleans Museum of Art is as impressive a slice of culture as you’ll find in the South, and the National World War II Museum is a world-class facility that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Another of the absolute best things to do in New Orleans, of course, is experience the live music that is the heartbeat of the city—but NOLA offers so much more than those well-known headlines. Find time to discover the less obvious spaces; City Park, local-led cooking classes, and the region’s natural treasures with a local swamp tour. We've gathered our picks for what to do in New Orleans, covering the classics, the off-beat, and everything in between, so you're covered when you get there. Laissez les bons temps rouler, indeed.
Read our complete New Orleans travel guide here.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Christian HoranactivityVue Orleans
Previously a rotating nightclub known as Top of the Mart, the upper levels of what is the new Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans have been transformed into a major new city attraction–Vue Orleans Observatory, “a 360-degree observation deck and interactive experience" on floors 33 and 34. Having been built on a swamp, New Orleans is mostly low-rise, and so this observation deck, though not that high in relative terms, still delivers memorable views of the surrounding city. Upon entry, follow a bevy of interactive maps to the elevator, where further video traces the history of New Orleans. Narrated by local singing legend Irma Thomas and rendered in beautiful rotoscope animation, you’re surrounded on three sides by ever-shifting scenery while climbing to the first observation deck. There’s one more level to explore, where you can stroll outside around the perimeter of the tower, and take in the views—the vista looking straight up Poydras Street is particularly dramatic.
Linda XiaoactivityStudio Be
This studio—in a huge warehouse space in the Bywater neighborhood—showcases the work of local artist Brandon Odums (aka BMike). He specializes in large-scale murals and paintings illustrating scenes from black culture in the city, black leaders and icons; the exhibits show off the whole range of Odum’s talent, with mixed media pieces including sculpture and video. The real stars of the show—and the works for which he is most famous—are the floor-to-ceiling portraits.
Linda XiaoactivityCrescent Park
Until 2014, the banks of the Mississippi River bordering the city's downtown Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods were essentially unwalkable. The city invested in a large renovation program that's transformed unsightly, post-industrial wasteland into a lovely riverside park. Crescent Park is a mile-and-a-half long and feels very much like a local spot; you're unlikely to find Mardi Gras-beaded tourists here. Grab a bottle of wine and a cheese plate from nearby Bacchanal Wines, and find yourself a grassy riverside spot for an afternoon picnic.
D. Scott ClarkactivityNew Orleans School of Cooking
The gastronomic scene is important in most cities. In New Orleans, it’s a way of life, a celebration of history and a cultural symbol of huge importance. It regulates dietary calendars—red beans on Mondays, King Cake during Carnival, Crawfish Monica at Jazz Fest. Through teaching the basics of arguably the only indigenous cuisine in the whole of the United States, the instructors here peel back layers of the city’s history and people. The classes are engaging and entertaining, of course, but you come away with an understanding of what food means to the culture here, an education that will help you appreciate the city on a whole new level. There are two styles of class to choose from—open demonstrations and hands-on cookery lessons. The hands-on class (which I took) will typically feature dishes such as seafood gumbo, crawfish pie and bananas foster crêpes, and lasts around three hours in the morning or afternoon. Preparing food all morning definitely whets your appetite for lunch. The instruction couldn’t be friendlier, with patience for beginners as well as expert tips for the more advanced. If you simply watch, rest assured that you can still sample the goods.
Linda XiaoactivityCity Park
Almost all of New Orleans life is contained within this park—museums, golf courses, cafes and high-end restaurants, a stadium, waterways, and all that green space. The New Orleans Museum of Art and the accompanying sculpture garden are definite highlights, as is the Couterie Forest with its eight distinct ecosystems (and the city’s highest point, Laborde Mountain). Children will love the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park with its retro fairground rides—as well as the Louisiana Children's Museum—while adults can work up an appetite walking the great lawns before for dinner at the highly respected Ralph’s on the Park.
GettyactivityNew Orleans Museum of Art
A must-see on most visitors’ New Orleans itineraries, and deservedly so. The building itself, set back in City Park, is imposing and grand with its alabaster walls and Greco-Roman columns. There's also a beautiful five-acre sculpture garden, with artwork beneath magnolias and Spanish moss-laden live oaks. Inside, the collection is equally impressive, with French and American art and traveling exhibits that feature everything from fashion to digital media. It remains one the South’s most impressive fine art collections.
- Camerique/ClassicStock/Gettyactivity
Steamboat Natchez
The Steamboat Natchez is a well-loved and well-established tour with two daily harbor cruises, as well as dinner and Sunday brunch cruises. Though they may differ slightly, all of the cruises take in the sights and history of New Orleans and the Mississippi River. With the calliope organ playing as the boat docks, this is a rare chance to learn a lot in a short period of time. Buy tickets at the walk-up booth along the river (reservations are recommended during high season).
GettyactivityLouis Armstrong Park
There aren’t a ton of green spaces in downtown New Orleans, so Louis Armstrong Park, just outside the French Quarter, is a welcome option. Given its proximity to the city’s culture, the park has also become a hub for festivals and seasonal events. It’s a well-designed, landscaped spot that packs a lot into 32 acres. Don't miss Congo Square, which began as an open space for slaves and free people of color to celebrate their African heritage with music and drumming circles—the precursor to the development of jazz.
Erika Goldring/GettyactivityBackstreet Cultural Museum
The Treme neighborhood is one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the country, and inside what looks like an otherwise residential home is the new location for the Backstreet Cultural Museum, which houses one of the most comprehensive archives of the traditions and community movements that sprung from these streets. The most colorful aspect of the museum is its collection of elaborately sequined and beaded Mardi Gras masks and costumes, which have African and Native American influences. The collection also has information and artifacts relating to jazz funerals, second lines, and social aid and pleasure clubs. The exhibits are mainly permanent, although it’s a constantly growing archive of costumes, artifacts, memorabilia, photographs, and films. The museum also hosts special events (including live music performances by local musicians and parties) throughout the year.
Aubrey BrummettactivityFrench Quarter Phantoms
Some people just love cemetery tours, but this is also great for visitors who want to feel spooked while learning local history. To kick things off, everyone meets at the "office"—which is actually the back of a bar on Rampart Street, which is the most New Orleans start to a guided tour imaginable. Everyone seemed pumped to see the cemetery. (Guided tours are now compulsory—it’s the only way to really explore them.) Keep an eye out for the tombs of local legends like Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, as well as the decoration on the stonework, which will really stick with you.
GettybarThe Spotted Cat Music Club
If Frenchman Street is home to the city’s best jazz, the Spotted Cat is its epicenter—a small, kind of rundown bar that comes alive each night as old-school jazz plays on. Expect to hear brassy quartets and quintets; clarinet solos and big voices; and swing when the Cotton Mouth Kings come by. (A dance floor will open up for the local swing crew to show off its moves.) Cram in and stay for more than one set.
GettyactivityThe National WWII Museum
The National WWII Museum is a world-class history museum—a sprawling complex of modern buildings in the Warehouse District that receives thousands of visitors every day who want to hear "the story of the war that changed the world." Doing so is no easy task, but through large narrative exhibits that include detailed, personal accounts from eyewitnesses, the museum manages to do just that. Every conceivable medium is used: film, immersive exhibits, large-scale reconstructions, and first-person oral histories among them. Expect to walk—a lot—given how spread out exhibits are, but the museum is sensitive to the relatively mature age of its visitors and rest stops and benches are plentiful. A short visit isn't ideal given the scale of the topic at hand, but if you’re really pushed, you could tailor your visit to just see a specific interest, or go straight for the movie presentation.
GettyactivitySaenger Theatre
You can still feel the glamour that must have accompanied the opening of Saenger Theatre in 1927. Although the capacity has been cut from 4,000 to 2,600, the grand venue is still one of the biggest theaters in town, with a performance hall modeled on an Italian baroque courtyard and overhead lighting that resembles a starry constellation. The space hosts big events that still need a more intimate setting than a sports arena: touring Broadway shows, big-name comedians, and the occasional concert.
Linda XiaoactivitySydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
This five-acre sculpture garden is a park within City Park, and acts as an open-air annex to the wonderful New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). 90 sculptures—mostly modern and abstract—are set among magnolias and live oaks, framed by bridges and reflecting pools, with world-renowned artists Henry Moore, Antoine Bourdelle, and Ossip Zadkine represented. The lake-set Virlane Tower by Kenneth Snelson is a favorite, as is the familiar Love, Red Blue sign by Robert Indiana, but it’s best to come without a map. Surprise and delight are over every bridge.
Courtesy Tipitina'sactivityTipitina's
The unassuming Uptown building with no seats may be over 100 years old, but Tips, as it’s affectionately known, only became a music venue in the 1970s. It quickly cemented its place as a New Orleans music institution: Local brass bands are a particular thing to see here. There are no seats, but you'll likely want to be up on your feet for whatever local talent is about to take the stage by storm. If there are any big music festivals in town, such as Jazz Fest or Voodoo, it’s likely that some of the bands booked will also add a show at Tip’s to their visit to NOLA, or maybe they'll just drop in unexpectedly, you never know.
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Contemporary Arts Center
The Contemporary Arts Center, housed in a large redbrick building that stands out in the relatively muted Central Business District, is one of the city’s most prestigious spaces for the full gamut of contemporary arts, including painting, film, theater, and music. Exhibits, which rotate every four to eight weeks, can include any visual art form, from photography to sculpture and painting. The featured works are well-curated—sometimes around themes, sometimes around individual contemporary artists. Pieces are often installed in a creative way that makes use of the interior architecture.
Courtesy Mardi Gras WorldactivityMardi Gras World
You might walk right by this anonymous warehouse by the Port of New Orleans, but inside is a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the country's biggest free party—Mardi Gras. The huge floats take months to build and decorate, and this is where a large part of that happens. Painters and sculptors are actually working on pieces as you take this 90-minute walking tour, so it feels like you’re being let in on a secret.
GettyactivityCajun Encounters Tour Company
Cajun Encounters takes you 45 minutes from French Quarter beignets and Bourbon Street, but the bayou feels a world away. Your tour “captain”—a total pro who knows caimans from alligators—takes you out on a flat-bottomed boat for two hours in search of gators in the wild. You might even get to feed them. (Don’t worry, everyone from the tour makes it back.) Conservation plays a part of the conversation, as the guide offers a funny-serious take on the swamp, including how the environment was affected by Hurricane Katrina and how it continues to evolve.
Courtesy Ogden Museum of Southern ArtactivityOgden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is Smithsonian-affiliated and, as its name suggests, celebrates the culture and aesthetic of Southern artists. The permanent collection showcases more than 4,000 pieces from 15 states; in fact, with works dating back to 1733, the institution boasts the most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world. Exhibits feature paintings, photography, sculpture, and handicrafts, and place historical works alongside contemporary artists working in the South.
Courtesy Sazerac HouseactivitySazerac House
You may think that a museum dedicated to just one cocktail is excessive and couldn’t be done with enough depth to keep things interesting. To that, New Orleans says: hold my Sazerac. Opened in October 2019, The Sazerac House is a multi-floor, multi-media, interactive dive into the intoxicating world of a whiskey brand. In a beautifully renovated building on the corner of Magazine and Canal, it manages to house a museum, a bar, and a distillery, all in one. Visitors are guided to the third floor to begin their tour. The floor traces the cultural influence of booze in New Orleans. Spoiler alert: it figures heavily in the city’s past. Exhibits are sleek, technologically impressive, and in some cases, interactive, detailing the start of cocktail culture in the Crescent City and the evolution of the Sazerac. The second floor delves into the brand, looking at the production of the spirit, including a hands-on look at ingredients, and a chance to sample the wares if you’re old enough. The ground floor exposes the inner workings of the on-site distillery, and the parts blend to form a cohesive whole, like a well-made cocktail.
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Southern Food & Beverage Museum
Sometimes it feels like most, if not all, of the festivities in and around New Orleans are simply vehicles for making and consuming local dishes and cocktails. It makes sense, then, that this museum opened in 2014 to celebrate the food and drinks that are so beloved in this region. This large, open-plan warehouse has a bohemian ambience. It’s filled with antique memorabilia and packs in an impressive number of ingredients, with exhibits representing all of the southern states, not just Louisiana. The museum is very active socially, and in any given week there’s likely to be a few live events, from demonstrations and lectures to nights where you can sample specific foods or cocktails. Local and regional chefs and bartenders are invited to interpret their skills, and there’s a cute outdoor space, the Gumbo Garden. There’s also a demonstration kitchen that hosts regular cookery demos and classes.
Jacqueline MarqueactivityMusic Box Village
This venue, in the far reaches of the residential Bywater neighborhood, is an aesthetic delight. It looks something like a post-apocalyptic wooden fortress, impenetrable except to those in the know (the public entrance is set in the back). Inside is part acoustic playground, part rural music venue, part museum. There are several small "houses"—built with wood and metal and plastic, in different styles—and each has its own musical "instruments," be it percussion or wind or some more elaborate electronic devices hooked into windows and floors. It’s built for you to run around, explore, and make lots of noise. The shows here are one-of-a-kind—nything from rock to opera, the common thread being that artists are encouraged to make use of the unique sounds and setup available to them. Performances are true one-offs, with even the most polished songs being deconstructed and put together again using the wooden blocks or bells available. The venue encourages a particular kind of collaboration and invention, and most artists rise to the challenge.
Linda XiaoactivityPreservation Hall
Come the early evening, or Sunday afternoon, people start to line up outside the crumbling exterior of a building on St. Peters Street in the historic French Quarter. Through the iron gate lies one of the world’s most respected music venues and the spiritual home of New Orleans jazz, Preservation Hall. It’s not much to look at—just a small, square room with some seating and a small stage area—but a little local magic happens four or five times a day. The house band is, unsurprisingly, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. They're dedicated to preserving the traditions of New Orleans jazz as it was in its heyday a hundred years ago, and they play four or five white-hot, hour-long sets each night to the 100 or so people who pack the benches. You're guaranteed an amazing show no matter what time you come, and there’s always that chance that famous musicians will drop by unannounced, especially when large music festivals (such as Jazz Fest in the spring) are in town.
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