Things to Do in New Orleans: The Ultimate Guide to the Crescent City

• Ride the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

  The oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world clatters through the Garden District beneath a canopy of live oaks, past antebellum mansions and Audubon Park. For the price of a fare it's the city's most charming, breezy sightseeing ride. Grab a wooden seat by an open window and let it roll.

• Hear live jazz on Frenchmen Street

  A few blocks from the French Quarter, this Marigny strip packs a dozen clubs where brass bands, trad jazz, and funk pour into the street every night. The Spotted Cat and d.b.a. are local favorites, and most cover charges are tiny or free. It's the real, unmissable soundtrack of the city.

• Cruise the Mississippi on the Steamboat Natchez

  Board the last authentic steam-powered sternwheeler on the river for a two-hour turn past the port and skyline, live Dixieland jazz playing on deck. Sunset sailings glow, and you can add a Creole buffet. It's a relaxing, quintessentially New Orleans afternoon on the water.

• Eat beignets at Cafe du Monde

  Order three hot, pillowy fried doughnuts buried in powdered sugar with a cup of chicory cafe au lait at this open-air institution near Jackson Square. It's open around the clock, cash only, and gloriously messy. Eating here is an activity in itself and a rite of passage.

• Catch a set at Preservation Hall

  This bare-bones French Quarter room has hosted traditional New Orleans jazz nightly since 1961, with no drinks, no frills, and musicians just feet away. Sets are short and intimate, so arrive early to line up. It's a goosebump-raising brush with living musical history.

• Take a swamp tour in the bayou

  A short drive from downtown, airboat and covered-boat tours glide through moss-draped cypress swamps where alligators, herons, and turtles bask. Guides share Cajun lore and local ecology. It's an easy, thrilling half-day escape into the wild Louisiana wetlands.

• Wander the French Quarter and Bourbon Street

  Lose yourself among the Quarter's wrought-iron balconies, hidden courtyards, and antique shops, then dip into the neon chaos of Bourbon Street for a Hurricane or Sazerac. It's unabashedly touristy fun, best on foot with a go-cup in hand and no fixed plan.

• Eat a po'boy, gumbo, and crawfish

  Sink your teeth into a fried-shrimp po'boy 'dressed', spoon into a dark roux gumbo, then peel a tray of boiled crawfish in season. Food here is a full-contact activity, and arguing the best spot for each is half the joy. Come hungry and eat like a local.

• Explore City Park and its old carousel

  One of the country's largest urban parks holds ancient oaks, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and a rare 1906 wooden flying-horse carousel. Rent a paddleboat or stroll the bayou. It's leafy, low-key family fun away from the crowds.

• Tour a historic above-ground cemetery

  New Orleans buries its dead in ornate marble tombs above the water table, creating haunting 'cities of the dead'. A licensed guided tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 unpacks the history, architecture, and voodoo legends. It's an atmospheric, only-here experience.

• Browse and bar-hop Magazine Street

  This six-mile Uptown stretch strings together indie boutiques, antique stores, coffee shops, craft-cocktail bars, and neighborhood restaurants. A self-guided crawl shows off the city's creative, easygoing side far from the tourist core, with a streetcar or bike ride linking the ends.

• Jackson Square & St. Louis Cathedral

  Watch street musicians, tarot readers, and artists fill the square in front of the oldest continuously active cathedral in the United States. Stepping inside St. Louis Cathedral is free, and the square is the city's free civic living room and the best starting point for any first visit.

• Audubon Park

  Stroll or run the shaded loop beneath centuries-old live oaks draped in Spanish moss, just Uptown along the streetcar line. There's never an admission charge to the park itself, which makes this leafy, lagoon-dotted retreat endlessly repeatable.

• The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden

  Wander among more than ninety sculptures set under mossy oaks and beside lagoons in City Park, entirely free to the public. This serene outdoor gallery beside the New Orleans Museum of Art is one of the city's most beautiful and underappreciated free spaces.

• The Moonwalk & Woldenberg Riverfront Park

  Stroll the promenade along the Mississippi beside the French Quarter, watching steamboats and ocean-going ships slide past. Walking it costs nothing, and it's one of the most atmospheric ways to catch a breeze, especially in the golden hour before dinner.

• City Park

  This vast, free green space is larger than New York's Central Park, with the world's largest stand of mature live oaks and quiet paths along lagoons. It's a serene, photogenic refuge from the city's heat, especially magical in the dappled morning light.

• Frenchmen Street live music

  A few blocks from the Quarter, this Marigny strip pulses with jazz, funk, and brass most nights. Many clubs charge no cover (a tip for the band is customary), so you can wander from doorway to doorway soaking up live music for free.

• The French Market

  Browse the open-air stalls, produce, crafts, and prepared-food vendors of the oldest public market in the country, running along the river edge of the Quarter. Walking through costs nothing, and it's a lively, no-cost slice of everyday New Orleans.

• Bywater & Marigny murals

  Wander the colorful cottages and warehouse walls of these downriver neighborhoods to see one of the city's richest concentrations of street art. The riotous murals along St. Claude Avenue and side streets are an open-air gallery free to explore on foot.

• Crescent Park

  Climb the sculptural 'rusty rainbow' arch over the railroad tracks to reach this waterfront park in Bywater, with wide-open views of the river and the skyline downstream. The park is free and offers some of the best unobstructed vantage points on the Mississippi.

• The New Orleans Museum of Art on a free day

  Louisiana residents enjoy free admission on Wednesdays, letting you see the museum's decorative arts, photography, and Southern collections without a ticket. Check the schedule and arrive early; it's a rare chance to experience a serious art museum for free.

• Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park

  Stand on the ground where enslaved Africans once gathered to drum and dance on Sundays, a birthplace of American music. The park and square are free to enter, and on many Sunday afternoons an open drum circle keeps the tradition audibly alive.

• The Garden District architecture walk

  Stroll the leafy streets of this Uptown neighborhood to admire grand antebellum mansions, cast-iron fences, and manicured gardens. Wandering past these historic homes costs nothing and delivers some of the most photographed streetscapes in the South.

• Ride the St. Charles streetcar

  While the fare isn't free, riding the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world is a cheap, iconic way to see the city. The rattling wooden cars and the oak-lined avenue of mansions are an experience unto themselves.

• Bayou St. John

  This gentle waterway winding through Mid-City offers free strolling and picnicking along grassy banks, with paddlers and locals fishing at the water's edge. Combine it with a walk past the historic Pitot House for a peaceful, no-cost afternoon.

• Window-shop Magazine Street

  You don't need to spend a cent to enjoy the boutiques, galleries, and shotgun-house storefronts strung along six miles of this Uptown street. Its constant parade of local color and Creole architecture turns a simple walk into a free afternoon out.

• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

  Reopened after a major renovation, this riverfront favorite features a walk-through Gulf of Mexico tunnel, playful sea otters, and rescued sea turtles. The Amazon rainforest exhibit is a hit with little ones. Book timed entry and arrive early on hot days.

• Audubon Zoo

  The Louisiana Swamp exhibit, with its rare white alligators, is unforgettable, and the compact Uptown layout suits shorter attention spans. In summer, the Cool Zoo splash park lets kids cool off among gators and fountains before more animal spotting.

• Louisiana Children's Museum

  Relocated to City Park, this bright museum is built for hands-on play, with a mini Mississippi River to sail boats down, a market to shop and cook in, and outdoor sensory gardens. It's an ideal weatherproof morning for younger children.

• City Park & Storyland

  One of the country's largest urban parks offers moss-draped oaks, paddleboats, and Storyland, a whimsical playground of fairy-tale sculptures kids can climb. There's room to run for hours, and it's an easy pairing with the neighboring museum and carousel.

• Carousel Gardens Amusement Park

  Home to a beautifully restored antique wooden carousel, one of the last of its kind, plus a miniature train, a Ferris wheel, and gentle rides sized for little ones. The oak-shaded setting inside City Park makes it feel like a storybook fairground.

• Audubon Insectarium

  Now housed alongside the aquarium, this quirky museum lets kids meet butterflies in a lush Asian garden, handle beetles, and, for the brave, sample bug-based snacks in the tasting kitchen. It's tactile, funny, and surprisingly beautiful.

• Mardi Gras World

  Peek behind the scenes of Carnival at Blaine Kern's working studio, where towering, colorful floats are sculpted and painted year-round. Kids are wide-eyed at the giant figures, and the tour ends with a slice of king cake to taste.

• Woldenberg Riverfront Park

  This grassy ribbon along the Mississippi gives families space to run, watch ships and paddlewheelers glide past, and cool off in the fountains at Spanish Plaza nearby. It's a relaxed, stroller-friendly stretch right beside the French Quarter.

• Ride the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

  For many kids, clattering along in a century-old wooden streetcar is a thrill in itself. A cheap ride under the oaks past grand mansions doubles as a sightseeing tour and a beloved memory of the trip.

• Steamboat Natchez river cruise

  The last authentic steam-powered paddlewheeler on the river offers a breezy daytime cruise with live jazz, calliope music, and the churn of the giant red wheel. Kids love watching the engine room and spotting the passing skyline.

• Jean Lafitte Barataria Preserve

  Just outside the city, boardwalk trails wind through cypress swamp where families spot alligators, turtles, and herons at a toddler's pace. It's a free, gentle introduction to Louisiana's wild wetlands and a welcome dose of nature.

• Dine at a classic Creole grande dame

  New Orleans is a culinary powerhouse, home to storied rooms like Commander's Palace, Antoine's, and Galatoire's. Reserve ahead for a special-occasion meal of turtle soup and bananas Foster, or explore the deep bench of acclaimed neighborhood spots for creative Creole cooking at every price point.

• Sip cocktails where they were born

  The city claims the cocktail itself, and its scene rewards a night of unhurried, well-made drinks. Order a Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar, a Ramos Gin Fizz, or a Vieux Carre at the revolving Carousel Bar, then seek out hidden courtyard lounges tucked through the French Quarter and Marigny.

• Catch live jazz on Frenchmen Street

  New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, and the clubs of Frenchmen Street in the Marigny keep the tradition roaring nightly. Squeeze into a small room like the Spotted Cat or Snug Harbor, order a drink, and hear brass, trad jazz, and funk at its source.

• Tour distilleries and neighborhood breweries

  The local drinks scene runs beyond cocktails, from the Sazerac House museum on Canal Street to rum at Celebration Distillation and taprooms like NOLA Brewing and Urban South. Spend an afternoon sampling flights, touring production floors, and tasting spirits made in the city.

• See a show at a historic theater

  New Orleans's stage tradition is intimate and offbeat, from the restored Saenger and Orpheum theaters downtown to tiny black-box rooms like the AllWays Lounge in the Marigny. Catching a play or burlesque revue here means raw, close work in rooms where you feel every line.

• Graze the Marigny and Bywater

  Just downriver from the Quarter, these neighborhoods have turned old Creole cottages and warehouses into one of the city's most rewarding dining and nightlife strips. Graze between buzzy restaurants, wine bars, and rooftops like the one at the Country Club in a single stylish evening.

• Take an architecture and history deep-dive

  Beyond the crowds, adults can tour landmark interiors, antebellum mansions along St. Charles Avenue, and the ironwork galleries of the French Quarter and Garden District. New Orleans is an open-air museum of American architecture for those who want to look closely.

• Ride the streetcar at golden hour

  The St. Charles Avenue streetcar makes for an ideal adult evening: a slow rattle beneath live oaks, past mansions glowing in the dusk, with a stop for a drink along the way. It's relaxed, scenic, and quintessentially New Orleans in warm weather.

• Hear brass at Preservation Hall

  From Preservation Hall's spare, candlelit reverence in the Quarter to intimate rooms uptown, New Orleans's traditional jazz offers sophisticated nights. Preservation Hall in particular oozes history, with no drinks and no talking, just the music played the way it has been for generations.

• Tour the cemeteries and try your luck downtown

  Walk the above-ground tombs of a historic cemetery like Lafayette No. 1 by day, then try your hand at the tables at Harrah's near the river by night. It's an easy way to mix the city's haunted history and a little grown-up thrill into one itinerary.

• Sunset river cruise

  Board the Steamboat Natchez for a late-afternoon paddlewheel cruise and watch the light soften over the Mississippi as the sun drops. With a drink in hand and live jazz drifting up from below, it's an effortlessly romantic couple of hours on the river.

• Cocktails at a rooftop bar

  Toast the city from Hot Tin atop the Pontchartrain Hotel as the lights come on over the Lower Garden District. New Orleans has a handful of stylish terraces; the ones facing the river bend at sunset are pure romance.

• Sunset from Vue Orleans

  The observation deck at the top of the Four Seasons wraps a 360-degree panorama around the river and the French Quarter, and it's especially dreamy at dusk. Step out onto the open-air level and watch the whole crescent of the city light up beneath you.

• Stroll the riverfront after dark

  The Moon Walk and Woldenberg Park make an evening walk along the Mississippi genuinely magical, with the water carrying the lights of passing ships. Pause on a bench, share a praline, and let a steamboat's calliope drift by.

• A quiet garden wander

  The New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park offers a warm, green, private-feeling refuge for a slow stroll hand in hand, especially lovely on a hot or rainy day when the conservatory and the mossy oaks feel like a secret world.

• Dinner and a show

  Pair an intimate dinner with live jazz at Preservation Hall or a set at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street for a classic date night. The Orpheum Theater and the Louisiana Philharmonic both deliver goosebump-worthy evenings for two.

• Sunset picnic on the lakefront

  Spread a blanket along the seawall steps where the city meets Lake Pontchartrain and watch the sailboats drift home. It's a surprisingly serene, romantic escape from the Quarter, and the open-water sunsets here are the best in the city.

• Slow morning in the museums

  Wander the hushed galleries of the New Orleans Museum of Art together before the crowds arrive, then drift out into the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Lingering over a favorite canvas beneath the live oaks is a quiet, connecting kind of romance.

• Ride the St. Charles streetcar at twilight

  Climb aboard the historic olive-green streetcar and rattle beneath the arching oaks of St. Charles Avenue as the mansions of the Garden District glow gold. Sit by an open window, hold hands, and let the whole avenue slide past.

• Wine bar hop in the Bywater

  The candlelit courtyards and gardens of the Bywater are made for lingering conversation. Share a bottle and a cheese board in Bacchanal's twinkling backyard, then slip off to the hidden patio at N7 as one intimate room leads you to the next.

• Jazz on Frenchmen Street

  Nothing says a New Orleans night like the clubs of Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, where the horns spill out onto the sidewalk. Spots like The Spotted Cat, d.b.a., and Snug Harbor keep live music going nightly, an essential after-dark pilgrimage.

• Preservation Hall

  This intimate French Quarter room has championed traditional New Orleans jazz since 1961, with no drinks, no frills, and multiple sets a night. Its worn wooden benches make it one of the most atmospheric music spaces in the country.

• Riverfront views after dark

  Head to Vue Orleans or a Mississippi River overlook after sunset to see the city and the great bend of the river lit up. The observation deck stays open into the evening, and the nighttime panorama is even more dramatic than the daytime one.

• Burlesque and comedy

  Catch a late show at The AllWays Lounge or a comedy set around the Marigny. New Orleans's burlesque and comedy scene runs deep into the night, and an unpredictable variety bill is a perfect way to fill an evening.

• Rooftop bars after sunset

  As the sky darkens, the city's rooftop terraces come alive with skyline views and cocktails. Hot Tin at the Pontchartrain Hotel and Alto at the Ace have some of the best perches for a stylish night out above the streets.

• Brass bands Uptown

  Uptown music venues break new acts nightly, from the Maple Leaf Bar's Tuesday Rebirth Brass Band set to the legendary Tipitina's. It's the beating heart of the city's living music scene and a great place to catch tomorrow's headliners early.

• Late-night eats

  New Orleans's diners, po'boy shops, and Cafe du Monde keep the kitchen open late, some around the clock. A post-show plate of beignets or a late-night po'boy is the perfect, unpretentious cap to a night out.

• Evening jazz riverboat

  In the evenings the Steamboat Natchez paddles the Mississippi with live jazz and dinner aboard. Combine it with an after-dark stroll along the riverfront and through Jackson Square as the Quarter lights up.

• See a show at a historic theater

  The restored Saenger and the Orpheum, home of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, host everything from touring acts to the symphony. A show in one of these grand rooms is a memorable night.

• French Quarter bar crawl

  Dive bars, craft-cocktail dens, and live-music haunts cluster tightly here, making it easy to hop from one to the next on foot. From Bourbon Street to quieter corners, it's the quintessential neighborhood for a lively night out.

• The National WWII Museum

  Hours disappear inside one of the world's great museums, from immersive galleries to the sweeping Road to Berlin exhibits. A rainy day is the perfect excuse to slow down and see it properly, plan for at least half a day.

• New Orleans Museum of Art

  European masters, African art, and a strong Southern collection fill this grand City Park museum, easily a full weatherproof day. The scale means you can explore for hours and still leave with galleries unseen.

• Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium

  Watch Gulf sharks glide through a walk-through tunnel, then meet live butterflies and insects, all combined under one riverfront roof. The immersive habitats keep everyone engaged regardless of the weather outside.

• Conservatory of the Two Sisters

  Step into a warm, humid tropical rainforest under glass while rain patters on the panes. This City Park glasshouse is one of the most restorative rainy-day escapes in the city, especially its lush palm and orchid rooms.

• The Historic New Orleans Collection

  Browse free exhibitions on the city's history and culture in this handsome Royal Street complex, all without paying admission. It's a beautiful, central place in the French Quarter to wait out a downpour.

• The Cabildo and The Presbytère

  Explore Louisiana history in the Cabildo and the vivid Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina exhibits in the Presbytère, the twin landmarks flanking Jackson Square. It's an atmospheric way to spend a wet French Quarter afternoon.

• Ogden Museum of Southern Art

  In the Warehouse District, the Ogden showcases a rich collection of Southern art that is bold and rooted in place. It's a stimulating, less-crowded alternative for a rainy afternoon of art.

• Indoor food halls and markets

  Graze through St. Roch Market or the covered French Market, sampling small bites from many vendors under one roof. It's a delicious, sheltered way to eat through the city's diversity in a single stop.

• Catch a matinee

  New Orleans jazz halls, theaters, and cinemas run daytime shows perfect for a wet afternoon. An intimate jazz set or a storefront play turns bad weather into a great story.

• Shop and browse Canal Place and Riverwalk

  Duck into the multi-level Shops at Canal Place or the riverfront Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, staying dry while you browse. The covered malls and local shops make for hours of weatherproof wandering.

• The Southern Food and Beverage Museum

  This interactive museum celebrates the region's culinary heritage with hands-on exhibits and a historic bar. It's a compact, engaging stop that's ideal when you want culture without committing to a full day.

• New Orleans Jazz Museum

  Housed in the old U.S. Mint, this museum traces the birth of jazz with instruments, artifacts, and live performances. It's a quick, atmospheric refuge that pairs well with other French Quarter and Marigny stops on a drizzly day.

New Orleans is often called a city of neighborhoods, and its character truly reveals itself once you venture beyond the tourist core. Each district has its own history, flavor, and rhythm, and getting between them is easy thanks to the streetcar lines and a compact, walkable geography. Whether you want gas-lit historic streets, jazz heritage, hip creative hubs, oak-lined family-friendly avenues, or university calm, there's a neighborhood tailored to your mood. Here are six essential areas to explore, each rewarding a half-day wander on foot.

See our full Best Hotels in New Orleans guide for the best areas, and plan smoothly with our New Orleans travel tips.