139 Best Sights in New Orleans, Louisiana

Established in 1823, St. Louis No. 2 includes the tombs of a number of notable local musicians, including Danny Barker and Ernie K-Doe. Also entombed here are Dominique You, a notorious pirate, and Andre Cailloux, African American hero of the American Civil War. Located on Claiborne Avenue, four blocks beyond St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, it is in a more dangerous area of town so it's best to visit the cemetery with a tour group like Save Our Cemeteries.

One block from the entrance to City Park, at the end of Esplanade Avenue, stands this cemetery, on an area of high ground along Bayou St. John. It opened in 1854 on the site of an old leper colony. Governor Galvez had exiled the lepers here during the yellow fever outbreak of 1853, but they were later removed to make room for the dead. The remains of Storyville photographer E. J. Bellocq are here, and the cemetery is notable for its neat rows of elaborate aboveground crypts, mausoleums, and carved stone angels. Many tour companies, including Save Our Cemeteries, offer tours that include St. Louis No. 3, but it's perfectly safe to walk through and explore on your own.

A stark exterior gives way to a far more ornate interior in the first church built in the American sector of New Orleans, intended to provide the city's Irish Catholics with a place of worship as distinguished as the French St. Louis Cathedral. The vaulted interior was completed in 1840 by local architect James Gallier, who moved here from Ireland in 1834. High stained-glass windows and huge murals, painted in 1841, enrich the interior.

More than 30 local, national, and international artists working in a diverse range of media and aesthetics showcase their talents at this gallery. Popular artists include Gretchen Weller Howard, Steven Seinberg, Karen Scharer, and Audra Kohout.

Dating from 1799, this Spanish colonial building is named for the Spanish council—or cabildo—that met here. The transfer of Louisiana to the United States was finalized in 1803 in the front room on the second floor overlooking the square. The Cabildo later served as city hall and then state supreme court. Three floors of multicultural exhibits recount 300 years of Louisiana history—particularly from the colonial period through Reconstruction—with countless artifacts, including the death mask of Napoléon Bonaparte. In 1988 the building suffered terrible damage from a four-alarm fire. Most of the historic pieces inside were saved, but the top floor (which had been added in the 1840s), the roof, and the cupola had to be replaced. The Cabildo is almost a twin to the Presbytère on the other side of the cathedral.

Both sites—as well as the Old U.S. Mint and the 1850 House—are part of the Louisiana State Museum system. Buy tickets to two or more state museums and receive a 20% discount.

This riverfront shopping center reopened in 2014 as an outlet mall with 75 stores, including Coach, Neiman Marcus Last Call, and Forever 21. Various cruise ships leave from outside the Riverwalk or from the Julia Street Wharf, slightly upriver.

This collection of shops was once the location of the South's first roller-skating rink. Locals browse the Garden District Book Shop, which stocks regional and antiquarian books, along with an assortment of autographed first editions by regional writers. Another favorite is Judy at the Rink, an upscale gifts and housewares boutique.

At the foot of Canal Street, this mall offers high-end shopping at department stores, chains, and a few local boutiques. The Westin New Orleans at Canal Place tops the complex; its dining rooms and lobby have fantastic river views.

Dating to the 1830s, this Greek Revival cottage sits amid a plantationlike garden, surrounded by a copy of the original white-picket fence. Businessman Thomas Toby moved to New Orleans and had the house raised aboveground to protect it from flooding.

Next to Loyola on St. Charles Avenue, Tulane University's three original buildings face the avenue: Tilton Hall (1902) on the right, Gibson Hall (1894) in the middle, and Dinwiddie Hall (1923) on the left. The Romanesque style, with its massive stone composition and arches, is repeated in several buildings around the quad. More modern campus buildings extend another three blocks to the north, including Newcomb Art Museum, a 3,600-square-foot exhibition facility offering contemporary and historical exhibits (free; closed Sunday and Monday). Tulane offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in liberal arts, science and engineering, architecture, business, law, social work, medicine, public health, and tropical medicine.

The Middle American Research Institute and Gallery(504/865–5110; mari.tulane.edu), located on the third floor of Tulane's Dinwiddie Hall, includes the world's largest documented Guatemalan textile collection and replicas of classic Mayan sculpture. Established in 1924, the institute's collection also includes rare artifacts like poison-dart arrows from Venezuela and shrunken heads from the Brazilian rain forest. On view at the gallery is "Faces of the Maya." The pre-Columbian artifacts are complemented by a collection of books on Latin American culture housed in Tulane's main library (free; closed weekends, appointment recommended).

Built in 1869, this stately Italianate mansion served as the German consulate in the early 20th century, until the start of World War II. The house has been meticulously maintained and furnished with period pieces, and is now mainly a venue for private receptions and special events. Highlights include a carved-oak staircase and mantelpiece and 24-karat gilt moldings and sconces.

This raised concrete area on the river side of Decatur Street, directly across from Jackson Square, is a great spot to photograph the square or the barges and paddle wheelers on the Mississippi. The cannon mounted in the center and pointing toward the river is a model 1861 Parrot Rifle used in the Civil War. This monument honors the local 141st Field Artillery of the Louisiana National Guard that saw action from the Civil War through World War II. Marble tablets at the base give the history of the group, represented today by the Washington Artillery Association.

This 16-acre stretch of green from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue overlooks the Mississippi River as it curves around New Orleans, inspiring the "Crescent City" moniker. The wooden promenade section in front of Jackson Square is called the Moon Walk, named for Mayor Moon Landrieu (father of recent mayor Mitch Landrieu), under whose administration in the 1970s the riverfront beyond the flood wall was reopened to public view. Today, the French Quarter Festival's main stages are erected here every April. It's a great place for a rest (or a muffuletta sandwich or café au lait and beignet picnic) after touring the Quarter, and you'll often be serenaded by musicians and amused by street performers. The park is also home to art pieces including the modest Holocaust Memorial, with its spiral walkway clad in Jerusalem stone. At the center of the spiral are nine sculptural panels by Jewish artist Yaacov Agam. A statue of local businessman Malcolm Woldenberg, the park's benefactor, is located near Ocean Song; local artist John T. Scott's large kinetic sculpture's wind-powered movements are intended to evoke the patterns of New Orleans music.

This Greek Revival house, built in 1865, has an octagonal turret added in the late 19th century. The last private owner, Nettie Seebold, willed the estate to the Women's Guild in 1965. It's still furnished today with 18th- and 19th-century European and American pieces. Tours are available Monday through Wednesday, given on an ad hoc basis with no advance reservations required. In addition, walking tour companies will schedule a visit here as part of their tours.