New Orleans might be notorious for its nightlife, but there’s more to the ‘Big Easy’ than after-dark antics. With excellent museums, picturesque parks and an iconic French Quarter, there are plenty of things to do in New Orleans that don’t involve cocktails (unless, of course, you’re craving one). So, whether you want to find the best view of the city, listen to live jazz in its spiritual home or relax outdoors for an hour or two – here are our tips for how to spend your time in Louisiana’s largest city.
- Visit New Orleans Museum of Art
- Enjoy Live Jazz at Preservation Hall
- Take in the Views at Vue Orleans
- Relive History at the National WWII Museum
- Sample a Sazerac
- Get Outdoors at City Park
- Explore the French Quarter
Visit New Orleans Museum of Art
With its limestone façade and grand Greco-Roman columns, the imposing New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) makes a striking first impression. The museum opened in 1911 with just nine works of art. More than a century later it hosts an eclectic permanent collection of almost 50,000 pieces. French and American fine art are particularly well represented, alongside photography, glass and works from Africa and Japan. Outside sits the 12-acre Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a highlight of NOMA. More than 90 sculptures are dotted through its landscape of peaceful lagoons and towering oaks. Follow the meandering paths and keep your eyes peeled for the artwork concealed among the greenery.
Enjoy Live Jazz at Preservation Hall
When a queue begins to form outside this charmingly crumbling building, you may wonder what waits beyond its iron gates. Situated in the historic French Quarter, Preservation Hall is an unassuming square room with a small stage but it’s also New Orleans’ spiritual home of jazz. The house band play four or five 45-minute sets each night, celebrating and preserving musical traditions that formed more than a hundred years ago. This rough and ready venue offers a perfect intro to the city’s love of jazz. And because it’s booze-free, it’s also one of the few spots in town where children can enjoy live music indoors too, which is why a show at Preservation Hall one of our favourite family-friendly things to do in New Orleans.
Take in the Views at Vue Orleans
Once a rotating nightclub, the Vue Orleans observatory now offers panoramic, 360-degree views of the city and riverfront. It’s no secret that New Orleans was built on a swamp, making it mostly flat, so with Vue Orleans’ 33 floors high observatory you can guarantee dramatic vistas. But it’s not just a place to marvel at the Mississippi River snaking through the streets below. There are also interactive presentations exploring the history and heritage of the city, meaning you can tick off some local lessons while taking in the views.
Relive History at the National WWII Museum
Any list of things to do in New Orleans would be incomplete without the National WWII Museum. This world-class museum tells the story of the Second World War through wartime artefacts, first-hand accounts and archival footage, with permanent exhibitions covering the Home Front, conflict in the Pacific and Europe and D-Day. Although it’s one of the most popular landmarks in the city, its sprawling size means it rarely feels overcrowded. A new permanent exhibition hall is also set to open in November 2023. The Liberation Pavilion will explore the end of the war, the Holocaust and the continuing impact of conflict on our lives today. Set aside the majority of a morning to see the museum in full; its vast and varied displays will have you gripped long into lunchtime.
Sample a Sazerac
Since it’s considered by many to be the cocktail capital of the USA, nights in New Orleans are frequently flavoured with artfully stirred and shaken drinks. One of the city’s best-loved libations is the Sazerac; a heady blend of rye whiskey, absinthe, sugar and bitters. State decree made it the official cocktail of New Orleans in 2008. And there’s even a museum dedicated to the famous drink: Sazerac House, where you can tour interactive exhibits, explore the working distillery and enjoy a tasting or two.
Get Outdoors at City Park
Visiting City Park is one of the best things to do in New Orleans that both visitors and locals love. City Park is the picturesque setting for the New Orleans Museum of Art. But at half the size of New York’s Central Park, it is still able to pack in plenty of other attractions too. It’s home to Couterie Forest (the city’s best spot for bird-watching), the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park (for family fun on the retro fairground rides) and the largest collection of mature oak trees in the world, some of which are around 800 years old. Whatever your hobby, you can probably enjoy it in the park, from fishing and golf to tennis and cycling. And of course, it’s a superb spot to simply sit and relax; a tranquil interval in a busy day of sightseeing.
Explore the French Quarter
The French Quarter (or Vieux Carré, Old Quarter) is the original heart of the city, as founded by the French in the 1800s. Bourbon Street is its most infamous boulevard; a hedonistic avenue of karaoke joints, strip clubs and neon-lit bars. However, if hedonism isn’t on your itinerary, the French Quarter is still a must-see spot. The oldest neighbourhood in New Orleans is known for its Colonial-meets-Creole architecture, wrought-iron balconies and courtyard gardens; a photogenic fusion of cultures and eras. Meanwhile, landmarks like St Louis Cathedral (one of the best examples of French architecture in the USA) and Royal Street (an elegant row of antique shops and galleries) offer a sense of the city’s historic soul.