New Orleans is located along the Mississippi River in Louisiana. It’s one of the most historic and beautiful cities in the US, with a past that’s proudly on display through many beautiful old buildings, public squares, and even restaurants. Each tells a story of a bygone era and offers a glimpse into a time long gone. There are many beautiful historical places in New Orleans.
Nicknamed the “Big Easy”, this southern city is known for many things. It’s the birthplace of jazz and has live music and a party scene that add to its overall fun appeal. Even though these aspects of New Orleans might seem modern, most are rooted in past traditions.
A quick note on Hurricane Katrina: While the 2005 storm devastated parts of New Orleans, most of the historical sites in this guide survived intact or have been carefully restored. The French Quarter, Garden District, and areas on higher ground like Frenchmen Street and the Bywater saw minimal damage. Sites that did sustain water damage, like some cemeteries and museum collections, have been beautifully restored in the years since. Today, visiting these historical landmarks also means supporting the city’s ongoing preservation efforts.
Let’s travel back in time as we explore some of the best historical sites in New Orleans.
Planning tip — walk the French Quarter first: Most of the spots on this list in the French Quarter (Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, Cafe Du Monde, and several of the historic houses) sit within easy walking distance of each other — you can comfortably cover 7-8 of them in a single morning or afternoon stroll. The Garden District warrants a separate trip (streetcar or rideshare from the Quarter), as does Frenchmen Street, though it’s only about a 15-minute walk from Jackson Square if you don’t mind the distance. Congo Square sits in between, in the Tremé neighbourhood just north of the Quarter. Plan your day by neighbourhood and you’ll avoid a lot of unnecessary backtracking.
Quick Comparison: French Quarter vs. Garden District Historical Sites
| French Quarter | Garden District | |
|---|---|---|
| Era & Architecture | 1700s–1800s Creole, Spanish Colonial, French Colonial | 1830s–1900 Greek Revival, Italianate, antebellum mansions |
| Vibe | Dense, lively, a mix of old and new at every turn | Leafy, residential, quieter and more genteel |
| Walkability | Highly walkable — most sites within a 20-minute radius | Best explored on foot once you arrive, but requires a streetcar or rideshare to get there |
| Crowd Level | Busy year-round, especially Bourbon Street and Jackson Square | Noticeably quieter, even in peak season |
19 Historical Places in New Orleans
New Orleans (also known as NOLA) is a treasure trove of beautiful historical gems. Some are traditional old buildings and churches, but there are plenty of other fascinating old sites too, like restaurants, cemeteries, and houses.
1. French Quarter
The French Quarter is New Orleans’ historic heart. It was founded in 1718, making it the oldest section of the city. It’s famous for its large colourful buildings and lively atmosphere.
There are many fascinating old places that are synonymous with ‘The Big Easy’, like voodoo shops, live music joints, and boutique stores. It’s a one-of-a-kind place where the old mixes with the new, and there’s always something exciting to do.
2. Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is one of the most well-known streets in the US. Located in the French Quarter, it’s the life of the party in New Orleans. It extends for 13 blocks and contains a string of brightly lit bars and restaurants.
Although it’s known for its modern party vibe, the street dates back to the city’s founding. It was named after the ruling French royal family of the time, Rue Bourbon, not the popular amber-coloured American whiskey, like many people think.
3. Jackson Square
Jackson Square holds great historical significance in the US. It’s the site of the Louisiana Purchase, where the state became a United States territory in 1803.
The public square spans 2.5 acres and is named for a large statue of Andrew Jackson that sits in the middle. It’s surrounded by several popular NOLA points of interest, including Saint Louis Cathedral.
jackson square
Jackson Square has a modern vibe and is always abuzz with entertainment. From street performers to open-air artists that paint and display their works to tarot card readers and fortune-tellers, there’s always something interesting to see.
jackson square
4. Congo Square
Congo Square is located in Louis Armstrong Park, in the Tremé neighbourhood. This open space is well-known for its influence on African American music, most notably jazz.
congo square musicians
It was one of the few places in the city where enslaved people were allowed to gather and sing, play music, and dance in public. These gatherings would usually take place on a Sunday, which was their one day off from work.
louis armstrong park
Today, Congo Square still hosts celebrations and gatherings that honour the historical and cultural heritage of New Orleans. Informal drum circles have traditionally gathered on Sunday afternoons, typically getting going sometime after 2pm, though this isn’t an official, staffed program — timing is loose and depends on who shows up. If you want a guaranteed, fuller cultural experience, look out for the annual Congo Square Rhythms Festival each spring, which brings scheduled drum circles, brass bands, and African dance performances to the park over a full weekend. Check local listings before visiting, as festivals and private events occasionally affect access to the square.
5. Garden District
The Garden District is a charming little neighbourhood in NOLA. Although it’s just a short drive from the energetic French Quarter, it has a totally different vibe. Picture streets lined with historic mansions, tall oak trees, and lush gardens abloom with draping hibiscuses and crepe myrtles.
garden district
The district is considered to be one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the south. It was developed from 1832 to 1900, and strolling the streets will take you back to that time period.
garden district
6. Frenchmen Street
Frenchmen Street is an entertainment street that has a little bit of everything. It’s full of live-music venues, intimate bars, and local restaurants. Compared to the tourist-centred Bourbon Street, it has a more authentic NOLA feel to it.
frenchmen street
The Faubourg Marigny neighbourhood is the oldest and most well-known section around Frenchmen Street. Many of the colourful shotgun-style houses in the neighbourhood are over 100 years old. Since this area sits on high ground in the city, it was mostly untouched during Hurricane Katrina.
frenchmen street
Worth the extra few blocks: Just past Frenchmen Street, the Bywater neighbourhood has quietly become one of NOLA’s most compelling historic districts in its own right. Its streets are lined with 19th-century Creole cottages and Victorian shotgun houses in every imaginable colour, many dating from the 1820s onward, and the whole area is a nationally recognised historic district. It’s less polished than the French Quarter and all the more interesting for it — a good half-day detour if you enjoy architecture and don’t mind wandering without a fixed itinerary.
7. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was established in 1789, making it the city’s oldest cemetery. This isn’t your typical graveyard. The deceased are laid to rest above ground rather than below.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
The reason for this is that New Orleans is prone to flooding, which makes in-ground coffin burials risky business. They have the potential to rise back to the surface when the ground becomes saturated. The bodies are contained in elaborate tombs instead, which are stacked right next to each other.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
The cemetery’s most famous vault belongs to prominent voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Other notable New Orleans residents from the 18th to 19th century are also laid to rest here.
Important: You can no longer explore St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on your own. The cemetery is only accessible as part of a licensed guided tour, a policy put in place to protect the historic tombs from vandalism and to manage the volume of visitors. Book a walking tour that includes cemetery access — several run daily from the visitor centre opposite the cemetery gates — or arrange a private tour through an approved operator.
8. Lalaurie Mansion
The Lalaurie Mansion is a must-see for anyone interested in the macabre. This 1800s building is believed to be haunted and has a dark and gory past. Its former owner, Marie Delphine Macarty, was a socialite and serial killer in 19th century New Orleans.
lalaurie mansion
It has stayed relevant in pop culture. The show “American Horror Story: Coven” has Kathy Bates playing the part of the 19th-century socialite. The residence was also owned by Nicolas Cage from 2007 to 2009.
The inside of the mansion is not open to the public, although many NOLA walking tours include a stop outside of the house as part of their itinerary.
Lalaurie Mansion
9. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is one of NOLA’s oldest surviving structures. The exact date it was built isn’t known, but it’s believed it was constructed as a house sometime between 1722 and 1732.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
Today, it operates as a bar that many say is haunted. The building is lit by candlelight, which adds to the historic appeal.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
10. Cafe Du Monde
Cafe Du Monde is an iconic NOLA cafe that was established in 1862. There are several locations around the city, but the original one is on Decatur Street. The French Quarter location is currently open from 7:15am until 11pm Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, closing only on Christmas Day — and it’s almost always packed with people.
cafe du monde
The cafe is particularly known for two things. The first is its beignets, which are square doughnuts generously coated in powdered sugar. It’s also known for its delicious chicory coffee, which is a mix of coffee and the root of the endive lettuce plant.
cafe du monde beignets
11. Antoine’s Restaurant
Antoine’s Restaurant is a French-Creole eatery that’s been around since 1840. It’s been run by the same family since it first opened. Many well-known celebrities have dined here over the years, and you can see their pictures proudly displayed on the restaurant walls. From Franklin Roosevelt to Brad Pitt and Pope John Paul II, the list is quite impressive.
Antoine’s Restaurant
If you visit, make sure to try their signature dish, oysters Rockefeller. It consists of oysters (baked or broiled) topped with butter, green herbs, and bread crumbs, then garnished with lemon wedges.
Antoine’s Restaurant
12. The Carousel Bar & Lounge
The Carousel Bar & Lounge is definitely one of the most interesting places to grab a drink in the city. It opened in 1949 and is located in Hotel Monteleone, which overlooks the lively Royal Street in the French Quarter.
Carousel Bar & Lounge
The bar features a 25 seat circus-themed merry-go-round. Don’t worry, it doesn’t travel fast; it takes about 15 minutes to complete one rotation. But if you’d rather sit still, there’s also an adjoining room with tables and live entertainment from Wednesday to Saturday.
Carousel Bar & Lounge
They have an impressive cocktail list and small plates to accompany your drinks.
13. St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral holds the title of the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the US. It was founded in 1720 and dedicated to the sainted King of France, Louis IX. However, most of the original cathedral burned down during the great fire of 1788. It was rebuilt in the 1850s.
St. Louis Cathedral
The grand building we see today mostly features Spanish Colonial architecture and French Neo-Gothic architecture. It has all the trimmings of a beautiful old church, like stained glass windows, a lavishly painted ceiling, and ornate statues.
14. Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church
The Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church is one of the most stunning religious institutions in the city. The present church was finished in 1930. It’s a near duplicate of the 1850s building that needed to be replaced due to foundation damage.
Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church
The interior is beautifully decorated. It features many detailed elements, including stained glass windows depicting Jesuit saints, religious murals and statues of the archangels. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate this historical place in New Orleans.
immaculate conception jesuit church
15. Old Ursuline Convent Museum
The Old Ursuline Convent Museum is the city’s oldest building. It was built from 1752 to 1753 to serve several purposes. It was a convent for Ursuline nuns, an archbishop’s residence, a school, and more.
Old Ursuline Convent Museum
It’s a beautiful example of French colonial architecture and is open Tuesday through Saturday, with both self-guided and guided tour options available. It’s run as a museum that focuses on the religious history of the region, with rotating exhibits alongside its permanent collection. It showcases yet another fascinating feature of the city’s diverse history.
Old Ursuline Convent Museum
16. New Orleans Jazz Museum
The New Orleans Jazz Museum is set inside the old US Mint building, which operated in the city from 1838 to 1861 and 1879 to 1909. During this time, it produced gold and silver US coins of every denomination.
New Orleans Jazz Museum
Today, it mostly focuses on the history of jazz, but there are also some exhibits relating to the building’s coin-making past. From displays about Louis Armstrong to old pieces of money-making machinery, you can learn about two sides of the city’s past.
New Orleans Jazz Museum
17. Hermann–Grima House
The Hermann-Grima House is an old Federal-style mansion that was built in 1831. It sits in the lively French Quarter and operates as a house museum.
Hermann–Grima House
The home has been wonderfully restored and reflects 19th century NOLA living. It’s accessible via guided tour, which includes access to the original open-hearth kitchen, the old slave quarters, and the quiet courtyard. On select Saturdays from November through April, the museum runs live Creole cooking demonstrations in that original hearth kitchen, using recipes drawn from a historic 19th-century Woman’s Exchange cookbook — a small but memorable add-on if your visit lines up with the season.
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18. Beauregard-Keyes House
The Beauregard-Keyes House is a well-preserved 19th century NOLA home. It was built in 1826 and designed with features of a traditional Creole cottage mixed with the Greek Revival. Many elements have been carefully restored to their original splendour.
Beauregard-Keyes House
Today, it operates as a museum that focuses on some of the past inhabitants of the house. These include American author Frances Parkinson Keyes and Confederate General PGT Beauregard.
Beauregard-Keyes House
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19. Gallier House
The Gallier House is another of the city’s beautiful historic houses. It was constructed in 1861 and considered very innovative for the time. The large Victorian townhouse was a private family residence built for architect James Gallier and his family.
Gallier House
The front of the house features an ornate Paris green gate, and the inside includes many period furnishings and objects. You can tour the interior and see the household technology and stylish interiors of the time. From authentic children’s toys to old elaborate wall treatments, there is much to admire.
Gallier House
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New Since Your Last Visit
If you’ve explored the classics before, two newer additions are worth folding into a repeat trip. The New Orleans Storyville Museum, which opened in the French Quarter in 2024, is a compact, interactive space dedicated to the city’s infamous early-1900s red-light district — an unusual but genuinely fascinating slice of social history that most guidebooks still skip. And the Museum of Illusions New Orleans, which opened in the historic Jax Brewery building in late 2025, is less about history and more about a fun, photogenic diversion if you need a break from tombs and cathedrals.
On the tour front, a newer crop of women’s history walking tours has emerged around the French Quarter, tracing figures like the Baroness de Pontalba, voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, and formerly enslaved entrepreneur Rose Nicaud — a worthwhile angle if you’ve already done the standard ghost-and-history circuit.
Historical Places in New Orleans | Final Thoughts
These are some of the best historical sites in New Orleans, and they brilliantly showcase the fascinating past of this US city. They’ll take you back in time to different periods in NOLA’s history. From historic house museums to crumbling cemeteries and old eateries, there are so many different things to see.
If you’re wanting to discover more historical places in the United States, check out these famous landmarks in the US next.
gallier house
FAQs: Historical Places in New Orleans
What are the best historical sites in New Orleans?
The French Quarter, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, and the Garden District are generally considered the top historical sites in New Orleans, alongside house museums like Hermann-Grima House and Gallier House.
Can you visit St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 without a tour?
No. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 can only be visited as part of a licensed guided tour, a rule introduced to protect the historic tombs from vandalism.
What’s the best way to see multiple historical sites in one day?
Stick to the French Quarter for a walkable morning or afternoon covering most sites, then treat the Garden District and Frenchmen Street/Bywater as separate outings.
Are New Orleans’ historical sites still recovering from Hurricane Katrina?
Most of the historical sites on this list, including the French Quarter and Garden District, saw minimal damage from Katrina, and any affected sites have long since been restored.
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I covered all of the costs associated with writing this article. However, this historical places in New Orleans post includes affiliate links. That means if you click through and end up making a purchase I will receive a small commission. I wanted to make sure you were aware of this.
Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.