The entrance to this massive park has got to be one of the greatest gateways in the US, a picturesque arch that ought rightfully to be the final set piece in a period drama about Jazz Age New Orleans. The original Congo Sq is here, as well as a Louis Armstrong Statue and a bust of Sidney Bechet. The Mahalia Jackson Theater hosts opera and Broadway productions. The park often hosts live-music festivals throughout the year.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.48 MILES
Whatever happens in the French Quarter usually begins here in Jackson Square, at Decatur and St Peter Streets. It's a gentle, carnivalesque scene,…
1.97 MILES
Live oaks, Spanish moss and lazy bayous frame this masterpiece of urban planning. Three miles long and 1 mile wide, dotted with gardens, waterways and…
0.44 MILES
The former seat of government in colonial Louisiana now serves as the gateway to exploring the history of the state in general, and New Orleans in…
2.52 MILES
Of all the cemeteries in New Orleans, Lafayette exudes the strongest sense of subtropical Southern Gothic. The stark contrast of moldering crypts and…
0.43 MILES
One of the best examples of French architecture in the country, this triple-spired 18th-century cathedral is dedicated to Louis IX, the French king…
0.63 MILES
Royal Street, with its rows of high-end antique shops, galleries and potted ferns hanging from cast-iron balconies, is the elegant yin to well known…
1.3 MILES
The South has one of the most distinctive aesthetic cultures in the US artistic universe, a creative vision indelibly influenced by the region's…
Sydney & Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
2.23 MILES
The sculpture garden that sits just outside the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park is a wooded quilt of streams, pathways, lovers' benches and, of…
Nearby attractions
0.1 MILES
In Louis Armstrong Park, Congo Sq was a Sunday gathering spot for slaves under the French Code Noir. For one day of the week, the enslaved could sing the…
0.1 MILES
This statue of the iconic jazz trumpeter greets visitors as they enter Louis Armstrong Park.
0.22 MILES
Mardi Gras Indian suits grab the spotlight with dazzling flair – and finely crafted detail – in this informative museum examining the distinctive elements…
0.25 MILES
Open since 1841, ‘St Aug’s’ is the oldest African American Catholic church in the country, a place where Creoles, émigrés from St Domingue and free…
0.26 MILES
This cemetery received the remains of many early Creoles who were buried above-ground in family tombs due to the shallow water table. Cemetery visitation…
0.29 MILES
A fear of yellow-fever contagion led the city to forbid funerals for fever victims at St Louis Cathedral. Built in 1826 near St Louis Cemetery No 1, the…
7. New Orleans African American Museum
0.31 MILES
This small museum is in the midst of a $6-million renovation and is closed to visitors, although it still offers Tremé-based walking tours. Before closing…
0.33 MILES
Of the (many) voodoo-themed spots in the French Quarter, this one is a favorite. The narrow corridors and dark rooms, stuffed with statues, dolls and…