Algiers, Louisiana

Wander through the historic streets of the Vieux Carré, where French, Spanish, and American cultures collide. This isn't just any neighborhood; it's the original New Orleans, founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de…

Traditional New Orleans jazz in an intimate crumbling venue since 1961. No air conditioning. Pure music.

Acme Oyster House has been shucking on Iberville Street in the French Quarter since 1910. The chargrilled oysters — swimming in butter, garlic, and Parmesan — are a New Orleans invention that spread nationwide. The…

Imagine stepping back in time to witness the opulence of 19th-century New Orleans. That's precisely what you can do at the Gallier House. Constructed in 1857, this house was the residence of James Gallier Jr., a…

On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South, escorted by federal marshals past screaming crowds.

Marker at the corner of Press and Royal streets where Homer Plessy was arrested in 1892 for sitting in a whites-only railroad car, leading to the Supreme Court case that legalized segregation for 58 years.

The yellow house in the Lower Ninth Ward where Antoine 'Fats' Domino lived for decades, damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and later restored.

Step back in time to a place where pirates and secrets brewed: Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Most likely built as a house in the 1770s during the Spanish colonial period, this is one of the oldest surviving structures in…

Ever wondered what life was like for a wealthy New Orleans family in the 1800s? Get ready to step into their world! This magnificent Federal-style mansion was completed in 1831 for Samuel Hermann, a German-Jewish…

Ever wonder what happens to grand old buildings when their original purpose fades away? This is the story of NOPSI New Orleans. Built in 1927, this building served as the headquarters for the New Orleans Public Service…

The open space in what is now Louis Armstrong Park where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to play music, dance, and trade, creating the foundation of American popular music.

Before jazz, enslaved Africans and free people of color gathered at Congo Square to play music, dance, and preserve their cultural heritage. In the 19th century, enslaved Africans were allowed to gather here on Sundays.…

Prepare to be swept away! This is the Saenger Theatre, once the crown jewel of an entertainment empire and now a stunningly restored landmark. Built in 1927 by Julian and Abe Saenger, this atmospheric theater wasn't…

Imagine a time when vaudeville was king: that's the world the Orpheum Theater stepped into when it opened its doors. Designed by G. Albert Lansburgh, this Beaux Arts beauty was built in 1918, but officially opened for…

Imagine this unassuming hall filled with the sounds of early jazz. Dating back to 1819, Perseverance Hall is one of the oldest buildings in Louis Armstrong Park and a witness to New Orleans' vibrant musical history.…

New Orleans owes much of its character to its position on the Mississippi River. That location made it a crucial port early on, funneling goods from across the continent and overseas. This trade wasn't just about cargo;…

Right here in New Orleans, you're standing near the birthplace of a sound that would change the world: jazz. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, African American musicians in this city blended blues, ragtime, and brass…

The most visited grave in New Orleans belongs to a woman who terrified and fascinated the city for half a century. Marie Laveau was a free woman of color, a hairdresser by trade, who became the undisputed Voodoo Queen…

Stop here and behold: St. Mary's Assumption Church, a testament to New Orleans' vibrant immigrant past. Built in 1860, this architectural gem was erected to serve the burgeoning German Catholic community in the Lower…

Ever heard of a pirate helping defend America? Here, at what is now Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, you're standing on land connected to that very story. Jean Lafitte and his Baratarians, a group of…

This is more than just a stadium; it's a symbol of New Orleans' resilience. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Superdome became a refuge for tens of thousands of people displaced by the storm. The storm caused…

You're near a place that helped birth a movement: St. James AME Church. It's the first African Methodist Episcopal church established in the Deep South. Founded in 1844, St. James AME Church was established by free…

Willie Mae Seaton opened her Scotch House in New Orleans' Treme neighborhood in 1957. In 2005, the James Beard Foundation named it an America's Classic. Two months later, Hurricane Katrina destroyed it. Volunteers from…

Step back in time as you approach Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, a hauntingly beautiful city of the dead. Founded in 1833, this above-ground cemetery was the first planned cemetery in what was then the City of Lafayette,…

Leah Chase — the Queen of Creole Cuisine — fed civil rights leaders in the back room when segregation made front dining illegal. Open since 1941.

Step out of the car here, and you're walking on hallowed ground, the final resting place for generations of American soldiers. Chalmette National Cemetery was established in 1864, during the Civil War, to bury Union…

Stroll through the Garden District, admiring the opulent mansions and lush gardens that define this historic neighborhood. Back in the mid-1800s, this area transformed from plantations into a showcase of wealth, as…

On the morning of January 8, 1815, the finest army Britain had fielded since Waterloo marched across this sugar cane field in neat columns toward a mud rampart defended by Andrew Jackson's collection of frontiersmen,…

New Orleans' legendary Creole restaurant in the Garden District since 1893. 25-cent martini lunch.

Parkway Bakery Domilise's or Mahony's — overstuffed fried seafood sandwiches on French bread.

Isidore Newman School (1903 Jefferson Ave., New Orleans, LA) is the small Uptown prep where both Peyton and Eli Manning played quarterback. Peyton, class of 1994, still owns school single-season records of 2,703 passing…

Imagine grand parties spilling onto the banks of Bayou St. John – that's the kind of history held within the walls of the Pitot House. Built in the 1790s, this Creole colonial home was eventually purchased by James…

Right here stood a bronze horse and rider, a statue that ignited a city-wide conversation. P.G.T. Beauregard, a Louisiana native and Confederate general, was honored with this equestrian statue unveiled in 1915. It…

Tipitina's opened in January 1977 for one reason: to give Professor Longhair a place to play. Henry Roeland Byrd, better known as Fess, had invented the New Orleans piano style in the 1950s, a rhumba-meets-boogie-woogie…

Welcome to what some call a 'city of the dead,' Metairie Cemetery, where elaborate tombs tell silent stories. This wasn't always a final resting place. Originally, this land was home to the Metairie Race Course, a…

Here in Marrero, there's an old treasure story with a strange turn in it. Folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet put it in his essay on Louisiana French oral literature. A storyteller named Leonard Gauthreaux, from Cecelia, said…

Ever wonder how New Orleans defended itself from invaders? You're driving right by a key piece of that history: Spanish Fort. This spot guarded the city's eastern approach for centuries. Originally built by the French…

This Civil War fortification once stood guard just upriver from New Orleans. During the Civil War, both Confederate and Union forces recognized the strategic importance of the high ground at this bend in the Mississippi…

Imagine New Orleans without easy access to Lake Pontchartrain. This lighthouse guided ships through the New Basin Canal, a vital waterway for New Orleans commerce. First established in 1838, the New Canal Light marked…

Pull over here for a second; this is Promised Land. Once owned by one of the most powerful men in Louisiana, this spot whispers tales of political influence. Leander Perez, a dominant figure in Louisiana politics,…

Airboat through Louisiana bayous with alligators and cypress knees. The real Cajun country.

The most famous pirate in American history ran his operation from these bayous. Jean Lafitte commanded a fleet of ships and a small army of smugglers from his base on Barataria Bay, south of New Orleans. He called…

Here in Jean Lafitte, you're in pirate treasure country, at least according to the old stories. In nineteen forty five, the Louisiana Writers' Project gathered old Louisiana stories into a book called Gumbo Ya-Ya.…

Stand on this land and imagine a time when the fate of New Orleans, and perhaps the nation, rested on the strength of this very fort. Construction on Fort Macomb began in 1822, intended to guard the Chef Menteur Pass, a…

These grounds whisper stories of wealth built on the backs of enslaved people. Destrehan Plantation, one of the best-preserved examples of early Louisiana plantation life, offers a stark reminder of our nation's complex…