New Orleans

The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas showcases marine life from the Americas, including a 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit, a Caribbean reef tunnel, and a penguin colony.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum documents the African American cultural traditions of New Orleans, including Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, and social aid and pleasure clubs.

Café Du Monde is an iconic open-air coffee stand operating 24 hours a day since 1862. Famous for its beignets (French-style doughnuts) dusted with powdered sugar and its chicory-laced café au lait.

The Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone is the only revolving bar in New Orleans. The 25-seat carousel rotates slowly while bartenders serve classic cocktails in an ornate, circus-themed setting.

Crescent Park is a 1.4-mile linear park along the Mississippi River in the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods. Opened in 2014, it features a dramatic rusty-steel pedestrian bridge, river views, and native landscaping.

Frenchmen Street in the Marigny is the locals' alternative to Bourbon Street — a three-block stretch of live music clubs, art markets, and bars where you'll hear jazz, funk, brass, and blues every night.

The Garden District is an opulent residential neighborhood known for its antebellum mansions, lush gardens, and oak-canopied streets. It represents the wealth of the American settlers who built here in the 1830s–50s.

The Hermann-Grima House is the best example of American-style architecture in the French Quarter. Built in 1831, it features an intact 1830s kitchen, slave quarters, and a formal courtyard.

Jackson Square is the historic heart of the French Quarter, a landscaped park surrounded by iconic architecture including St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Presbytère. Street artists, musicians, and fortune tellers line its iron fence daily.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is a historic cemetery in the Garden District, dating to 1833. Its moss-draped tombs and tree-lined paths have appeared in novels by Anne Rice and several films.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar is one of the oldest surviving structures in New Orleans, a French colonial cottage built between 1722 and 1772. Operating as a bar since the 1940s, it is lit almost entirely by candlelight.

Louis Armstrong Park is a 32-acre park at the edge of the French Quarter and Tremé, honoring the city's most famous musical son. It contains Congo Square, the Mahalia Jackson Theater, and a statue of Armstrong.

Magazine Street is a six-mile shopping corridor stretching from Canal Street to Audubon Park, lined with independent boutiques, vintage shops, galleries, restaurants, and coffee houses.

Mardi Gras World is a working warehouse where Blaine Kern Artists build the enormous floats used in Carnival parades. Visitors can walk among the props, try on costumes, and watch artisans at work.

The Faubourg Marigny is a colorful Creole suburb adjacent to the French Quarter, known for its shotgun houses painted in vibrant colors, LGBTQ+ culture, and the Frenchmen Street music scene.

The New Orleans Botanical Garden is a 12-acre garden within City Park, featuring themed gardens, a conservatory, and the Enrique Alferez sculpture collection. It is one of the few remaining examples of WPA-era public garden design.

Housed in the historic Old U.S. Mint building, the New Orleans Jazz Museum traces the evolution of jazz from its roots in Congo Square to modern interpretations. The collection includes Louis Armstrong's first cornet.

NOMA houses a permanent collection of nearly 40,000 works spanning French and American art, photography, glass, and Japanese paintings. Located in City Park since 1911, it is the oldest fine arts museum in the city.

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum occupies the apothecary shop of Louis Dufilho Jr., America's first licensed pharmacist. The collection includes antique medical instruments, potions, and voodoo remedies.

Preservation Hall is a legendary jazz venue in the French Quarter dedicated to preserving traditional New Orleans jazz. The intimate, no-frills room holds about 100 people for nightly performances.