New Orleans is unlike any other city in America. Founded over 300 years ago, it’s a melting pot of French, Spanish, African, and American cultures that created something completely unique. From the birthplace of jazz to the site of one of America’s greatest military victories, New Orleans tells the story of our country in the most colorful and exciting way possible.
This guide will take you through 10 must-visit places where American history comes alive. You’ll discover where the Louisiana Purchase changed our nation forever, learn about the rich African American culture that shaped our music, and walk the same streets where history was made. Let’s explore the Big Easy!
1
Jackson Square & The Louisiana Purchase
Jackson Square is the beating heart of New Orleans and one of the most important places in American history. Originally called Place d’Armes, this is where the Louisiana Purchase was officially transferred in 1803. This land deal doubled the size of the United States overnight, giving America 827,000 square miles of land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.
The square is named after General Andrew Jackson, who became a national hero when he defended New Orleans from British invasion in the Battle of 1815. In the center stands a bronze statue of Jackson on horseback. The square is surrounded by the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo (where the Louisiana Purchase papers were signed), and 200-year-old Pontalba Buildings.
Today, Jackson Square is alive with street performers, artists painting and selling their work, fortune tellers, and musicians. It’s been featured in countless movies and is officially recognized as one of America’s Great Public Spaces.
Quick Facts: Free to visit • Open 24/7 • Located in the French Quarter • National Historic Landmark since 1960
💡 Don’t Miss: Visit early morning for peaceful strolls, or come at sunset when street performers are out in full force. Grab beignets from nearby Café du Monde!
2
The National WWII Museum
The National WWII Museum is one of the best museums in the entire country. It tells the complete story of the American experience in World War II, from the home front to the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. The museum started as the National D-Day Museum because New Orleans is where many of the boats used in the D-Day invasion were built.
The museum has multiple buildings filled with real planes, tanks, weapons, and personal stories from soldiers and families. You can watch a 4D movie that puts you right in the middle of the war, see oral histories from veterans, and learn about how everyday Americans contributed to the war effort.
What makes this museum special is how it helps you understand not just the battles, but the people. You’ll see letters soldiers wrote home, read about nurses who saved lives, and learn about the scientists and factory workers who helped win the war. It’s powerful and moving, and you’ll leave with a deep appreciation for what that generation accomplished.
Quick Facts: Tickets $32 for adults • Plan for 3-4 hours minimum • Restaurant and café on-site • Located in the Warehouse District
💡 Pro Tip: Buy tickets online in advance to skip the lines. Start with the “Road to Berlin” and “Road to Tokyo” exhibits to understand the full story.
3
Preservation Hall – The Home of Jazz
Jazz was born in New Orleans, and Preservation Hall is where you can hear it played the traditional way. This small, intimate venue has been dedicated to protecting and performing traditional New Orleans jazz since 1961. The building itself dates back to the 1750s and looks almost exactly as it did centuries ago.
Inside, there are no fancy lights or modern sound systems – just talented musicians playing clarinets, trumpets, trombones, drums, and banjos the way jazz was meant to be played. Some performers are in their 70s and 80s and have been playing jazz their entire lives. Others are young musicians learning from the masters.
Shows start at 5 PM and run throughout the evening. The hall only holds about 100 people, and many sit on old wooden benches or stand in the back. It’s hot, crowded, and absolutely magical. You’re witnessing living history – the same kind of music that’s been played in New Orleans for over 100 years.
Quick Facts: Tickets $25-45 • No food or drinks inside • Shows are 45 minutes • Located in the French Quarter on St. Peter Street
💡 Don’t Miss: Arrive early – the line forms before each show. The earlier shows (5 PM and 6 PM) are usually less crowded than later ones.
4
Congo Square – The Birthplace of American Music
Congo Square is one of the most important cultural sites in American history, though many tourists miss it. This open space in Armstrong Park was where enslaved Africans and free people of color were allowed to gather on Sundays during the 1700s and 1800s. It was one of the only places in North America where enslaved people could openly practice their African music and dance traditions.
Every Sunday, hundreds of people would gather here to drum, sing, dance, and sell goods at market. African rhythms mixed with European instruments and Caribbean influences, creating something completely new. This mixing of cultures and sounds at Congo Square directly led to the birth of jazz, blues, and eventually rock and roll.
Today, Congo Square remains a gathering place. On Sunday afternoons, you’ll often find drum circles and musicians keeping the tradition alive. The square has historical markers explaining its importance, and it’s used for festivals, second line parades, and cultural celebrations throughout the year.
Quick Facts: Free to visit • Located in Armstrong Park in the Tremé neighborhood • Visit Sunday afternoons for drum circles
💡 Cultural Note: Congo Square represents African American resilience and creativity. The music created here influenced all of American popular music. Show respect when visiting this sacred cultural space.
5
The Cabildo – Where Louisiana Became American
The Cabildo is where the Louisiana Purchase transfer papers were signed in 1803, making it one of the most important buildings in American history. Built in the late 1700s when New Orleans was under Spanish rule, it served as the seat of government for the Spanish colonial administration.
Inside this museum, you’ll find over 500 artifacts that tell Louisiana’s story. There are Native American items, colonial-era weapons, paintings of early New Orleans, documents from the Louisiana Purchase, and exhibits about slavery and the Civil War. One of the coolest things is Napoleon’s death mask – an actual cast made of Napoleon Bonaparte’s face after he died.
The building itself is beautiful, with Spanish colonial architecture including arches and a courtyard. From the upper floors, you get great views of Jackson Square. The Cabildo helps you understand how New Orleans went from French to Spanish to French again, and finally to American control – all in less than 100 years.
Quick Facts: Tickets $8 for adults • Part of the Louisiana State Museum • Combo tickets available with The Presbytère • Audio tours available
6
Backstreet Cultural Museum – African American Heritage
The Backstreet Cultural Museum celebrates the African American cultural traditions that make New Orleans unique. Located in the historic Tremé neighborhood (America’s oldest African American neighborhood), this museum showcases things you won’t see anywhere else in the world.
The most striking exhibits are the Mardi Gras Indian suits – incredible hand-sewn costumes covered in beads, feathers, and jewels that take a year to make. These suits honor the connection between Black New Orleanians and Native Americans who helped enslaved people escape. The museum also explains social aid and pleasure clubs (community organizations that have existed since the 1800s) and jazz funeral traditions.
This museum was the dream of Sylvester Francis, who wanted to preserve Black New Orleans culture. Every item tells a story about community, creativity, and keeping traditions alive despite hardship. The museum is small but packed with beautiful artifacts that show the heart and soul of New Orleans.
Quick Facts: Tickets $10 • Located in Tremé • Open Tuesday-Saturday • Off the beaten path but worth the trip
💡 Pro Tip: Try to visit during Mardi Gras season or around Jazz Fest when you might catch a real Mardi Gras Indian parade nearby!
7
The French Quarter – America’s Most Historic Neighborhood
The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, founded in 1718. Walking these streets is like stepping back in time. The buildings date from the 1700s and 1800s, with beautiful cast-iron balconies, hidden courtyards, and colorful facades. This isn’t a recreated historic site – people actually live and work in these centuries-old buildings.
The Quarter survived fires, floods, wars, and hurricanes. It’s a mix of French, Spanish, and Creole architecture. You’ll see narrow streets designed for horse carriages, fountains in secret courtyards, and buildings that have been family businesses for generations. Every building has a story – from pirate hideouts to famous restaurants that have served gumbo for 150 years.
Royal Street is perfect for daytime exploring, with antique shops, art galleries, and street performers. Bourbon Street is famous for nightlife (and gets very rowdy). But the real magic is wandering the quieter streets, peeking through gates into courtyards, and discovering hidden corners that haven’t changed in 200 years.
Quick Facts: Free to explore • Best explored on foot • Start at Jackson Square • Avoid Bourbon Street if traveling with young kids
💡 Walking Tour Tip: Take a free walking tour to learn the history. Guides share stories about pirates, voodoo queens, famous residents, and architectural secrets you’d never notice on your own.
8
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 – Cities of the Dead
New Orleans’ cemeteries look different from anywhere else in America. Because the city is below sea level with a high water table, people are buried in above-ground tombs and vaults instead of underground. This creates “cities of the dead” that look like small neighborhoods with streets between the tombs.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous, dating back to 1789. The white tombs are stacked together, some belonging to families who have used them for 200 years. The most visited tomb belongs to Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Many people believe her spirit can still grant wishes.
The cemetery tells stories about yellow fever epidemics, wealthy families who built elaborate tombs, and how different communities – French, Spanish, American, Irish, and Italian – each created their own burial societies. It’s a fascinating look at how New Orleans deals with death differently than the rest of America.
Quick Facts: You MUST go with a tour guide (required by law) • Tours $25-30 • Located in the Tremé • Tour companies pick up near the French Quarter
⚠️ Important: Never visit alone or without a licensed tour guide. It’s illegal and unsafe. Book tours through official companies.
9
The Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is a free museum and research center that preserves everything about New Orleans history. The museum has rotating exhibits about different periods and topics, from the Battle of New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina. There’s a giant interactive touchscreen map that shows how the city grew and changed over 300 years.
One of the coolest parts is touring the Williams Residence, a beautifully preserved French Quarter home filled with Louisiana antiques and a huge collection of Chinese porcelain. You’ll see how wealthy New Orleans families lived in the 1800s and early 1900s.
The research center holds rare books, maps, photographs, and documents about Louisiana history, including original Battle of New Orleans materials from the War of 1812. Historians and researchers come from around the world to study here. The gift shop sells high-quality books, maps, and locally made items – perfect for history lovers.
Quick Facts: FREE admission • Open Tuesday-Saturday • French Quarter location • Tours of Williams Residence $5
10
New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint
The New Orleans Jazz Museum sits in the Old U.S. Mint building, which is historic itself – it’s one of only two places that made both U.S. and Confederate money during the Civil War. But today, it celebrates what New Orleans gave to the world: jazz music.
The museum has interactive exhibits where you can hear different jazz styles, see instruments played by famous musicians, and learn about legendary performers like Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Sidney Bechet. You can even try playing some instruments yourself. The exhibits explain how jazz evolved from Congo Square gatherings to the worldwide phenomenon it is today.
The museum hosts live jazz performances, educational programs for all ages, and special events throughout the year. It’s right on the edge of the French Quarter near the French Market, making it easy to combine with other historical sites. For anyone who wants to understand why New Orleans is called the birthplace of jazz, this is the place to start.
Quick Facts: Tickets $8 for adults • Open Tuesday-Sunday • Interactive exhibits great for kids • Check website for live performance schedule
💡 Music Lover Tip: Combine your visit with a trip to nearby Frenchmen Street at night, where local jazz clubs have live music every night of the week.
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Experience the Soul of America
New Orleans is more than just a fun place to visit – it’s where you can see and feel American history come alive. From the Louisiana Purchase that doubled our nation’s size to the African American cultural traditions that created jazz and influenced all American music, New Orleans played a huge role in making America what it is today.
What makes these places special isn’t just that they’re old – it’s that they’re still living and breathing. Jazz is still being played. Second lines still parade through the streets. Families still cook the same gumbo recipes passed down for generations. History isn’t locked behind glass here; it’s part of everyday life.
Plan Your Visit: Most historic sites are within walking distance of each other in the French Quarter and Tremé. Spend at least 3-4 days to see everything properly. The best times to visit are spring (February-May) and fall (September-November) when the weather is nice and festivals are happening. Come with an open mind and a curious heart – New Orleans has stories to tell you won’t find anywhere else in America.