Things to Do in French Quarter, New Orleans

The Quarter is dense and old, with Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries, Bourbon Street bars, hidden courtyards, Creole townhouses, and the riverfront within a tight grid.

French Quarter and Jackson SquarePlaza
St. Louis CathedralCathedral
CabildoHistory Museum

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Top things to do in French Quarter

French Quarter and Jackson Square
★ 4.7 · 28.5k
Plaza★
Artists & performers ply their trades in a park built in 1721 & lined with historic buildings.
Every day
8 AM – 6 PM
Website ↗Map ↗
St. Louis Cathedral
★ 4.8 · 5.1k
Cathedral★
Grand, spired circa-1700s church with stained glass, a painted ceiling & an active congregation.
Mon–Fri
9:30 AM – 4 PM
Sat
9:30 AM – 4 PM
Sun
9 AM – 4 PM
Website ↗Map ↗
Cabildo
★ 4.5 · 582
History Museum★
The Louisiana Purchase was signed in this 1790s landmark now housing a New Orleans history museum.
Mon
Closed
Tue–Fri
9 AM – 4 PM
Sat
9 AM – 4 PM
Sun
9 AM – 4 PM
Website ↗Map ↗
Old Ursuline Convent
★ 4.6 · 462
Monastery★
This convent-turned-museum is the city's oldest building & features French colonial architecture.
Mon
Closed
Tue–Fri
10 AM – 2 PM
Sat
10 AM – 2 PM
Sun
Closed
Website ↗Book ↗Map ↗
Hermann-Grima House
★ 4.7 · 552
History Museum★
19th-century house museum with period furnishings, a stable & a functional 1830s outdoor kitchen.
Mon
10 AM – 4 PM
Tue
Closed
Wed–Fri
10 AM – 4 PM
Sat
10 AM – 4 PM
Sun
10 AM – 4 PM
Website ↗Book ↗Map ↗
Gallier House
★ 4.8 · 291
History Museum★
Built in 1857, this opulent, furnished house provides a glimpse into the life of an affluent family.
Mon
10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue
Closed
Wed–Fri
10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Sat
10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Sun
10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Website ↗Map ↗
Old U.S. Mint
★ 4.4 · 2.3k
History Museum★
Historic circa-1835 mint turned museum with coin exhibits & an upper-level jazz venue.
Mon
Closed
Tue–Fri
9 AM – 4 PM
Sat
9 AM – 4 PM
Sun
9 AM – 4 PM
Website ↗Map ↗
Beauregard-Keyes House
★ 4.7 · 275
History Museum★
Landmark home of prominent 19th-century figures featuring tours, a garden & antique doll collection.
Mon–Tue
10 AM – 3 PM
Wed
Closed
Thu–Fri
10 AM – 3 PM
Sat
10 AM – 3 PM
Sun
Closed
Website ↗Book ↗Map ↗
Historic New Orleans Collection
History Museum★
A museum and research center offering access to rare documents, art, and historic treasures spanning centuries of Gulf South culture.
Website ↗Map ↗
Preservation Hall
★ 4.7 · 5.2k
Museum· $
Historic, all-ages place for jazz in a no-frills space with wooden floors & no air-conditioning.
Every day
11 AM – 9:30 PM
Website ↗Book ↗Map ↗
Southern Candymakers - Main Store
★ 4.7 · 1.1k
Chocolate Shop· $$
Handcrafted confections, including Southern pralines, draw crowds to this family-owned candy store.
Every day
10 AM – 6 PM
Website ↗Map ↗

Where to eat & drink in French Quarter

Jewel of the South
Top 500 bar
Cocktail Bar
Jewel of the South is a classic New Orleans tavern, reimagined. We love to host, we love to serve, and mostly we love the power of hospitality to bring people together to celebrate, commiserate, and communicate. No matter where you are…
Website ↗
Carousel Bar
Top 500 bar
Pub· $20–60
This classic haunt at the Hotel Monteleone has a circular bar that revolves like a carousel.
Every day
11 AM – 12 AM
Website ↗Map ↗
Galatoire's
★ 4.3 · 2.9k
French· $50–100
At one of the city's oldest institutions, Friday lunch is a revelrous rite of passage.
Mon
Closed
Tue–Fri
11:30 AM – 9 PM
Sat
11:30 AM – 9 PM
Sun
12 PM – 9 PM
Website ↗Book ↗Map ↗
French 75 Bar
Top 500 bar
Cocktail Bar· $20–80
Tin-ceilinged "grande dame" of Creole dining since 1918, featuring seafood classics & a jazz brunch.
Mon–Thu
5:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Fri
11:30 AM – 3 PM, 5:30 PM – 11 PM
Sat
5:30 PM – 11 PM
Sun
10 AM – 2 PM
Website ↗Map ↗
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
★ 4.6 · 11.8k
Live Music· $10–20
Dimly lit hang & one of the oldest bars around, serving beer & frozen drinks since the 1700s.
Mon–Tue
10 AM – 3 AM
Wed
10 AM – 2 AM
Thu–Fri
10 AM – 3 AM
Sat
10 AM – 3 AM
Sun
10 AM – 3 AM
Website ↗Map ↗