New Orleans events & things to do in January 2027
Start with St. Louis Cathedral, National WWII Museum, plus New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park. January in New Orleans averages 17°C / 62°F highs, 8°C / 46°F nights, and about 10 rainy days.
Expect 17°C/62°F days and about 10 rainy ones in January. Start with these:
- St. Louis Cathedral★ 4.8 · 5.0k reviewsThe cathedral on Jackson Square traces its parish to 1720, with the present triple-spired building completed in the 1850s after earlier fires and…
- National WWII Museum★ 4.8 · 29.7k reviewsThe museum opened in 2000 in the Warehouse District and grew from the Higgins Boats built in New Orleans for Allied landings.
- The Marvelous WonderettesJan 8Westwego Perf Arts Theatre · Source: Ticketmaster
30% off a Going membership when you plan your trip.
By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
New Orleans in January 2027
Weather
TempTemperature
62°F / 46°F
16.9°C / 7.8°C
RainPrecipitation
10d
5.1in · 130mm
LightDaylight
10.3h
January is mild but wet, with early Carnival parades starting after Twelfth Night and layers useful for damp French Quarter nights.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Jan 15
- Jan 16
- Jan 17
Show all 16 events for January
- Jan 26
- Jan 26
- Jan 26
- Jan 27
- Jan 27
- Jan 27
- Jan 28
- Jan 29
- Jan 29
- Jan 30
- Jan 30
- Jan 31
- Jan 31
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Jan 1New Year's DayPublic holiday
- Jan 18Martin Luther King Jr. DayPublic holiday
- Jan 1-Jan 3Long weekend
- Jan 16-Jan 18Long weekend
About New Orleans
City overview
New Orleans sits on a bend of the Mississippi River, where the French Quarter, Tremé, Marigny, Bywater, Garden District, and Uptown turn Creole architecture, brass-band music, Catholic parade calendars, and river commerce into one city. The French and Spanish colonial grid, St. Charles Avenue streetcar, above-ground cemeteries, and festival schedule make the visitor map unlike any other U.S. city.
Food & drink
New Orleans food is specific: gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, po'boys, muffulettas from the Central Grocery orbit, oysters, pralines, and beignets at Cafe du Monde. Use the French Quarter for old Creole dining, Magazine Street for neighborhood restaurants, and the Tremé-Marigny-Bywater corridor for music plus late meals.
Top sights
Ranked for January suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park
- 2Steamboat Natchez and Mississippi riverfront
- 3Mardi Gras World
- 4Frenchmen Street
- 5St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
- 6French Quarter and Jackson Square
- 7Audubon Park
- 8Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
1New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park
4.7★ · 5,307indoorClosed MonNOMA opened in City Park in 1911 and holds French, American, African, Japanese, and decorative arts collections. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden sits beside bayous and live oaks in the same park.
2Steamboat Natchez and Mississippi riverfront
4.4★ · 5,048indoorOpen dailyThe Natchez paddlewheeler docks near the Toulouse Street wharf and runs jazz cruises on the Mississippi River. The Moonwalk and Woldenberg Riverfront Park give free views of ships, bridges, and the French Quarter levee edge.
3Mardi Gras World
4.4★ · 5,338indoorOpen dailyBlaine Kern's warehouse on the riverfront shows parade floats, sculpted props, costumes, and workshop processes used by Carnival krewes. It is near the Convention Center and Warehouse District.
Wikipedia
Show 3 more sights
- 4Frenchmen Street
- 5St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
- 6French Quarter and Jackson Square
Neighborhoods
1French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
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.
2Marigny and Bywater
Marigny and Bywater are downriver and music-heavy, with Frenchmen Street clubs, Crescent Park, colorful cottages, St. Claude Avenue venues, and neighborhood restaurants.
3Tremé
Tremé is tied to Black New Orleans culture, with Congo Square, Backstreet Cultural Museum, brass-band history, Creole cottages, and second-line routes near North Rampart Street.
Day trips
85km / 1-1.5h by car from the French Quarter
Oak Alley and River Road plantations
River Road sites such as Oak Alley, Whitney Plantation, and Laura Plantation interpret sugar estates, architecture, and enslaved labor along the Mississippi.
30km / 35-45min by car from the French Quarter
Barataria Preserve
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park preserve has boardwalks through swamp, bayou, marsh, alligator habitat, and birding areas close to the city.
70km / 1h by car across Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
Abita Springs and the Northshore
The northshore route adds Abita Brewery, the Abita Mystery House, small towns, and the long bridge crossing over Lake Pontchartrain.
Getting around
RTA streetcars and buses cover the French Quarter edge, St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street, Rampart Street, cemeteries, City Park, and parts of Uptown using Le Pass fares. Walking works in the Quarter and Marigny, the St. Charles streetcar works for Garden District days, and rideshare is practical for late-night Bywater or airport trips.
Planning a New Orleans trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in January.
Common questions about New Orleans in January
- What to pack for New Orleans in January
Pack for January's weather, not a generic New Orleans checklist.
- Layerable daytime clothes for average highs around 17°C / 62°F.
- A heavier evening layer because nights average 8°C / 46°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 10 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in New Orleans
- 4 days covers the main New Orleans highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
- Is New Orleans worth visiting in January
- Yes. January in New Orleans averages 17°C / 62°F highs, 8°C / 46°F nights, and about 10 rainy days.
Ready to plan New Orleans?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day New Orleans plan for January 2027, every place checked for your exact dates.