New Orleans travel guides: museums, music and food

New Orleans packs an unusual density of history, music and food into a compact city. This guide brings together visitor guides to the museums and landmarks of the French Quarter, including St Louis Cathedral and the historic house museums tucked among its streets. There’s also coverage of the city’s food, jazz and Mardi Gras culture, plus practical guides to driving in and out of New Orleans, whether you’re arriving from Atlanta, Houston or Baton Rouge, or heading onward along the Gulf Coast. Each linked guide covers ticket prices, opening hours and practical visitor tips.

History and heritage museums

New Orleans holds museums covering everything from a global conflict to the city’s own religious and cultural history.

• National WWII Museum, New Orleans: 2026 ticket prices, hours and visitor guide — a major Smithsonian-affiliated museum covering the American experience of the Second World War.
• Old Ursuline Convent Museum, New Orleans: visitor guide with hours, prices and history — the oldest surviving building in the Mississippi Valley, dating from the French colonial period.
• St Louis Cathedral, New Orleans: a practical guide with hours, prices and tips — the oldest continuously active Catholic cathedral in the United States, overlooking Jackson Square.
• Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, New Orleans: a practical guide for first-time visitors — a museum tracing Jewish history and culture across the American South.
• The Cabildo, New Orleans: a practical guide with hours, prices and tips — the former seat of Spanish colonial government, now covering Louisiana’s history.

Historic house museums

Several preserved townhouses in the French Quarter offer a more intimate look at 19th-century life in the city.

• BK House, New Orleans: a practical guide for first-time visitors — an 1826 Greek Revival house linked to Confederate general P.G.T. Beauregard and later novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes.
• Gallier House, New Orleans: ticket prices, hours, parking and visitor tips — the home of a prominent 19th-century **architect**, furnished to reflect Creole-era domestic life.
• Hermann-Grima House, New Orleans: a practical guide for first-time visitors — tells stories of slavery in the antebellum South from an urban rather than rural setting.

Food, music and family attractions

Beyond its museums, New Orleans is defined by its food, its music and its biggest annual celebration.

• Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans: a practical guide with hours, prices and tips — a deep dive into the region’s culinary history and culture.
• New Orleans Jazz Museum: a practical guide with hours, prices and tips — the city’s own musical heritage, housed in the old US Mint building.
• Mardi Gras World, New Orleans: a practical guide with hours, prices and tips — see the costumes and parade floats being built for the next carnival season.
• Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans: a practical guide with hours, prices and tips — the country’s largest collection dedicated to Southern art.
• Audubon Zoo, New Orleans: parking, prices, hours and visitor tips — a family-friendly zoo set within Audubon Park, uptown from the French Quarter.

Road trips and getting around

New Orleans sits within driving distance of several major Southern cities, and works well as the starting point for a wider Gulf Coast road trip.

Driving to New Orleans

• The Atlanta to New Orleans drive: distance, time and best stops — the route and worthwhile stops between the two cities.
• The Baton Rouge to New Orleans drive: distance, time and best stops — a short, straightforward drive along the Mississippi River corridor.
• The Houston to New Orleans drive: best stops, time and distance — a cross-Gulf Coast route through Louisiana’s Cajun country.
• The Tallahassee to New Orleans drive: time, distance and best stops — the route in from Florida’s capital.

Day trips and road trips from New Orleans

• The New Orleans to Biloxi drive: best road trip stops, time and distance — a short hop into Mississippi’s Gulf Coast casino towns.
• The New Orleans to Mobile drive: distance, time and best stops — crossing into Alabama along the Gulf Coast.
• The New Orleans to Orange Beach drive: best stops, distance and time — a beach-focused route into Alabama.
• The New Orleans to Gulf Shores drive: distance, time and best stops — another Alabama beach town within easy reach.
• The New Orleans to Destin drive: time, distance and best stops — the longer haul into Florida’s Emerald Coast.

Planning your visit

The French Quarter is compact and walkable, so most of the museums and house museums above can be covered on foot. For a wider view of the city, including swamp tours and cemetery visits, this guide covers nine New Orleans tours worth booking, and which to skip. A car is more useful for reaching Audubon Zoo or for any of the road trips above, since public transport options thin out beyond the historic centre.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in New Orleans?

Three to four days covers the French Quarter’s main museums and landmarks at a comfortable pace. A longer stay allows time for a swamp tour or a short road trip along the Gulf Coast.

What is New Orleans best known for?

New Orleans is best known for its jazz heritage, Creole and Cajun food, Mardi Gras celebrations, and a distinct French and Spanish colonial history visible throughout the French Quarter.

Do you need a car to get around New Orleans?

A car isn’t necessary for the French Quarter and central areas, which are walkable or served by the streetcar network. A car becomes useful for reaching Audubon Zoo or for day trips and road trips beyond the city.