The French Quarter, known locally as the Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and one of the most historically significant urban districts in the United States. Bounded by the Mississippi River, Canal Street, Rampart Street, and Esplanade Avenue, its roughly 85-block grid retains Spanish Colonial and Creole architecture dating to the late 18th century. The neighborhood draws millions of visitors annually for its live music, culinary traditions, and street life.
What is the French Quarter known for?
The French Quarter is known for its uninterrupted concentration of historic architecture, world-famous jazz and blues clubs on Frenchmen Street and Bourbon Street, Creole and Cajun cuisine, and Jackson Square—a National Historic Landmark where St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Presbytere frame a lively public plaza. The neighborhood is also the birthplace of American jazz and home to some of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in the country, including Antoine’s, founded in 1840, and Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street.
Best things to do in the French Quarter
Top experiences range from attending a live jazz performance to touring antebellum architecture and visiting world-class museums.
- Visit Jackson Square and watch street performers in front of St. Louis Cathedral
- Tour the Historic New Orleans Collection on Royal Street for maps, photographs, and Louisiana history
- Explore the French Market, a covered market stretching along Decatur Street since 1791
- Walk through the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint on Esplanade Avenue
- Take a steamboat cruise departing from the Toulouse Street Wharf on the Mississippi River
- Browse antique shops and galleries along Royal Street between St. Louis and Dumaine streets
Where to eat in the French Quarter
The French Quarter contains some of the most storied restaurants in American culinary history, serving dishes like shrimp remoulade, oysters Rockefeller, bananas Foster, and beignets that were invented or popularized here. Café Du Monde on Decatur Street, open 24 hours, is the essential stop for café au lait and beignets. Brennan’s on Royal Street originated bananas Foster in 1951. Antoine’s on St. Louis Street has operated continuously since 1840 and claims the invention of oysters Rockefeller. Dooky Chase’s, just outside the Quarter on Orleans Avenue, is a landmark of Creole soul food. For a casual meal, the Central Grocery on Decatur Street is credited with inventing the muffuletta sandwich.
Where to walk in the French Quarter
The most rewarding walking route begins at Canal Street, heads down Royal Street past ironwork balconies, antique dealers, and the Hotel Monteleone, continues to Jackson Square, then follows the Mississippi River levee path back along Decatur Street past Café Du Monde and the French Market to Esplanade Avenue. A second classic route covers Bourbon Street from Canal to St. Ann Street, then cuts over to Frenchmen Street in the adjacent Faubourg Marigny for live music venues including the Spotted Cat Music Club and the Frenchmen Art Market on weekends.
How to get to the French Quarter
The French Quarter is accessible by the Regional Transit Authority streetcar on the Canal Street line, which stops at the edge of the district at Canal and Bourbon, and by the Riverfront Streetcar line running along the Mississippi River from the Convention Center to Esplanade Avenue. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport connects to the city via the Loyola-UPT/Rampart-St. Claude RTA streetcar, taxi, and rideshare. The Canal Street Ferry crosses the Mississippi River to Algiers Point and departs adjacent to the Quarter. Amtrak’s City of New Orleans and Crescent trains arrive at Union Passenger Terminal on Loyola Avenue, approximately one mile from the Quarter.
Best time to visit the French Quarter
The most popular period is Mardi Gras season, culminating on Fat Tuesday in February or March, when the Quarter hosts parades, balls, and street celebrations; however, crowds are at their peak and accommodation prices surge. The French Quarter Festival in April and Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds in late April and early May draw large crowds with more manageable conditions. October and November offer mild temperatures, lower humidity, and fewer tourists, making them ideal months for walking and dining. Summer months bring intense heat and humidity but also a quieter, more local atmosphere.
