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Insider's Guide From Hotel Near Bourbon Street in New Orleans
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art
One of our favorite New Orleans art museums is the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Located just minutes from our hotel, the museum testifies to the eclectic cultural traditions that have come together since the early 18th-century to make the American South such an inspiration for the arts.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Though the Ogden houses the largest collection of Southern art anywhere in the world, the museum maintains an intimate and welcoming atmosphere across its five floors with exhibits that ground museum-goers firmly in time and place. During your visit to the museum, marvel at voodoo-inspired sculptures, paintings that blend the phantasmagoric landscapes of Hieronymous Bosch with the pathos of the African-American struggle, striking photography that ranges from straightforward realism to spectral surrealism, modern and contemporary abstract experimentation, and much more. Be sure to check out the museum’s full calendar of events, online exhibits and video libraries, as well as educational opportunities for all ages and interests.
Address: 925 Camp St, New Orleans, LA 70130
The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience 2020
It’s that time of year again! Have you ever been to New Orleans during its biggest culinary extravaganza? Now is the time! This annual, city-wide event highlights top chefs, tons of local restaurants, and fine wines from around the world— all for a charitable cause.
The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience 2020
Taking place from March 18th to March 22nd across the Crescent City, this four-day event is more than worth the wait.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Grand Tastings
Food and wine enthusiasts are in for a wonderful weekend! Interact with chefs and winemakers and taste all of their delicious creations.
Wine Dinners
Kick-off your NOWFE experience with a beautifully curated wine dinner. All participating restaurants create exclusive menus that include all the finest wine pairings.
NOWFE Labs
Led by top wine professionals and world-renowned chefs, these exclusive workshops cover beverages from fine wines to premium coffee.
Hooked already? Learn more and purchase your tickets today!
New Orleans Boat Show 2020
Calling all boat lovers—don’t miss the annual New Orleans Boat Show, taking from February 14th to 16th at the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center.
New Orleans Boat Show 2020
Even if you’re not in the market for a boat, it’s still exciting to explore all the latest models! Hundreds of boats will be available for viewing, along with other motors and trailers.
Presented by Mercury Marine, Tidewater Boats, and Sea Tow, the show will include most of the boat dealers from Southeast Louisiana. Other companies will be offering boat insurance, electronics, sunglasses, boat lifts, and more.
Bringing the whole family to the boat show? This year the event will have a Kid’s Zone with entertainment from NOLA Kids! There will be games, and kids can have all-day access to the Kid’s Zone for free.
Sound like a fun time? You can visit the official website for dates, times, details, and ticket prices.
Mardi Gras Festivities
The best time of year to visit has finally arrived! Every year, over 1.4 million locals and visitors crowd the streets of New Orleans to celebrate the famous, Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras Festivities
Whether it’s your first time visiting during this time of year, or it’s an annual tradition for you and yours, we highly suggest joining in on the fun.
Carnival celebrations officially start on January 6th, 2020, kicking off at sundown. All the way up until the big day on February 25th, weeks of exciting parades, street parties, and marching bands light up the bustling streets of New Orleans with energy.
On January 6th at 7:00 pm, don’t miss the Phunny Porty Phellows Street Car Ride! Each year, a festive group of locals mark the opening of carnival season by riding a decorated streetcar along the St. Charles Avenue line—Mardi Gras beads will be most definitely be tossed.
Celebrate the Holidays at the Nola ChristmasFest
‘Tis the season for all things merry and bright! Gather your closest friends and family, pull out your favorite Christmas sweaters, and enjoy some quality holiday fun.
Celebrate the Holidays at the Nola ChristmasFest
Christmas in New Orleans is always a magical time. Look no further than NOLA ChristmasFest for a festive, family-friendly holiday celebration. Happening from December 20th to December 31st at the New Orleans Convention Center, this is event is a can’t-miss if you’re in town.
Boasting plenty of festive photo ops and a little something for everyone, experience an indoor ice skating rink, ice slides, a carousel, carnival rides, inflatables, Santa and friends, gingerbread houses, decorated trees and more. With exciting live performances and delicious treats, this event can easily turn into an all-day affair. Make sure to check out their website for upcoming events, and start planning your visit today. We wish you a warm and joyful holiday season!
Treme Creole Gumbo Festival
The culinary scene in New Orleans is always extraordinary!
Treme Creole Gumbo Festival
There’s no better way to explore this beautiful and unique city than attending a local festival brimming with activities. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will host the 12th annual Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival on November 16th - 17th.
The vibrant festival will be happening in Congo Square in the corner of Louis Armstrong Park and admission is free! From 11 am to 7:30 pm, come on by and jam to some jazz, funk, brass bands, gospel, and blues. Then, indulge in the best gumbo cooking to be found in the southern Louisiana region. From chicken and sausage gumbo to seafood gumbo, this festival will have something tasty for everyone.
Between sets of African drumming dance, we highly suggest browsing through the Arts Market for creative handmade crafts—you can also continue the celebrations through the evening with the Brass Menagerie second-line parade!
Krewe of Boo Halloween Parade
Nothing quite compares to spending Halloween in New Orleans! With this city’s haunting past, the opportunities are endless.
Krewe of Boo Halloween Parade
While there are plenty of amazing ghost tours in the area to get you in the spooky spirit, we know of a parade that you simply can’t miss if you’re in town.
Presented by Haunted History Tours, the Krewe of Boo Halloween Parade transforms the French Quarter into the “Boo Carre!” Come on out and enjoy this exhilarating experience on Saturday, October 19th!
Krewe of Boo has been the official Halloween Parade in New Orleans since 2007, and has grown every year since—think elaborate floats, spooky creatures, and parade riders decked out in costumes tossing candy, chee wees, pralinettes, light-up medallion beads, voodoo doll pins, doubloons, and children’s toys!
We’ll let you in on a little secret—these are not your average floats. The images on the floats are thoughtfully designed to “come to life” as 3-dimensional fiberglass or papier mache props. Sounds pretty cool, right? Trust us, you won’t want to miss this!
Grab your costume, gather your friends, and come on out to this once in a lifetime experience.
Happy Halloween, from our family to yours!
Find That Special Something in the French Market
Grab a hurricane or Pimm’s Cup and head over to the French Market for an immersive experience that's quintessentially New Orleans.
Find That Special Something in the French Market
The French Market originated in 1791 as a Native American trading post before it expanded to include the whole edge of the Mississippi River with the arrival of French and Spanish colonists. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the French Market has long been hailed globally as the place to find “it"—whatever that coveted piece of precious may be—from the Big Easy.
Whether you’re searching for a dozen perfectly shucked oysters, handmade crafts, antique jewelry, or a new mask for Mardi Gras, you’ll be sure to find it among the hundreds of vendors, food booths, cafes, craftsmen, and artists. Be sure to browse the dozens of retail and antique shops lining North Peters Street and the Riverwalk for items that can only be found in New Orleans.
Must-Do’s of Jackson Square
Since 1721, Jackson Square has been a central gathering place, historical focal point, and tourism highlight for visitors to the Big Easy. Of all of the things to do and see in Jackson Square, the most iconic are all located right in the park center, not far from our hotel.
Must-Do’s of Jackson Square
St. Louis Cathedral
This world-renown landmark has a rich, sometimes dark, but always decadent history, just like the city itself. Named for Louis IX, the sainted King of France, the Cathedral has withstood plagues, hurricanes, pirates, war, and is to date the oldest Roman Catholic Cathedral in continuous use in the United States. Stop in for a quiet look around, mass, or take an official tour. Pro-tip: Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, was a frequent visitor to the church, so much so that she chose her former home on St. Ann Street because it was built parallel to the Cathedral. Take a stroll down the cobblestone walks of Pirate Alley onto St. Ann Street and see if you can guess which home was hers.
Artists & Readers
New Orleans is built upon bygone ritual and superstition, not to mention a strong, everlasting artistic spirit. There is no place in the city that better personifies the marriage of creativity and mysticism of this southern swampland than Jackson Square. Simply take a walk around the gates and grounds within the park to find a palm reader, tea leaf practitioner, painter, singer, or sculptor whose work speaks to you.
What's Cookin'
Foodies heading to New Orleans this fall are in for an extra treat: Restaurant Week New Orleans! For one week only - September 9 - 15, 2019 - some of the city's best restaurants offer special fixed-price Restaurant Week menus that represent savings of up to 25%.
What's Cookin'
The annual event, sponsored by the Louisiana Restaurant Association's Greater NOLA chapter, is a not-to-be-missed chance to savor the wide range of restaurants that make up the Crescent City's culinary landscape. Participants include celebrated fine dining restaurants in the French Quarter, quirky kitchens in the Warehouse District, and everything in between.
In all, more than 80 restaurants participate, creating lunch and/or dinner menus especially for Restaurant Week diners. The list of restaurants is still being finalized but, in past years, it has included such award-winning spots as Brigtsen's, Galatoire's, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and Tableau. Whether you're in the mood for Asian or Italian, Cajun or Creole (the list goes on), you'll find something worth savoring during this week of exceptional and surprisingly affordable dining.