Interesting Places
Each year thousands of tourists are drawn by the many historic, scenic, and recreational attractions of New Orleans. For the most part these center around the French Quarter (Vieux Carré, or “old square”) and the Mardi Gras festivities.
The Vieux Carré is the original city of New Orleans, begun by the French early in the 18th century. Many of its buildings show the influence of early French and Spanish culture, particularly in the decorative iron work of balconies and railings. The historic heart of this section is Jackson Square, called the Place d'Armes until 1851. Five historic buildings surround the square, including St. Louis Cathedral, first built in 1794. On its walls are several historic paintings, and many French and Spanish nobles are buried here.
Flanking the cathedral are the Presbytère and the Cabildo (once the headquarters of Spanish governors), both now museums. Facing each other across the square are the twin buildings of the Pontalba Apartments, built in 1849 to attract residents to the declining French Quarter.
Near the square is the six-block area of the French Market, dating from Spanish times, and Madam John's Legacy, a house built in 1726. The French Quarter is also a traditional center of American jazz, and has numerous nightclubs featuring jazz musicians. Just south of Jackson Square is the old wharf and port area, now renovated, with shops, restaurants, hotels, and places of entertainment. Among the attractions are Jackson Brewery, the Aquarium of the Americas, and the Riverwalk.
When Americans began arriving in the city after the Louisiana Purchase (1803), they found no welcome from Creoles (descendants of French and Spanish settlers). Thus they developed their own section, southwest of the French Quarter. The American section became known as the Garden District because of its large gardens. It has a number of elegant mansions, many of them built in the Greek Revival style during the city's prosperous days as a cotton center.
Thousands of tourists annually visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras and its accompanying festivities. Weeks of private balls and celebrations are climaxed by the main parade on Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday), the day preceding Lent.
Scenic attractions are preserved in the city's numerous parks, the largest of which is City Park, covering 1,500 acres (600 hectares) of a former plantation. In this park are a variety of recreational facilities and the New Orleans Museum of Art. The Chalmette Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, on the site of the Battle of New Orleans (1815), contains a military cemetery. Audubon Memorial State Park contains the plantation where John James Audubon painted many of his birds. The park also has one of the largest zoos in the South.
The Louisiana Superdome is home to the Saints (professional football) and is the site of the annual Sugar Bowl collegiate football game. The New Orleans Arena is home to the Hornets (professional basketball).
