Here’s Part 2 of my New Orleans Travel Guide series! Part 1 focused on where to eat and drink and be merry so here’s some recommendations for cultural activities and community-based tourism.
Activities
If you’re into history like me, there’s a lot of dope ways to learn more about the city. The #1 museum I recommend is the Backstreet Cultural Museum dedicated to Mardi Gras Indian culture. The photo above shows the intricately beaded suits created by different tribes and worn on Mardi Gras. Another great place to learn about New Orleans’ unique history is the Musee de f.p.c. which focuses on the free people of color communities in the 1800s. To learn about jazz here in its birthplace, visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the Petit Jazz Museum in Treme.
There’s also a myriad of tours – on foot or via bikes that highlight the rich history of this city. I cannot recommend enough Hidden History Tours where you get the real, unfiltered history of the French Quarter. It completely changed the way I look at things when I’m in the Quarter — there’s so much that happened even under our feet that isn’t talked about. It’s led by Mr. Leon who is an OG New Orleans and Louisiana historian and an all-around brilliant man. Also I highly Queer Underground Tours for some real talk, hilarious, gay af storytelling!
Do not miss StudioBE, a warehouse gallery established by the visual artist Brandan “BMike” Odums showcasing mural art that engages dialogue about resistance, now…and then. Book an hour-long tour with a guide or take a self-guided experience to move at your own pace. And the New Orleans African-American Museum in Treme has some incredible various exhibits!
While this doesn’t classify as a museum, Bayou Road in the 7th Ward is a strip of Black-owned businesses including restaurants and shopping. My favorite bookstore in the city is there: Community Book Center. It’s owned by Ms. Vera and Mama Jennifer who are a wealth of knowledge, inspiration and love. They are truthtellers and culture bearers of this city.
Also, you MUST visit Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park. It is a spot with deep ancestral knowledge: a historical landmark and a sacred ground where both Native Americans and African descendants celebrated their spirituality, and gathered as a marketplace of goods and ideas. Native Americans traded there, and later enslaved Africans met on Sundays to sell goods, worship and organize. The roots of this city are literally here. There is a beautiful mighty ancestor tree where people leave offerings but in general it’s an important place to visit and show your respect to the city. Every Sunday, the Congo Square Preservation Society holds drum circles that are free, open to the public and communal. Dancing is encouraged!
If you like the outdoors and want to get out of the French Quarter, visit City Park. It was designed by the same architect who created New York’s Central Park and it’s just as robust. There’s a lake with paddleboats, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, The Botanical Garden and a free sculpture garden.
Also ride the streetcar from Canal Street up St. Charles Avenue to see some beautiful houses in the Lower Garden District.
Outside of New Orleans
If you have a car (or want to rent one for a day), I recommend checking out the Woodland Plantation Museum and Cultural Center in LaPlace. It’s opening soon, and it is a former plantation that was bought by descendants of people who were enslaved on that land. It is where the German Coast Slave Uprising of 1811 started — the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history. They are reclaiming the land and space to use as a museum and cultural institution to tell stories of the enslaved people, the history of Louisiana, and to talk about the environmental racism issues that still impact the local community.
There’s also the Whitney Plantation which is intense. But it gave me a thorough understanding of Louisiana’s history and how that impacts the present day issues of racism, incarceration and climate justice. It is a half-day trip and I recommend taking a tour to maximize your time there. You cannot Uber your way back so it’s recommended to have a car.
Gulf of MEXICO with Delta Discovery Tours
There’s also the Delta Discovery Tours in Plaquemines Parish about 90 minutes away. It’s an incredible boat tour into the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River where you learn about conservation efforts and the topography of Southeastern Louisiana. When I went we saw dolphins which was such a surprise treat!
Music
Frenchman Street offers a variety of bars and jazz clubs in a few short blocks. The Blue Nile has great acts and DJs, as well as DBA, Cafe Negril and The Spotted Cat have live music pretty much every night. Sometimes it’s free and sometimes there’s a 2 drink minimum depending on the night and the bar.
Local radio institution, WWOZ’s Livewire Calendar always has a listing of what live shows are happening that night. Located uptown, Le Bon Temps Roule and Tipitina’s are classic music venues and should be on any music lover’s bucket list. For traditional New Orleans jazz, Preservation Hall is the quintessential historical spot with hourly shows most afternoons and evenings. Also the Dew Drop Inn is bringing in top talent, and is a historic hotel as well as live music venue. Canoa NOLA features Caribbean and New Orleans arts events and dance parties so check their Instagram page to see what’s poppin’.
New Orleans is also known for its festivals which are in abundance! While the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is the most well known, French Quarter Fest also has nine stages of epic musical acts and its free!
The Congo Square Gumbo Festival is free and amazing in the spring, as well as the Bayou Boogaloo is set up along the bayou. Check out New Orleans and Company to plan ahead for a visit during one of the smaller but just as fun music festivals.
For some super dope queer art and burlesque, visit The Allways Lounge in the Bywater, and the Saturn Bar was some funky DJ nights and local music.
For more New Orleans content and a deeper dive, check out my interviews with local New Orleans experts!
Ifatumininu Bamigbala-Aresa – Artist, Curator and Founder of A Black Creatives Guide
Dr. Nicole Caridad – Foodie, Historian and New Orleans Food Influencer EatenPathNOLA
