New Orleans Landmarks

The French Market of New Orleans (French quarter)

The French Market of New Orleans has endured as a shopping hot spot since 1791. Originally a Native American trading post, the market has evolved through the centuries and is one of the many symbols of the Crescent City. Loud voices, enticing smells, music, unique clothing, folk art, and fresh vegetable stands blend together to form a gumbo of goods, in a shopping experience that only the French Market can provide.

St. Louis Cathedral (French quarter)

The St. Louis Cathedral is the third Catholic church built on the site since 1727 and it towers over Jackson Square. The cathedral is home to the most extensive mosaic collection on earth, spanning 83,000 feet in an elaborate depiction of scenes from the old and New Testament, a portrait of Saint Louis IX, and more modern scenes that illustrate the expansion of the Catholic church in the new world. Pope Paul VI named the cathedral a minor basilica.  

On the corner of Royal Street, in a garden behind the St. Louis Cathedral, sits a statue of Jesus, affectionately nicknamed “touchdown Jesus” by locals because of the outstretched arms of the figure. The inscription reads “J’ai confiance en vous,” which translates as “I have confidence in you.” Hence, the nickname for Loyola's statue of Christ in Marquette Horseshoe.

Algiers Ferry (Algiers point)

Since 1827, the Algiers Ferry has provided travelers with a fast but charming way to cross the Mississippi River. The ferry runs every day from 6 a.m. – 12 p.m., from Canal Street in the French Quarter, to Algiers Point on the Westbank.

Jackson Square (French quarter)

Jackson Square, renamed after President Andrew Jackson’s victory in the Battle of New Orleans, faces the Mississippi River and is one of the most historic parts of the French Quarter. On any day, a visitor to Jackson Square can look forward to hearing the bells of the nearby St. Louis Cathedral, the calls of the fortunetellers, and music from street musicians while shopping in the surrounding stores or browsing through the portraits and paintings that hang for sale on the iron fence around this carefully manicured park.

moonwalk (French quarter)

The Moonwalk is a walkway stretching from one end of the French quarter to the other, along the Mississippi River, affectionately named after former Mayor Maurice “Moon” Landrieu, who built it in the 1970s.

Audubon Zoo (uptown)

Audubon Zoo is part of the Audubon Nature Institute, and is named in memory of New Orleans’ artist and naturalist John James Audubon. The zoo contains approximately 2,000 animals including rare, white alligators. Located in uptown New Orleans, the Zoo spans 58 acres within a section of Audubon Park.

Joan of Arc statue (French quarter)

A gift from France by President Charles de Gaulle in 1959, the bronze Joan of Arc statue on Decatur Street is a replica of the Joan of Arc statue in Paris, and a powerful reminder of New Orleans’ French heritage.

Louis Armstrong Park (French quarter)

On North Rampart Street, the Louis Armstrong Park proudly displays a bronze statue of one of the Crescent City’s famous entertainers. Originally Congo Park, the park was once a meeting place for slaves and has been referred to as one of the original homes of jazz.