New Orleans is like no other city in the world. With such an abundance of soulful music, unique food, great attractions and a culture steeped in history, a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to see and do it all. The best part is that many of the sights and sounds of the city are free for you to enjoy. It’s all out there waiting to be taken in without you having to spend just one cent.
Jackson Square
751 Decatur St.
www.jackson-square.com
Located in the heart of the French Quarter, Jackson Square is home for many residents, businesses and artists. In fact, hundreds of artists display their work in the square, hanging paintings on the iron fence or creating portraits right there on the street.
Woldenberg Riverfront Park
Canal Street and the Mississippi River
(504) 565-3033
The best views of the Mississippi River are at Woldenberg Riverfront Park, a 20-acre park in the French Quarter that stretches along the old Governor Nicholls Street wharf to the Aquarium of the Americas at Canal Street. Here, you can check out the locally created sculptures or relax while watching ships float by on the mighty Mississippi. Listen for the Steamboat Natchez’s calliope, a 32-note steam pipe organ, which plays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day but Sunday.
Canal Street Ferry
1 Canal St.
(504) 363-9090
www.friendsoftheferry.org
Free for pedestrians and just a $1 for cars, the Canal Street Ferry takes you for a half-hour ride to Algiers Point, one of New Orleans’ oldest neighborhoods. The view of New Orleans is worth the trip in and of itself, as the ferry traverses the river’s natural crescent to the West Bank. The ferry runs every day from 6 a.m. to noon and departs from Canal Street at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. It departs from the West Bank on the hour and at 30 minutes past.
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
1 Collins Diboll Circle, City Park
(504) 658-4100
www.noma.org
Situated on five acres next to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is home to more than 50 sculptures by artists from around the world. The garden includes mostly contemporary works by such artists as Antoine Bourdelle, Henry Moore and Louis Bourgeois. The garden is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting.
Frenchmen Street
www.frenchmenst.com
A compact enclave just two blocks long, Frenchmen Street is just a short jaunt from the French Quarter. This is where locals go to hear live music at cover-free clubs—jazz, Latin, blues or reggae—while walking through the district. Cross Esplanade Avenue at Decatur Street and you’re there.