French Quarter Visitor Center — Attraction in New Orleans

I LOVE OUR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE!!!!! Jean LaFitte is right in the French Quarter. If nothing else, the courtyard is a pretty little quiet space to sit and regroup. As always, the rangers and volunteers are incredible. They used to give a great little walking tour with a quick history of NOLA, but apparently the tour companies put an end to the free educational walk. The good news is that they have substituted a lecture which I was not as psyched about, but boy was I wrong! We sat, enthralled, for a little less than 30 minutes listening to a lawyer; a lawyer, by choice! I would have stayed all afternoon. He explained how Spanish law, as opposed to English or French made NO a unique place in the south and how that affected the slave trade and what we now know about it. He even gave us a reading list. I know, but really, it is worth your time to see the exhibits and stay for a little learnin. PS-Don't miss the Jazz Heritage Park in their brand new visitor's center in The...

A must see when in NO. Right in French Quarter with tons of information and make sure to listen to the Ranger talk at 10am on history of NO from a musical point of view, a fantastic presentation! For 50 mins we listened to the history of NO and music in NO from the lense of segregation/slavery/culture in the South. The small room was packed so get there early!

Boys did their Junior Rangers booklets and there are two, for the Lafite and for the Jazz museums.

There is a tiny gift shop in the visitor centre but the interpretation section is really great. Get to know so much like what Gombo or Zydeco mean and come from.

It is free and quite popular and a perfect way to start the...

Definitely add to your go-to places while in NOLA! Tucked away from the main drag while being on it, it's a place to regroup, learn about famous and not as famous contributors to history and current culture, and equally interesting places to visit and things to do. There's FREE LIVE JAZZ, historical talks, activities for children, KNOWLEDGEABLE rangers, and a great selection of meaningful gifts for yourself and others. The outside space is like an escape from the bustling sounds just a door away. It's quiet, floral, has trees swaying to the breeze, and restrooms. Give yourself and your feet a treat...quite a gem in the middle of the...