Inside New Orleans 20 1 2 3 City Park ©Chris Granger FREE (OR NEARLY FREE) WAYS TO EXPLORE NOLA There’s no need to break the bank when you come to New Orleans. In a city that prides itself on hospitality, you’re sure to find plenty of affordable ways to play during your visit. Shake a leg at a free fest. Local favorites include the Congo Square New World Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival Rhythms Festival ©Eric Simon (in March), French Quarter Festival (in April) and the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo (in May). Get to know NOLA’s art side by browsing at galleries on Julia Street and Royal Street . Loyola University’s Collins C. Diboll Art Gallery also offers free admission. Join a tour group to see New Orleans’ famous aboveground cemeteries. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 , located in the Garden District, is one of the most photogenic and has been seen in many Hollywood films. Stroll through one of New Orleans’ urban oases, including City Park , Audubon Park , Crescent Park , Louis Armstrong Park and the recently completed Lafitte Greenway . 6 7 Tour French Quarter homes with one of The Historic New Orleans Collection ’s expert docents. Admission is just $5 per person. Take a self-guided walking tour of the Barataria Preserve swamps of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve . Stop by the visitor center in the French Quarter first for maps and other info. View Mardi Gras costumes and memorabilia in the Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Mardi Gras display ©Arnaud’s Restaurant Museum at Arnaud’s Restaurant . 8 4 9 Go on a self-guided tour of the Old Ursuline Convent , a French Colonial masterpiece that is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley. Enjoy free jazz, rock and blues concerts at Louisiana Music Factory , a legendary Frenchmen Street music store featuring 10 Hear opera on Bourbon Street, courtesy of the trio Bon Operatit! They perform twice monthly at the Puccini Bar at the Four Points By Sheraton French Quarter Hotel . 5 ©Young Leadership Council many albums by local musicians. Embark on a self-guided literary tour of New Orleans that includes the homes of Tennessee Williams (722 Toulouse), William Faulkner (624 Pirate’s Alley), Truman Capote (711 Royal), Thornton Wilder (623 Bourbon), Walker Percy (1820 Milan) and Anne Rice (1239 First). 11 flickr©Bon Operatit! 10
New Orleans Official Visitors Guide Winter/Spring 2017: Page 10
