Known as one of New Orleans’ most recognizable landmarks, Jackson Square is a National Historic Landmark nestled in the center of the French Quarter. The 2.5-acre space welcomes over 2 million visitors and locals each year and hosts a number of city events and celebrations, weddings and photography sessions. Jackson Square has even served as a backdrop in a number of popular feature films and television shows. Jackson Square is also the location of an open-air artist colony, where artists display their work on the outside of the iron fence. Visitors even have the opportunity to see the artists at work and perhaps have their portrait drawn by one of the many talents utilizing Jackson Square as their studio. Grab coffee and beignets from Cafe du Monde and enjoy breakfast while people watching in the Square.
The French Quarter is where all of our wedding events will be, so you might as well familiarize yourselves with it! Often called the Crown Jewel of New Orleans, the French Quarter is one of NOLA's most historic neighborhoods. But you'll find plenty of new mixed in with the old. There’s a reimagined French Market, modern boutiques and artisan cocktails mix with beloved antique stores and old restaurants. (Antoine’s. Arnaud’s. Galatoire’s. Brennan’s – the world would be far less flavorful without you!) Like the Creole aristocrats lining the galleries of the Historic New Orleans Collection, the French Quarter is a timeless portrait – especially come dusk when swallows glide above the fortunetellers on Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral’s butter-crème-colored walls reflect the fiery sunset. Ghost tours troop past mad Madame LaLaurie’s mansion while neon signs stutter to life on Bourbon Street where syrupy red Hurricanes, slosh in famed ‘go cups.’
Streetcars are a charming and convenient way to experience the many areas of New Orleans. Four distinct lines, each originating Downtown, will take you through the French Quarter and beyond to places you might not otherwise get to see. Visit their website to plan which streetcar experience you want!
Burying the dead in a place built below sea level was a problem that faced the earliest residents of the French settlement that became New Orleans. The solution agreed upon, to entomb the departed in elaborate marble chambers above ground, created one of the city’s most lingering attractions: cemeteries that are both historic and hauntingly beautiful. Wander the purported resting places of voodoo queen Marie Laveau and musician Al Hirt, all residents of what is known in New Orleans as the Cities of the Dead. Many offer guided tours, others you can explore on your own.