About New Orleans

Jazz streams out into the moonlight, French doors open to the night breezes, sweet olive scents the air. Nearby there is laughter, a cork popping, and café brulot aflame.

Welcome to New Orleans.
Here, in this little corner of the American South, where European traditions blend with Caribbean influences, the history is as colorful as the local architecture; the food is the stuff of legend.

Haitian and African Creoles developed an exotic, spicy cuisine and were instrumental in creating jazz and Zydeco.

Our street names are French and Spanish, our Creole architecture comes in a carnival of tropical colors, and our voodoo is a Caribbean import. The magic is irresistible.



A cultural gumbo, we celebrate our differences. In fact, we celebrate almost anything in the Big Easy. Laissez les bons temps rouler— let the good times roll— is more than a reminder of our French heritage; it’s a way of life that began three centuries ago.

Today, New Orleans is undergoing a creative renaissance and reclaiming the title of cultural capital of the South. The city boasts world-class museums, including Smithsonian affiliates The National World War II Museum and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Artist studios and galleries line the streets of the French Quarter/Marigny, Warehouse/Arts District and Magazine Street. Performing arts groups, their shows, and the venues that host them speckle the map. All around the city, historic neighborhoods are being revitalized by architectural restoration and gentrification.

Tropical in climate, lush in setting, exotic in architecture and sensual in atmosphere, New Orleans is still a worldly, yet richly creative environment like no other. Here, we not only appreciate and support our cultural legacy, we celebrate it in every way we can. It’s no wonder that the city has been -- and continues to be -- a favorite muse for an incredible legacy of artists, artisans, performers, musicians, writers and chefs.


Getting Around
New Orleans is one of the world’s busiest ports and the cultural capital of the South, yet the city is remarkably compact and easy to navigate. Visitors are always pleasantly surprised to learn that many of the city’s attractions, accommodations and event venues are within walking distance of each other. But, if you prefer wheels to legs, New Orleans has a very accessible and reasonably priced public transportation system, too. It only costs $1.25 to take an RTA bus (Regional Transit Authority) . . . or one of the city’s famed streetcars, which travel the Riverfront and Canal Street.
Of course, as one of the world’s top convention and meeting destinations, New Orleans also has a range of national car rental agencies as well as taxi and limousine services. A number of the city’s hotels and attractions offer free shuttle services, and there are a great variety of guided tours throughout the city and its environs.