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New Orleans Attractions
Boat Tours
Perhaps the best and easiest way to experience the sounds, scents and strange beauty of Louisiana is by boat. Tours take passengers through swamps and bayous and past city skylines and historical areas; many tours provide information and insight into the history and ecosystem of this region. In addition to your camera, take along insect repellent. Reservations, always a good idea, can be arranged at most hotel transportation desks or at the boats; phone to confirm departure times. Boarding for all tours listed begins 30 minutes before departure.
Bus, Carriage and Streetcar Tours
The best way to become acquainted with New Orleans is to take an organized bus tour. These range from a 2-hour trip through the city to a 6.5-hour tour of the entire metropolitan area and a local plantation.
Some companies also conduct visits to hot spots on New Orleans' nightclub circuit. Passengers are picked up from and returned to motels and hotels throughout the metropolitan area. Reservations are advised. Many downtown hotels have sightseeing booths, and motel managers can often provide information and reservations.
One of the major sightseeing companies is Gray Line of New Orleans Inc.; phone (504) 569-1401. Consult the telephone directory for other companies.
Horse-drawn carriages leave continuously from Jackson Square for narrated tours of the French Quarter. The waiting time varies; most tours require a minimum of six passengers and depart when the carriage is full.
Guided Walking Tours
Park rangers from the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve conduct 90-minute walking tours of the French Quarter daily at 9:30. Tours depart from the French Quarter Visitor Center; free tickets become available at 9 and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours are limited to 25 people. Phone (504) 589-2636.
The Friends of the Cabildo, (504) 523-3939, conduct guided 2-hour tours of the French Quarter Tues.-Sun. at 10 and 1:30, and Mon. at 1:30. Tours begin at the 1850 House (The Lower Pontalba). Fee $12; over 61 and ages 13-20, $10; under 13 free when accompanied by a family member. Fee includes admission to the 1850 House (The Lower Pontalba) and Madame John's Legacy.
Recreation
It is easy to see why Louisiana is often called the Sportsman's Paradise. The semitropical climate provides another benefit: It is possible to participate in outdoor activities year-round. From bicycling to tennis, there are a multitude of places in and around the metropolitan area to enjoy your sport of choice.
Fishing
Bluegill, crappie and large-mouth bass are taken from freshwater lakes and rivers. Fishing is permitted at several area state parks, including Bayou Segnette, Fairview-Riverside, Fontainebleau and St. Bernard. CLOSURE INFORMATION: Bayou Segnette, Fontainebleau and St. Bernard sustained damage from the 2005 hurricane season and have closed indefinitely; for information, contact the Office of State Parks, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, P.O. Box 44426, Baton Rouge, LA 70804 or phone (225) 342-8111.
Just 2 hours southwest of New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico, Grand Isle offers both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Bluefish, cobia, channel bass, pompano and red snapper range the coastal waters. Game fish such as marlin, tarpon, tuna and sailfish run from late spring through fall in the Gulf.
Boats can be chartered for offshore fishing; for details phone Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, (504) 568-5636. A fishing license is required for persons over 16 and costs $15 for residents; the 1-day fee for non-residents is $5 for freshwater and $15 for saltwater. A non-resident license valid for 4 consecutive days is $15 for freshwater and $45 for saltwater. An annual license for non-residents, good for both freshwater and saltwater, costs $90.
Golf
The New Orleans area provides several locations for duffers to engage in their favorite activity. The following courses have 18 holes and are open to the public year-round: Audubon Park Course, (504) 865-8260, 473 Walnut St.; Bayou Oaks Golf Course, (504) 483-9397, 1040 Filmore Ave.; English Turn Golf & Country Club, (504) 392-2200, 1 Clubhouse Dr.; and Lakewood Country Club, (504) 393-1010, 4801 Gen. DeGaulle Ave.
CLOSURE INFORMATION: Bayou Oaks and Lakewood sustained damage during the 2005 hurricane season and are closed as of June 2006; Lakewood plans to reopen in late 2007 and visitors are advised to phone ahead for updates.
Picnicking
Picnicking in and around New Orleans can be quite a treat, especially if the picnic basket contains some of the local concoctions. Municipal parks, the levee, and the lakefront are good spots. At certain times of the year insect repellent is a prudent accessory for any outing.
Performing Arts
Although New Orleans is known primarily as the cradle of jazz, other forms of entertainment are an important part of the cultural scene. Its orchestra, which is managed by its members, presents a full season of classical pieces and a summer pops series. Community theater has been a French Quarter institution since 1916, and the cutting edge of arts is explored by Warehouse District groups, in keeping with that area's bohemian reputation.
Dance
The New Orleans Ballet Association sponsors several international touring dance groups, from major professional companies to smaller avant-garde groups. Performances are given at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts in Louis Armstrong Park on St. Ann Street. For information and tickets phone the association, (504) 522-0996, or Ticketmaster, (504) 522-5555.
The same venue hosts the Delta Festival Ballet, Louisiana's largest resident professional troupe. Performances are offered October through April. CLOSURE INFORMATION: Delta Festival Ballet sustained damage during the 2005 hurricane season; phone the Mahalia Jackson Theatre, (504) 218-0150, for updates.
Film
Landmark Canal Place Cinema, at Canal Place, offers critically acclaimed films along with standard movie theater fare; for schedule phone (504) 581-5400. Originally built in 1915 as a tent show for short films, the restored Prytania Theater, 5339 Prytania St. in the Garden District, now shows feature, foreign and independent films as well as Hollywood classics; phone (504) 891-2787.
The New Orleans AMC Theater, a megaplex movie theater at 1200 Elmwood Park Blvd. in Metairie, features 20 movie screens, 36 concession stands and valet parking; phone (504) 734-2020.
Music
From September through May, New Orleans' calendar is filled with symphony and chamber music concerts, recitals and other programs. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional regional ensemble that offers a full series of classical works as well as pops concerts, often featuring guest appearances by international artists and conductors. Performances are given at the Orpheum on University Place. Special programs are offered at other area venues, including the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner; phone (504) 523-6530.
Chamber music concerts are sponsored by the New Orleans Friends of Music, a volunteer organization that brings several touring groups to the city. Performances are generally held at Dixon Hall on the Tulane University campus. For recital and ticket information phone (504) 895-0690.
Jazz at Preservation Hall is a concert in every sense of the word. The New Orleans Jazz Club sponsors several programs during the year, and sometimes big names in non-Dixieland areas of jazz do pass through; phone (504) 523-8939.
A variety of musical performances is held in the Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts. The New Orleans Arena, across from the Louisiana Superdome, hosts popular concerts and center-stage events; phone (504) 587-3663.
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