Music and Nightlife
More to discover ↗A meaningful New Orleans keepsake can be a piece of art, a handmade object or even a ticket to a performance. Learn how to find work made by local artists, ask useful questions and spend in ways that respect the people behind the city’s culture.
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Arts and Local Culture
A familiar New Orleans façade can hide several eras of construction, ownership and use. Learn how to build a careful history of a building by starting with its location, comparing maps and records, and treating uncertain dates and local stories with care.
Read article · 4 min↗New Orleans cemeteries are places of remembrance as well as repositories of distinctive architecture and craft. Learn how tombs are built, what common motifs may suggest, why preservation takes care, and how to visit respectfully.
Read article · 4 min↗Congo Square is often introduced as a birthplace of jazz. Its history is richer than a single origin story: it is a place where enslaved people gathered, cultural practices met and changed, and generations of New Orleanians have continued to make meaning.
Read article · 4 min↗New Orleans art lives in galleries, but also on porches, in parades and across neighborhood walls. This guide offers a starting point for understanding folk art and self-taught practice without treating either as a single style—and for looking, asking questions and buying with care.
Read article · 4 min↗New Orleans offers many ways to encounter art, but an open gallery door does not guarantee free admission to every exhibition or event. Learn how to check access details, plan for costs, and visit with respect for the artists and spaces that make the city’s art scene distinctive.
Read article · 4 min↗Murals, sculptures, memorials and neighborhood art can add depth to a walk through New Orleans. This practical guide covers how to plan a flexible route, look closely, take photos considerately and leave space for the communities around the work.
Read article · 3 min↗New Orleans ironwork is more than a decorative backdrop. Learn how balconies differ from galleries, why cast and wrought iron look different, and what these details reveal about the city’s architecture.
Read article · 4 min↗A Creole cottage and a Creole townhouse may both meet the sidewalk, but their height, roofline and ground-floor openings tell different stories. Learn what to look for on a New Orleans walk—and why ironwork alone is a poor guide.
Read article · 4 min↗Long, narrow and often painted in memorable colors, shotgun houses are a defining part of New Orleans streetscapes. Learn how their layouts work, why their history resists a single origin story and what thoughtful preservation protects.
Read article · 4 min↗Masking in New Orleans can mean a Carnival costume, a handmade Black masking suit, or another form of public performance. This guide explains the differences and offers practical ways to watch, photograph, and participate with respect.
Read article · 4 min↗A Mardi Gras float begins long before parade day. From a krewe’s theme and an artist’s sketches to sculpted figures, paint and final checks, here is how builders turn an idea into a moving part of New Orleans Carnival.
Read article · 4 min↗Carnival throws are souvenirs, but they also tell stories about parade traditions, krewe identities and the brief exchange between a float and a crowd. Learn how familiar objects took on meaning—and how to enjoy them respectfully.
Read article · 4 min↗Mardi Gras Indian appearances are expressions of community, artistry and tradition—not performances staged for visitors. Learn how to find public moments without assuming a schedule, make room for the people taking part, and photograph with care.
Read article · 4 min↗Both Mardi Gras Indians and Carnival krewes are part of New Orleans celebration, but they have different histories, forms of organization and ways of appearing in public. Here is a respectful starting point for understanding what you may see.
Read article · 4 min↗A Mardi Gras Indian suit is more than a dazzling costume. Learn how Black masking artists build intricate panels with beads, sequins and feathers, why designs carry personal meaning, and how to appreciate the tradition respectfully.
Read article · 4 min↗New Orleans art reflects many histories, not one signature style. Learn how Creole traditions, African American artists and immigrant communities have shaped the city’s visual culture, and how to explore it with curiosity and respect.
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