New Orleans Historical Secrets Walking Tour

It's the wild, hilarious history of New Orleans, pulling no punches! Share a local's love for 300 years of our city's history -- secrets, scandals, and all -- and learn the stories of those famous locales you've always read about.
Hear about the Chitimacha tribe that inhabited the area, insane life in the early French & Spanish colonies, all the way to the jazz age, and the birthplace of modern music! We go beyond just names and dates, to bring you the strange characters who made New Orleans, and their stories, in a way you'll never forget. Take a piece of New Orleans history home with you!

Meeting Point

Washington Artillery Park

768 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA

We meet at Washington Artillery Park, at the very top of the stairs, above the amphitheater. Its across the street from Jackson Square and overlooks the Mississippi river. Look for a guide with a "Tour" sign.

What's included:

• Mid-tour break, both coffee and alcohol available for purchase within one block.

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours

Washington Artillery Park

Decatur St, , New Orleans, 70130, Louisiana

We begin the tour in the most scenic spot in the French Quarter, as you hear about the river and bed of mud out city rests on, the early Chitimacha tribe that settled the area, and the rather odd French colonists who founded New Orleans in 1718.

15 minutes

Mississippi River

Louisiana

We'll see the mighty Mississippi from our tour start.

Pass by without stopping

Cafe Du Monde

800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA

Next we'll stop by Cafe Du Monde, the oldest coffee house in the city, and explore the sweet history of beignets.

5 minutes

Jackson Square

701 Decatur St, , New Orleans, 70116, Louisiana

Then we'll take a look around Jackson Square and we'll tell you about the statue of Andrew Jackson -- the only statue in the city to be erected out of spite! During the French colonial period, it was a place of bizarre punishments.

10 minutes

Pontalba Buildings

700 Decatur St, New Orleans, 70116-3372, Louisiana

We'll see the Pontalba Buildings, and hear the story of the Baroness Pontalba, from the wealthiest family New Orleans has ever seen, Spanish nobles who paid for the construction of all the buildings in Jackson Square. Her bizarre story is a real-life psychological thriller.

15 minutes

French Quarter

New Orleans, Louisiana

There are plenty of mini-stops along the way where we'll share all the knowledge we've learned in our years of tour guiding. This city is SO interesting and you will leave with an exciting and amazing understanding of The Big Easy!

20 minutes

St. Louis Cathedral

615 Pere Antoine Aly, , New Orleans, 70116-3291, Louisiana

Our next stop is at our most iconic landmark, the St Louis Cathedral. It's a spectacular sight, and has some really interesting history, from pirate prisons to dueling grounds! Along the way we will talk about Pirate's Alley, and if it's open we will take a quick peek inside of the Cathedral. It's the oldest in the country!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Louis Armstrong Park

901 N Rampart St, , New Orleans, 70116-3086, Louisiana

We'll begin with a stroll through the beautiful Louis Armstrong Park, the birthplace of Jazz music! We'll talk NOLA history and how this amazing city began and share some juicy stories before heading into the heart of the French Quarter.

14 minutes

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

941 Bourbon Street, , New Orleans, 70116-3120, Louisiana

We'll stop between this historic bar and a nearby coffee shop. Built in the 1780s, this popular dead-end-of-Bourbon St. bar was once a business front for smugglers and pirates. These pirates also enlisted to fight the war of 1812. To this day, men who re-enact the battle come to drink afterwards.
In the 1960s, "Cafe Lafitte" was a popular gay bar, frequented by Tennessee Williams.

10 minutes