Like any popular destination, the Big Easy isn’t exactly a cheap place to visit. However, that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank on your next New Orleans tour. Here are a handful of classic New Orleans experiences that don’t cost a dime:
Visit the Parks: New Orleans has plenty of gorgeous parks in the central areas of the city. We would recommend checking out the artists and tarot card readers of Jackson Square in the French Quarter, as well as taking a stroll down Woldenburg Riverfront Park so you can see the city’s iconic riverboats.
Listen to Street Music: New Orleans is world-famous for its music scene. While famous local fixtures like the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will cost you a little bit to see, you can experience the vibrancy of the city’s music culture just by walking through populated areas and finding street musicians. On Tuesday evenings, we highly recommend checking out one of the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s free courtyard concerts.
Visit the Sazerac House: Decorated in a sumptuous Art Deco style, this famous local bar pays homage to the Sazerac, America’s first cocktail. While it’ll cost you to hang out and drink in the evenings, the bar offers free tours (and samples!) during the day. Make sure to find the bullet hole left in the wall by an overzealous bodyguard working for controversial Louisiana governor Huey Long, aka “the Kingfish,” who was known to hold meetings at the Sazerac.
Visit the Cemeteries: The Big Easy is known for larger-than-life personalities, and that doesn’t just apply to the living. Visit St. Louis Cemetery no. 1 to see extravagant gravestones and mausoleums belonging to figures like the Voodoo Queen Marie Leveau and actor Nicolas Cage, who maintains a massive white pyramid-shaped tomb despite being, well, still alive. In St. Roch Cemetery no. 1, head to a small chapel in the back to see offerings of prosthetic limbs, glass eyes, crutches, and thank-you notes to St. Roch, the patron saint of miraculous cures.
To make the most of your trip to New Orleans, check out our New Orleans Self-Guided Walking Tour, or sign up for Action+ to gain access to over 100 tours for a single yearly price.
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