Walking Tour 1

Walking Tour 1: The French Quarter

Start: The intersection of Royal and Bienville streets.

Finish: Jackson Square.

Time: Allow approximately 1 1/2 hours, not including time spent in shops or historic homes.

Best Times: Any day between 8am and 10am (the quiet hours).

Worst Time: At night. Some attractions won't be open, and you won't be able to get a good look at the architecture.

If you only spend a few hours in New Orleans, do it in the exquisitely picturesque French Quarter. In these 80 city blocks, the colonial empires of France, Spain, and, to a lesser extent, Britain, intersected with the emerging American nation. It's called the Vieux Carré or "old square," but somehow it's timeless -- recognizably old while vibrantly alive. Today's residents and merchants are stewards of a rich tradition of individuality, creativity, and disregard for many of the concerns of the world beyond. This tour will introduce you to its style, history, and landmarks.

From the corner of Royal and Bienville streets, head into the Quarter (away from Canal St.). That streetcar named Desire rattled along Royal Street until 1948. (It was replaced by the bus named Desire. Really.) Imagine how noisy these narrow streets were when the streetcars were in place. Your first stop is:

1. 339-343 Royal St., Rillieux-Waldhorn House

Now the home of Waldhorn and Adler Antiques (est. 1881), the building was built between 1795 and 1800 for Vincent Rillieux, the great-grandfather of the French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. Offices of the (second) Bank of the United States occupied the building from 1820 until 1836 when, thanks to President Andrew Jackson's famous veto, its charter expired. Note the wrought-iron balconies -- an example of excellent Spanish colonial workmanship.

2. 333 Royal St., The Bank of Louisiana

Across the street, this old bank was erected in 1826, its Greek Revival edifice followed in the early 1860s, and the bank was liquidated in 1867. The building suffered fires in 1840, 1861, and 1931, and has served as the Louisiana State Capitol, an auction exchange, a criminal court, a juvenile court, and an American Legion social hall. It now houses the Vieux Carré police station.

Cross Conti Street to:

3. 403 Royal St., Latrobe's

Benjamin H. B. Latrobe died of yellow fever shortly after completing designs for the Louisiana State Bank, which opened here in 1821. Latrobe was one of the nation's most eminent architects, having designed the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (1796) and contributed to the design of the U.S. Capitol and White House. Note the monogram "LSB" on the Creole-style iron balcony railing. It's now a banquet hall named for the architect.

4. 417 Royal St., Brennan's Restaurant

Brennan's opened in this building, also built by Vincent Rillieux, in 1855. The structure was erected after the fire of 1794 destroyed more than 200 of the original buildings along this street. It has been home to the Banque de la Louisiane, the world-famous chess champion Paul Charles Morphy, and the parents of Edgar Degas.

5. 437 Royal St., Peychaud's Drug Store

When Masons held lodge meetings here in the early 1800s, proprietor and druggist Antoine A. Peychaud served after-meeting drinks of bitters and cognac to lodge members in small egg cups, called coquetier -- later Americanized to "cocktails." And so it began (the cocktail and the legend).

6. 400 Royal St., New Orleans Court Building

Built in 1909, this was and still is a courthouse, covering the length of the block. The baroque edifice made of Georgia marble seems out of place in the French Quarter -- especially considering that many Spanish-era structures were demolished to make way for it. The building was laboriously renovated and now houses the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cross St. Louis Street to:

7. 520 Royal St., The Brulatour Court

This structure was built in 1816 as a home for François Seignouret, a furniture maker and wine importer from Bordeaux -- his furniture, with a signature "S" carved into each piece, still commands the respect of collectors. During business hours you should ask to walk into the exotic courtyard -- it's one of the few four-walled courtyards in the French Quarter. From the street, notice the elaborate, fan-shaped guard screen (garde de frise) on the right end of the third-floor balcony -- look for Seignouret's "S" carved into the screen.

8. 533 Royal St., The Merieult House

Built for the merchant Jean François Merieult in 1792, this house was the only building in the area left standing after the fire of 1794. Legend has it that Napoleon repeatedly offered Madame Merieult great riches in exchange for her hair. (He wanted it for a wig to present to a Turkish sultan.) She refused. Nowadays, it's home to the Historic New Orleans Collection Museum and Research Center.

Cross Toulouse Street to:

9. 613 Royal St., The Court of Two Sisters

This structure was built in 1832 for a local bank president on the site of the 18th-century home of a French governor. The two sisters were Emma and Bertha Camors, whose father owned the building; from 1886 to 1906, they ran a curio store here.

10. 627 Royal St., Horizon Gallery

Walk through the entrance to the back to see another magnificent courtyard. This 1777 building is where 17-year-old opera singer Adelina Patti first visited and then lived after becoming a local heroine in 1860. As a last-minute stand-in lead soprano in Lucia di Lammermoor, she saved the local opera company from financial ruin.

11. 640 Royal St., Le Monnier Mansion

The city's first "skyscraper" was all of three stories high when it was built in 1811. A fourth story was added in 1876. Sieru George, fictional hero in George W. Cable's Old Creole Days, "lived" here.

Cross St. Peter Street to:

12. 700 Royal St., The LaBranche House

This building is probably the most photographed building in the Quarter -- and no wonder. The lacy cast-iron grillwork, with its delicate oak leaf and acorn design, fairly drips from all three floors. There are actually 11 LaBranche buildings (three-story brick row houses built 1835-1840 for the widow of wealthy sugar planter Jean Baptiste LaBranche). Eight face St. Peter Street, one faces Royal, and two face Pirates Alley.

Turn left at St. Peter Street and continue to:

13. 714 St. Peter St., Lacoul House

Built in 1829 by prominent physician Dr. Yves LeMonnier, this was a boardinghouse run by Antoine Alciatore during the 1860s. His cooking became so popular with the locals that he eventually gave up catering to open the famous Antoine's restaurant, still operated today by his descendants.

14. 718 St. Peter St., Pat O'Brien's

Now the de facto home to the famed Hurricane cocktail, this building was completed in 1790 for a wealthy planter. Later, Louis Tabary put on popular plays here including, purportedly, the first grand opera in America. The popular courtyard is well worth a look, maybe even a refreshment.

15. 726 St. Peter St., Preservation Hall

Scores of people descend on this spot nightly to hear traditional New Orleans jazz. A daytime stop affords a glimpse, through the big, ornate iron gate, of a lush tropical courtyard in back. Erle Stanley Gardner, the author who brought us Perry Mason, lived upstairs.

16. 730 St. Peter St., Plique-LaBranche House

Built in 1825, this is believed to be the site of New Orleans's first theater, which burned in the fire of 1816. But that is the subject of some debate.

Continue up St. Peter Street until you reach Bourbon Street. Turn left onto Bourbon Street.

17. 623 Bourbon St., Lindy Boggs Home

Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote stayed in this house (no, not together). It's owned by Lindy Boggs, a much-beloved local politician, philanthropist (and mother of NPR and ABC commentator Cokie Roberts), who took over her husband's congressional seat after his death.

Turn around and head the other way down Bourbon Street. At the corner of Bourbon and Orleans streets, look down Orleans Street, toward the river, at:

18. 717 Orleans St., Bourbon Orleans Hotel

This was the site of the famous quadroon balls, where wealthy white men would come to form alliances (read: acquire a mistress) with free women of color, who were one-eighth to one-fourth black. Look at the balcony and imagine the assignations that went on there while the balls were in session. The building later became a convent, home to the Sisters of the Holy Family, the second-oldest order of black nuns in the country. Their founder (whose mother was a quadroon mistress!), Henriette Delille, has been presented to the Vatican for consideration for sainthood.

Turn left onto Orleans and follow it a block to Dauphine (pronounced Daw-feen) Street. On the corner is:

19. 716 Dauphine St., Le Pretre Mansion

In 1839 Jean Baptiste Le Pretre bought this 1836 Greek Revival house and added the romantic cast-iron galleries. The house is the subject of a real-life horror story: In the 19th century, a Turk, supposedly the brother of a sultan, arrived in New Orleans and rented the house. He was conspicuously wealthy, with an entourage of servants and beautiful young girls -- all thought to have been stolen from the sultan.

Rumors quickly spread about the situation, even as the home became the scene of lavish high-society parties. One night screams came from inside; the next morning, neighbors entered to find the tenant and the young beauties lying dead in a pool of blood. The mystery remains unsolved. Local ghost experts say you can sometimes hear exotic music and piercing shrieks.

Turn right on Dauphine Street and go 2 blocks to Dumaine Street and then turn right. You'll find an interesting little cottage at:

20. 707 Dumaine St., Spanish Colonial Cottage

After the 1794 fire, all houses in the French Quarter were required by law to have flat tile roofs. Most have since been covered with conventional roofs, but this Spanish colonial cottage is still in compliance with the flat-roof rule.

21. 632 Dumaine St., Madame John's Legacy

This structure was once thought to be the oldest building on the Mississippi River, originally erected in 1726, 8 years after the founding of New Orleans. Recent research suggests, however, that only a few parts of the original building survived the 1788 fire and were used in its reconstruction. Its first owner was a ship captain who died in the 1729 Natchez Massacre; upon his death, the house passed to the captain of a Lafitte-era smuggling ship -- and 21 owners subsequently. The present structure is a fine example of a French "raised cottage." The above-ground basement is of brick-between-posts construction (locally made bricks were too soft to be the primary building material), covered with boards laid horizontally. The hipped, dormered roof extends out over the veranda. Its name comes from George W. Cable's fictional character who was bequeathed the house in the short story 'Tite Poulette. Part of the Louisiana State Museum complex, it is currently not open for tours.

Take a left at the corner of Dumaine and Chartres streets and follow Chartres to the next corner; make a left onto St. Philip Street and continue to the corner of St. Philip and Bourbon streets to:

22. 941 Bourbon St., Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

For many years, this structure has been a bar (for the full story), but the legend is that Jean Lafitte and his pirates posed as blacksmiths here while using it as headquarters for selling goods they'd plundered on the high seas. It has survived in its original condition, reflecting the architectural influence of French colonials who escaped St. Domingue in the late 1700s.

It may be the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley, but that has not been documented. Unfortunately, the exterior has been redone to replicate the original brick and plaster, which makes it look fake (it's actually not). Thankfully the owners haven't chromed or plasticized the interior -- it's an excellent place to imagine life in the Quarter in the 19th century.

Turn right onto Bourbon Street and follow it 2 blocks to Governor Nicholls Street. Turn right to:

23. 721 Governor Nicholls St., The Thierry House

This structure was built in 1814 and announced the arrival of the Greek Revival style of architecture in New Orleans. It was designed in part by 19-year-old architect Henry S. Boneval Latrobe, son of noted architect Benjamin H. B. Latrobe.

Backtrack to the corner of Royal and Governor Nicholls streets. Take a left onto Royal and look for:

24. 1140 Royal St., The Lalaurie Home

When Madame Delphine Macarty de Lopez Blanque wed Dr. Louis Lalaurie, it was her third marriage -- she'd already been widowed twice. The Lalauries moved into this residence in 1832, and were soon impressing the city with extravagant parties. One night in 1834, however, fire broke out and neighbors crashed through a locked door to find seven starving slaves chained in painful positions, unable to move. The sight, combined with Delphine's stories of past slaves having "committed suicide," enraged her neighbors. Madame Lalaurie and her family escaped a mob's wrath and fled to Paris. Several years later she died in Europe. Her body was returned to New Orleans -- and even then she had to be buried in secrecy.

Through the years, stories have circulated of ghosts inhabiting the building, especially that of one young slave child who fell from the roof trying to escape Delphine's cruelties.

The building was a Union headquarters during the Civil War, a gambling house, and more recently home to actor Nicolas Cage. Haunted by his own financial difficulties, Cage turned the house over to the bank in 2009.

25. 1132 Royal St., Gallier House Museum

James Gallier, Jr., built this house in 1857 as his residence. He and his father were two of the city's leading architects. Anne Rice considered this house when she described Lestat and Louis's home in Interview with the Vampire.

Turn left onto Ursulines Street, toward the river.

26. 617 Ursulines Ave., Croissant D'Or

If you need a little rest or sustenance at this point, you can stop in the popular Croissant D'Or, 617 Ursulines St. (tel. 504/524-4663). The croissants and pastries here are very good, and the ambience -- inside or out on the patio -- even better.

At the corner of Ursulines and Chartres streets is the:

27. 1113 Chartres St., Beauregard-Keyes House

This "raised cottage" was built as a residence in 1826 by Joseph Le Carpentier, though it has several other claims to fame. Notice the Doric columns and handsome twin staircases.

Turn left onto Chartres Street and continue walking until you get to Esplanade (pronounced Es-pla-nade) Avenue, which served as the parade ground for troops quartered on Barracks Street. Along with St. Charles Avenue, it is one of the city's most picturesque historic thoroughfares. Some of the grandest town houses built in the late 1800s grace this wide, tree-lined avenue. (If you're interested in viewing some of these houses, Walking Tour 3, concentrates on the architecture of Esplanade Ridge.) The entire 400 block of Esplanade is occupied by:

28. The Old U.S. Mint

This was once the site of Fort St. Charles, one of the defenses built to protect New Orleans in 1792. Andrew Jackson reviewed the "troops" here -- pirates, volunteers, and a nucleus of trained soldiers -- whom he later led in the Battle of New Orleans. Now home to the Louisiana State Museum, it is soon to house a comprehensive Jazz Museum.

Follow Esplanade toward the river and turn right at the corner of North Peters Street. Follow North Peters until it intersects with Decatur Street. This is the back end of:

29. The Historic French Market

This European-style market has been here for well over 200 years, and today it has a farmers' market and stalls featuring everything from gator on a stick to tacky trinkets (that is, jewelry, T-shirts, and knockoff purses) though some excellent souvenirs and bargains have been found therein.

When you leave the French Market, exit on the side away from the river onto:

30. Decatur Street

Not long ago, this section of Decatur -- from Jackson Square all the way over to Esplanade -- was a seedy, rundown area of wild bars and cheap rooming houses. Fortunately, few of either remain. Instead, it has fallen into step with the rest of the Quarter, sporting a number of restaurants and noisy bars. (The stretch of Decatur between Ursulines and Esplanade has retained more of the rundown aesthetic, including Goth and punk shops, dank bars, and a few secondhand shops worth browsing.)

As you walk toward St. Ann Street along Decatur, you'll pass 923 and 919 Decatur St., where the Café de Refugies and Hôtel de la Marine, respectively, were located in the 1700s and early 1800s. These were reputed to be gathering places for pirates, smugglers, European refugees, and outlaws.

31. 923 Decatur St., Central Grocery

If you're walking in the area of 923 Decatur St. around lunchtime, pop into the Central Grocery (tel. 504/523-1620), and pick up a famed muffuletta sandwich. Eat inside at little tables, or take your food and sit outside, maybe right on the riverbank.

Decatur Street will take you to Jackson Square. Turn right onto St. Ann Street; the twin four-story, red-brick buildings here and on the St. Peter Street side of the square are:

32. The Pontalba Buildings

These buildings sport some of the most impressive cast-iron balcony railings in the French Quarter. They also represent early French Quarter urban revitalization In the mid-1800s, Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba inherited rows of buildings along both sides of the Place d'Armes from her father, Don Almonester (who rebuilt St. Louis Cathedral). In an effort to counteract the emerging preeminence of the American sector across Canal Street, she razed the structures and built high-end apartments and commercial space.

The Pontalba Buildings were begun in 1849 under her direct supervision; you can see her mark today in the entwined initials "A.P." in the ironwork. The buildings were designed in a traditional Creole-European style, with commercial space on the street level, housing above, and a courtyard in the rear. The row houses on St. Ann Street, now owned by the state of Louisiana, were completed in 1851.

Baroness Pontalba is also responsible for the current design of Jackson Square, including the cast-iron fence and the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson.

At the corner of St. Ann and Chartres streets, turn left and continue around Jackson Square; you will see:

33. 751 Chartres St., The Presbytère

This, the Cabildo, and the St. Louis Cathedral (read on for descriptions of the latter two buildings) -- all designed by Gilberto Guillemard -- were the first major public buildings in the Louisiana Territory. The Presbytère was originally designed as the cathedral's rectory. Baroness Pontalba's father financed the building's beginnings, but he died in 1798, leaving only the first floor done. It was finally completed in 1813. It was never used as a rectory, but was rented and then purchased (in 1853) by the city to be used as a courthouse. It now houses wonderful exhibits on the history of Mardi Gras.

Next you'll come to:

34. St. Louis Cathedral

Although it is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the U.S., this is actually the third building erected on this spot -- the first was destroyed by a hurricane in 1722, the second by fire in 1788. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1794; the central tower was later designed by Henry S. Boneval Latrobe, and the building was remodeled and enlarged between 1845 and 1851 under Baroness Pontalba's direction. The bell and stately clock (note the nonstandard Roman numeral four), were imported from France.

On the other side of the cathedral, you'll come to Pirates Alley. Go right down Pirates Alley to:

35. The Cabildo

In the 1750s, this was the site of a French police station and guardhouse. Part of that building was incorporated into the original Cabildo, statehouse of the Spanish governing body (known as the "Very Illustrious Cabildo"). It was still under reconstruction when the transfer papers for the Louisiana Purchase were signed in a room on the second floor in 1803. Since then, it has served as New Orleans's City Hall, the Louisiana State Supreme Court, and, since 1911, a facility of the Louisiana State Museum.

Think those old Civil War cannons out front look pitifully obsolete? Think again. In 1921, in a near-deadly prank, one was loaded and fired. That missile traveled across the wide expanse of the Mississippi and 6 blocks inland, landing in a house in Algiers and narrowly missing its occupants.

36. 624 Pirates Alley, Faulkner House Books

In 1925, William Faulkner lived here. He contributed to the Times-Picayune and worked on his first novels, Mosquitoes and Soldiers' Pay, making this lovely bookstore a requisite stop for Faulkner lovers and collectors of both new and classic literature.

To the left of the bookstore is a small alley that takes you to St. Peter Street, which is behind and parallel to Pirates Alley.

37. 632 St. Peter St., Tennessee Williams House

Have a sudden urge to scream "Stella!!!" at that second-story wrought-iron balcony at 632 St. Peter St.? No wonder. This is where Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire, one of the greatest pieces of American theater. He said he could hear "that rattle trap streetcar named Desire running along Royal and the one named Cemeteries running along Canal and it seemed the perfect metaphor for the human condition."

Return to Jackson Square. On the left side of the cathedral on the corner of Chartres and St. Peter streets (with your back to the Mississippi River and Jackson Square) is:

38. 813 Decatur St., Café du Monde

You've finished! Now go back across Jackson Square and Decatur Street to Café du Monde (tel. 504/525-4544) -- no trip to New Orleans is complete without a leisurely stop here for beignets and coffee. Be sure to hike up the levee and relax on a bench, and watch the river roll.