The city of excess … one would think that is Las Vegas, New York City or Los Angeles but I am certain that many would count NOLA in the mix. From Mardi Gras to swamp tours, you can find many unique experiences in New Orleans. Sure there are garden, ghost and voodoo tours, and PLENTY of jazz joints but you need to consider the variety of food/beverage and cultural/historical experiences that this Gulf Coast city has to offer.
Unique Experiences in New Orleans
Multimedia Experience
Vue Orleans
Welcome to Vue Orleans. A play on words with Vue meaning to see Orleans. It is a brand-new multimedia show located at the Four Seasons Hotel. This unique experience in New Orleans incorporates interactive audio and video which illustrates those that have made New Orleans famous – or infamous.
It’s storytelling for those that need history in bite-size pieces and short videos. Very bright and graphic, you will get through the first part of the exhibit quickly. Vue Orleans is one of a few hidden gems in New Orleans’ French Quarter because it just opened in 2022!
You will then take a couple of elevators up to the 33rd and 34th levels for the Vue Orleans 360° indoor and outdoor observation deck. Here you have a chance to steer a ship through the winding Mississippi River and read plaques about the history of New Orleans. Weather permitting, you can walk the observation deck and see New Orleans for as far as the eye can see. It is truly amazing to see the mighty Mississippi heading toward the Gulf coast.
Outdoor Sculptures at the NOMA
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
One of the most unique experiences in New Orleans is not in the French Quarter but in Faubourg St. John in New Orleans City Park: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is part of NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art). It provides a stunning backdrop as well as the experience of breathing the fresh air, strolling through the greenery and taking in these stunning art pieces.
Although it is home to many impressive works, The New Orleans Museum of Art’s most stunning exhibition by far is its statue garden. Located mostly behind the museum, it boasts over 90 works in a picturesque landscape from more than a few artists you’ll recognize. Artists like Rodin, Lichtenstein and Botero are some of the many contributors to the garden. It takes about an hour to walk through and you are able to take a visual tour to orientate yourself. I would, however, highly recommend giving yourself plenty of time to really take things in.
Here you will see a giant safety pin and spider ( Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, “Corridor Pin, Blue” and Louise Bourgeois, “Spider,”), a LOVE sculpture (literally) as well their newest addition, Wangechi Mutu’s “Crocodylus”. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free and open to the public seven days a week, 10 am–6 pm. This may seem like nerdy things to do in New Orleans but it’s great to be able to do FREE things in New Orleans too!
Walking Tours
Cemetery and Voodoo Tours
New Orleans is a city surrounded by water and built below sea level. This is why our departed spend eternity entombed above ground. Here, graves are family affairs, with remains settling over time to make room for the next generation to move in to what we call the Cities of the Dead.
Ornate and historic, funky and other worldly, New Orleans cemeteries are home to everyone from music hit makers to voodoo queens. Tour companies will show you who’s who and explain the history and traditions. Pay homage to fallen yellow fever victims at St. Louis No.1 on Basin Street, the city’s oldest boneyard or visit some of the newer, just as elaborate places.
Related post: Bonaventure Cemetery a must-see in Savannah, Georgia,
Cooking Class
New Orleans School of Cooking
In order to truly understand the culture of a region, you will need to understand the food. Why culinary traditions start can be tied to what is readily available (shop local or seasonal) and also the origins of a recipe. Because New Orleans sits on the Mississippi River near the Gulf Coast, seafood is central to local delicacies. From Poh Boys to crawfish etouffee, gumbo to jambalaya seafood, rice and sausages are all mainstays.
If you really want to learn (and eat well), why not take a cooking class? Throughout my travels, I have come to appreciate a good cooking class because you get to learn from the professionals and they rarely steer you wrong. Cooking schools want to teach you the ‘right’ way to make something and they want to make sure you tell everyone you know when you get home.
Taking a cooking class from the New Orleans School of Cooking was another one of the many unique experiences in New Orleans to take advantage of. Working in teams of two, most of the prep work is done for you, you follow along as the head chef demonstrates and invigilates as you make your meal.
With drinks in hand (and also during the meal), we made pralines and the perfect roux. In Louisiana, you learn quickly, you are measured by how well you make a roux. In ours, it needed to be dark brown and tended to carefully.
Cocktail Experience
The Sazerac House
If there is one thing you will find plenty of in NOLA it is cocktails and there is one that is unique to New Orleans: The Sazerac. This cocktail gained fame in New Orleans in the 1850s and is served all around the world to this day.
This three-story museum focusing on Sazerac Whiskey has a multimedia tour which is very entertaining with images of people projected throughout. This interactive museum is both entertaining and educational. You will learn a lot about bitters, how whiskey is distilled and how to make the perfect cocktail.
The Sazerac House also has a small distillery on the first floor along with a great little gift shop. Focusing on a beverage that is synonymous with NOLA, this is another unique experience in New Orleans, make your way to Sazerac House for a distillery tour and savour the signature cocktail, The Sazerac.
Insider’s Tip: Tours are free of charge but call ahead or make reservations online. You will learn about how bitters are made, and the history of cocktails in New Orleans and then be able to sample a few different cocktails along the way (you must be of legal drinking age). This whole presentation is done very well so do try and drop by!
The Official Sazerac Cocktail 1 cube sugar 1½ ounces (45ml) Sazerac Rye Whiskey ¼ ounce Herbsaint 3 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters Lemon peel Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud’s Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the Sazerac Rye Whiskey to the second glass containing Peychaud’s Bitters and sugar. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint. Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel |
Live Bands and Cool Jazz
We made the mistake of do this on our last night and if I had know it was going to be one of the best experiences, I would have frequented Frenchmen Street sooner. The problem was we had been warned against walking there or being out too late.
What a mistake, we drove (even though it was fairly close to our hotel. Once there, we felt very safe and enjoyed the different choices in music. There was a rock band, a few jazz bands and we opted for a
Burlesque Performers
Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom at The Jazz Playhouse
Located inside the historic Royal Sonesta in the French Quarter, Jazz Playhouse offers local talent seven nights a week, in a swank, upscale lounge. Some of the city’s best jazz performers take the stage and are defined by ‘old school’ class and style. Every Friday night you can find Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom at The Jazz Playhouse.
SoBou – Legs & Eggs Burlesque Brunch
One of the most interesting meals we had was a burlesque brunch at Sobou. I’m not sure what impressed us the most: the bottomless mimosas or the entertainment by Bella Blue. A professional burlesque dancer, she toured around the restaurant joyfully playing with the patron and a very large feather fan. She was entertaining and took the time to give us an overview of the burlesque community in NOLA.
Speakeasy
Bar MariLou
You will absolutely love the atmosphere in a speakeasy. It is dim and mysterious but also full of comfy sofas and mood lighting. My first experience in a speakeasy was the newly opened Bar MariLou. Located in what used to be the library of the City Hall annex, it is adjacent to the very, very exclusive Maison de la Luz hotel.
The bar was pretty spectacular but the speakeasy is a small room hidden behind a wall of bookshelves. You can peek through a framed window to access your drinks for the bartender. Sit and stay awhile and take in the ceiling and room decor. Then quietly escape into the lobby of the posh Maison de la Luz Hotel… but be very, very quiet or the concierge will chase you away.
With cocktail names like Sans Souci (without care), What We do in the Shadows, and Modern Muse, you know you will have a good time.
Food Tours
Destination Kitchen
Louisiana is a foodie state without a doubt. You will find some extraordinary food here. There are many, many local delicacies throughout the region but you will find just about everything in a food tour. You will find many unique experiences in New Orleans but finding the right food tour could be a bit tough because there are so many.
You need to go no further than to Destination Kitchen in the French Quarter. Our guide Laurent was a retired chef and all-around foodie. Born in France he moved to the US decades ago and settled in New Orleans where he worked in different restaurants. His knowledge of food went beyond a simple tasting, amusing quip or slow promenade. His historical food tour was elevated by his deep knowledge of the food scene, cultural norms and historical context. It really was amazing!
Click here for full audio
BONUS: Laurent was our Destination Kitchen Tour guide. At the end of the food tour, he made various recommendations for restaurants, dive bars, jazz clubs, and bistros. CLICK ON THE IMAGE to see the full video (and hear his marvellous accent).
They included: Paladar 511, Bywater American Bistro or BABs + Compere Lapin (owned and run by James Beard Award-winning chef, Nina Compton), Bacchanal (wine bar with charcuterie boards and live jazz. For the more authentic Coop’s Place serves cajun food with the rabbit jambalaya as his favourite recommendation. Right beside is Cane and Table. Look for craft drinks and cracklins from a Cuban-inspired menu from Chef Alfredo “Fredo” Nogueira.
Wonder away from the French Quarter to Oak Street in East Carrolltown and find Jacques-Imos try the savoury smoked alligator and shrimp cheesecake with crawfish cream sauce, New Orleans Shrimp & Grits and BBQ rabbit penne. Next door is Maple Leaf Bar for live Jazz. Adam Street Grocery has one of the best Poboys in town according to Laurent! For oysters head over to Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar on St. Charles. Hit them up at happy hour (3-6 pm) for $0.75 raw oysters & $1.25 char-grilled oysters – a bargain! Once you are all done finish up at The Vintage for beignets, bubbles, and bites.
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.