New Orleans, LA

New Orleans on When It Was is 87 addresses and the 93 businesses that have occupied them, the oldest from 1789. 49 are still open today; 44 are gone, and 21 of the buildings themselves have been demolished. Every entry below opens a page with the full history of that address, and the map lets you slide the year and watch the city change.

Start here

Saenger Theatre

1111 Canal Street · 1927–present

150 ceiling lights arranged as the night sky's constellations.

Cafe Lafitte in Exile

601 Bourbon Street · 1953–present · 4 businesses here

Hotel Monteleone

214 Royal Street · 1886–present

A Literary Landmark with a revolving bar.

Maison Blanche

901 Canal Street · 1897–1998

Home of Mr. Bingle and radio station WSMB.

Napoleon House

500 Chartres Street · 1914–present

A mayor's house meant to shelter Napoleon.

Orpheum Theater

129 University Place · 1921–present

A 1921 vaudeville house brought back from Katrina.

Pontchartrain Hotel

2031 St. Charles Avenue · 1927–present

Where Tennessee Williams worked on A Streetcar Named Desire.

Tad Gormley Stadium

5400 Stadium Drive · 1937–present

The Beatles' only Louisiana concert, September 16, 1964.

New Orleans, decade by decade

• 1780s
  1 opened — St. Louis Cemetery No. 1See the map in 1785 →
• 1810s
  1 opened — Congo SquareSee the map in 1815 →
• 1830s
  3 opened — Old U.S. Mint, LaLaurie Mansion, Gardette-LePretre House (Sultan's Palace)See the map in 1835 →
• 1840s
  4 opened — Antoine's Restaurant, Antoine's Mystery Room, D.H. Holmes Department Store, St. Augustine Catholic ChurchSee the map in 1845 →
• 1850s
  4 opened — French Opera House, Tujague's Restaurant, Economy Hall, Dauphine Orleans HotelSee the map in 1855 →
• 1860s
  1 opened — Old Absinthe HouseSee the map in 1865 →
• 1870s
  4 opened — Temple Sinai (Original), Fair Grounds Race Course, Maylie's Restaurant, Francs Amis HallSee the map in 1875 →
• 1880s
  5 opened — Perseverance Hall, The Columns Hotel, Hotel Monteleone, La Louisiane Hotel, and 1 moreSee the map in 1885 →
• 1890s
  9 opened — Mahogany Hall, St. Charles Hotel, Commander's Palace, The Roosevelt New Orleans, and 5 moreSee the map in 1895 →
• 1900s
  9 opened — L&N Terminal, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, Southern Railway Terminal, Galatoire's, and 5 moreSee the map in 1905 →
• 1910s
  8 opened — Coliseum Theater, Arnaud's, Casamento's Restaurant, The Cave (Grunewald Hotel), and 4 moreSee the map in 1915 →
• 1920s
  10 opened — Saenger Theatre, Tulane Stadium, Uglesich's, Orpheum Theater, and 6 moreSee the map in 1925 →
• 1930s
  7 opened — Municipal Auditorium, Dew Drop Inn, Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park, Charity Hospital, and 3 moreSee the map in 1935 →
• 1940s
  8 opened — J&M Recording Studio, Dooky Chase's Restaurant, Pat O'Brien's, Schwegmann's, and 4 moreSee the map in 1945 →
• 1950s
  3 opened — Cafe Lafitte in Exile, Café Lafitte in Exile, Brennan's RestaurantSee the map in 1955 →
• 1960s
  5 opened — Preservation Hall, Rivergate Convention Center, Bourbon Orleans Hotel, Freedom House, and 1 moreSee the map in 1965 →
• 1970s
  5 opened — Tipitina's, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, UpStairs Lounge, Caesars Superdome, and 1 moreSee the map in 1975 →
• 1980s
  1 opened — Snug Harbor Jazz BistroSee the map in 1985 →
• 1990s
  1 opened — Smoothie King CenterSee the map in 1995 →
• 2000s
  3 opened — Six Flags New Orleans, The National WWII Museum, Muriel's Jackson SquareSee the map in 2005 →
• 2020s
  1 opened — Backstreet Cultural MuseumSee the map in 2025 →

Still here, and gone

By kind of place

Hotel (8)

St. Charles Hotel · The Columns Hotel · Bourbon Orleans Hotel · Pontchartrain Hotel · Hotel Monteleone · The Roosevelt New Orleans · Dauphine Orleans Hotel · Andrew Jackson Hotel

Bar (6)

Cafe Lafitte in Exile · Café Lafitte in Exile · Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar · UpStairs Lounge · Pat O'Brien's · Old Absinthe House

Civil Rights Site (5)

Homer Plessy Arrest Site · Freedom House · A. P. Tureaud House · McDonogh 19 Elementary School · William Frantz Elementary School

Theater (4)

Coliseum Theater · French Opera House · Joy Theatre · Loew's State / State Palace Theatre

Department Store (4)

Gus Mayer · Krauss Department Store · Maison Blanche · D.H. Holmes Department Store

Restaurant (4)

Maylie's Restaurant · Brennan's Restaurant · Emeril's Delmonico · Muriel's Jackson Square

Jazz Club (3)

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro · Preservation Hall · The Cave (Grunewald Hotel)

Nightclub (3)

Dew Drop Inn · The Maxime Supper Club · Chris Owens Club

Collections that cover New Orleans

Every place in New Orleans (87)

• A. P. Tureaud House 3121 Pauger Street · 1947–present
• Andrew Jackson Hotel 919 Royal Street · 1890–present
• Antoine's Mystery Room 713 St. Louis Street · 1840–present
• Antoine's Restaurant 713 St. Louis Street · 1840–present
• Arnaud's 813 Bienville Street · 1918–present
• Backstreet Cultural Museum 1531 St. Philip Street · 2022–present
• Bourbon Orleans Hotel 717 Orleans Street · 1964–present
• Brennan's Restaurant 417 Royal Street · 1956–present
• Caesars Superdome 1500 Sugar Bowl Drive · 1975–present
• Cafe Lafitte in Exile 601 Bourbon Street · 1953–present · 4 businesses
• Casamento's Restaurant 4330 Magazine Street · 1919–present
• Charity Hospital 1532 Tulane Avenue · 1939–2005
• Chris Owens Club 500 Bourbon Street · 1968–2022
• Circle Food Store 1522 St. Bernard Avenue · 1938–present
• Coliseum Arena 401 North Roman Street · 1922–1960
• Coliseum Theater 1233 Coliseum Street · 1915–1976
• Commander's Palace 1403 Washington Avenue · 1893–present
• Congo Square 701 North Rampart Street · 1817–present
• D.H. Holmes Department Store 819 Canal Street · 1849–1989
• Dauphine Orleans Hotel 415 Dauphine Street · 1857–present · 2 businesses
• Dew Drop Inn 2836 LaSalle Street · 1939–1970
• Dooky Chase's Restaurant 2301 Orleans Avenue · 1941–present
• Eagle Saloon (Odd Fellows and Masonic Hall) 401 South Rampart Street · 1908–1917
• Economy Hall 1422 Ursulines Avenue · 1857–1965
• Emeril's Delmonico 1300 St. Charles Avenue · 1895–present
• F.W. Woolworth's (Sit-In Site) 1031 Canal Street · 1911–1997
• Fair Grounds Race Course 1751 Gentilly Boulevard · 1872–present
• Francs Amis Hall 1820 North Robertson Street · 1870–1963
• Frank Early's My Place Saloon 1216 Bienville Street · 1897–1917
• Freedom House 917 North Tonti Street · 1960–present
• Funky Butt Hall (Union Sons Hall) 1319 Perdido Street · 1900–1917
• Galatoire's 209 Bourbon Street · 1905–present
• Gus Mayer 800 Canal Street · 1949–1987
• Higgins Industries City Park Plant Site 615 City Park Avenue · 1941–1945
• Homer Plessy Arrest Site 700 Homer Plessy Way · 1892–present
• Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street · 1886–present
• J&M Recording Studio 840 North Rampart Street · 1945–1956
• Joy Theatre 1200 Canal Street · 1947–present
• K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen 416 Chartres Street · 1979–2020
• Krauss Department Store 1201 Canal Street · 1903–1997
• L&N Terminal 1 Canal Street · 1902–1954
• La Louisiane Hotel 725 Iberville Street · 1881–present · 3 businesses
• Lake Forest Plaza 5700 Read Boulevard · 1974–2005
• LaLaurie Mansion 1140 Royal Street · 1832–present
• Loew's State / State Palace Theatre 1108 Canal Street · 1926–2007
• Mahogany Hall 235 Basin Street · 1897–1917
• Maison Blanche 901 Canal Street · 1897–1998
• Maylie's Restaurant 1009 Poydras Street · 1876–1986
• McCrory's (CORE Four Site) 1005 Canal Street · 1922–1997
• McDonogh 19 Elementary School 5909 St. Claude Avenue · 1929–2005
• Municipal Auditorium 1201 St. Peter Street · 1930–present
• Muriel's Jackson Square 801 Chartres Street · 2001–present
• Napoleon House 500 Chartres Street · 1914–present
• Old Absinthe House 240 Bourbon Street · 1869–present
• Old U.S. Mint 400 Esplanade Avenue · 1838–present
• Olympic Club Royal Street at Montegut Street · 1883–1897
• Orpheum Theater 129 University Place · 1921–present
• Pat O'Brien's 718 St. Peter Street · 1942–present
• Pelican Stadium Tulane Avenue at South Carrollton Avenue · 1915–1957
• Perseverance Hall 1644 North Villere Street · 1880–2022
• Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park 6500 Elysian Fields Avenue · 1939–1983
• Pontchartrain Hotel 2031 St. Charles Avenue · 1927–present
• Preservation Hall 726 St. Peter Street · 1961–present
• Rivergate Convention Center 4 Canal Street · 1968–1995
• S.H. Kress 923 Canal Street · 1913–1980
• Saenger Theatre 1111 Canal Street · 1927–present
• Schwegmann's 2222 St. Claude Avenue · 1946–1999
• Six Flags New Orleans 12301 Lake Forest Boulevard · 2000–2005
• Smoothie King Center 1501 Dave Dixon Drive · 1999–present
• Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro 626 Frenchmen Street · 1983–present
• Southern Railway Terminal 1125 Canal Street · 1908–1954
• St. Augustine Catholic Church 1210 Governor Nicholls Street · 1841–present
• St. Charles Hotel 201 St. Charles Avenue · 1896–1974
• St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 425 Basin Street · 1789–present
• Tad Gormley Stadium 5400 Stadium Drive · 1937–present
• Temple Sinai (Original) 1032 Carondelet Street · 1872–1977
• The Cave (Grunewald Hotel) 123 Baronne Street · 1910–1930
• The Columns Hotel 3811 St. Charles Avenue · 1884–present
• The Maxime Supper Club 300 Bourbon Street · 1926–1966
• The National WWII Museum 945 Magazine Street · 2000–present
• The Roosevelt New Orleans 130 Roosevelt Way · 1893–present
• Tipitina's 501 Napoleon Avenue · 1977–present
• Tujague's Restaurant 429 Decatur Street · 1856–present
• Tulane Stadium Willow Street at Ben Weiner Drive · 1926–1980
• Uglesich's 1238 Baronne Street · 1924–2005
• Werlein's for Music 605 Canal Street · 1905–2003
• William Frantz Elementary School 3811 North Galvez Street · 1938–present