Historic New Orleans
Explore the Crescent City's extraordinary history on an interactive map. From the birthplace of jazz at Congo Square to Ruby Bridges' courageous walk into William Frantz Elementary, discover the locations that shaped American music, cuisine, and the fight for equality.
New Orleans history, address by address
- 86 places
- 92 businesses on record
- on record since 1789
- 65 buildings standing
The archive holds 86 New Orleans places and 92 businesses across more than two centuries, from St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, in use since 1789, to music halls, Creole dining rooms, department stores and civil rights landmarks. 21 of the buildings are gone, among them Economy Hall, where King Oliver and a young Louis Armstrong played, and the Funky Butt Hall, where a four-year-old Armstrong first heard Buddy Bolden.
The music thread starts at Congo Square, where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to play music and dance, and runs through the tiny 15-by-16-foot J&M Recording Studio on North Rampart, where Fats Domino and Little Richard recorded, to Preservation Hall, open since 1961. The food thread includes Antoine's, founded in 1840 and the oldest continuously family-owned restaurant in America.
The civil rights entries matter as much: the Homer Plessy arrest site of 1892, which led to Plessy v. Ferguson, and McDonogh 19 Elementary School, integrated on November 14, 1960 by the McDonogh Three. All 86 places are listed below with links to their archive pages.
The Birthplace of Jazz: New Orleans Music History
No American city can claim a deeper musical legacy than New Orleans. At Congo Square, enslaved Africans gathered every Sunday to play drums, dance, and preserve the West African musical traditions that would eventually become jazz. By the 1890s, those rhythms had fused with brass band marches, blues, and ragtime into something entirely new.
The music erupted in halls across the city. At Funky Butt Hall on Perdido Street, a four-year-old Louis Armstrong first heard Buddy Bolden's legendary cornet. At Economy Hall in Treme, King Oliver refined his sound for the free Black brotherhood that built it. When Storyville shut down in 1917, New Orleans musicians carried jazz north to Chicago and New York, but the city never stopped playing.
The Recording Revolution
In 1945, Cosimo Matassa opened J&M Recording Studio, a tiny 15-by-16-foot room on North Rampart Street. There, Fats Domino recorded "The Fat Man" (1949), widely considered the first rock and roll record. Little Richard cut "Tutti Frutti" in the same room. Today, Preservation Hall and Snug Harbor keep traditional New Orleans jazz alive, while Tipitina's - founded by 14 Tulane students to give the aging Professor Longhair a stage - carries the torch uptown.
Legendary Creole Restaurants
New Orleans invented American dining out. Antoine's (1840) is the oldest continuously family-owned restaurant in the nation and the birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. During Prohibition, waiters smuggled cocktails through the ladies' restroom into the secret Mystery Room. Across town, Commander's Palace (1893) launched the careers of Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse, while Galatoire's (1905) won the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award and still requires jackets at Friday lunch.
Dooky Chase's (1941) was more than a restaurant - it was a civil rights headquarters where Thurgood Marshall strategized and Martin Luther King Jr. ate gumbo z'herbes. Leah Chase, the "Queen of Creole Cuisine," cooked there until she was 96.
Civil Rights Landmarks
New Orleans was a crucible of the American civil rights movement. In 1892, Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in a whites-only train car at Press and Royal Streets, a planned act of resistance that led to the devastating Plessy v. Ferguson decision legalizing "separate but equal." Nearly seven decades later, on November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked past screaming mobs to integrate William Frantz Elementary School, escorted by four federal marshals. The same day, the McDonogh Three integrated another school across town.
Canal Street's five-and-dime stores became battlegrounds: the CORE Four staged sit-ins at McCrory's, and Woolworth's saw the city's first lunch counter protests in 1960. In Treme, Freedom House sheltered Freedom Riders and served as the planning headquarters for the movement.
Featured Historic Locations
Congo Square
The sacred ground where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to play music and dance - the birthplace of American jazz. Now part of Louis Armstrong Park.
JazzHistoricLaLaurie Mansion
When fire broke out in 1834, rescuers found enslaved people chained in the attic, evidence of torture that horrified even a slaveholding city. Featured on American Horror Story.
HauntedAntoine's Restaurant
The oldest continuously family-owned restaurant in America and birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. The secret Mystery Room hid Prohibition-era cocktails.
FoodHistoricEconomy Hall
The "Carnegie Hall of Jazz" where King Oliver and young Louis Armstrong cut their chops for the free Black brotherhood that built it.
JazzCommander's Palace
The legendary turquoise landmark in the Garden District that launched Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse into celebrity chef stardom.
FoodHomer Plessy Arrest Site
Where Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in a whites-only train car, sparking Plessy v. Ferguson - the case that legalized segregation for 58 years.
Civil RightsFunky Butt Hall
The raucous hall where a four-year-old Louis Armstrong first heard Buddy Bolden blow - just steps from Armstrong's childhood home.
JazzJ&M Recording Studio
The tiny 15x16-foot room where rock and roll was born. Fats Domino, Little Richard, and the birth of a genre, all on North Rampart Street.
JazzHistoricDooky Chase's Restaurant
The civil rights landmark where Thurgood Marshall strategized and MLK ate gumbo. Leah Chase, the "Queen of Creole Cuisine," cooked here until age 96.
FoodCivil RightsWilliam Frantz Elementary
Where six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked past screaming mobs to desegregate the Deep South on November 14, 1960.
Civil RightsPreservation Hall
The intimate French Quarter venue where traditional New Orleans jazz never stopped playing. No reservations, no cocktails, just pure jazz.
JazzHotel Monteleone
The only hotel besides the Plaza and Algonquin designated a National Literary Landmark. Hemingway, Faulkner, and Tennessee Williams all stayed here.
HistoricHauntedSaenger Theatre
The atmospheric movie palace where 150 ceiling lights replicate the night sky. Closed by Katrina, magnificently restored in 2013.
HistoricSix Flags New Orleans
The haunting ruins of this flooded amusement park became Katrina's most iconic symbol - abandoned longer than it ever operated.
HistoricTipitina's
Founded by 14 Tulane students to give the aging Professor Longhair a stage. Now New Orleans' most beloved live music venue.
JazzPat O'Brien's
Before the Hurricane cocktail, this was Club Tipperary with a speakeasy password: "storm's brewin'." Now the French Quarter's most famous bar.
FoodHistoricFrequently Asked Questions
Where was jazz born in New Orleans?
Jazz was born in several key New Orleans locations. Congo Square (now part of Louis Armstrong Park) is where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to play music and dance, creating the rhythmic foundation of jazz. Nearby, Funky Butt Hall on Perdido Street is where a 4-year-old Louis Armstrong first heard Buddy Bolden play. The Eagle Saloon on South Rampart Street is where Bolden is credited with inventing jazz. By the early 1900s, the music spread through venues like Economy Hall, Perseverance Hall, and Pete Lala's Cafe in the Storyville district.
What are the oldest restaurants in New Orleans?
New Orleans has some of America's oldest restaurants. Antoine's (1840) is the oldest continuously family-owned restaurant in America and birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. Tujague's (1856) is the second oldest in the city and claims to have invented brunch. Commander's Palace (1893) launched the careers of Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. Galatoire's (1905) won the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award. Arnaud's (1918), Casamento's (1919), and Dooky Chase's (1941) round out the legendary lineup.
What civil rights events happened in New Orleans?
New Orleans was a major civil rights battleground. In 1892, Homer Plessy was arrested at Press and Royal Streets for sitting in a whites-only train car, leading to the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision. On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked past screaming mobs to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School. That same day, the McDonogh Three integrated McDonogh 19 school. The CORE Four staged sit-ins at McCrory's on Canal Street. Dooky Chase's Restaurant served as a secret meeting place for civil rights leaders including Thurgood Marshall.
What are the most haunted places in New Orleans?
New Orleans is one of America's most haunted cities. The LaLaurie Mansion on Royal Street, where socialite Delphine LaLaurie tortured enslaved people, is considered the most haunted house in the city. The Bourbon Orleans Hotel was built on the site of Quadroon Balls and a convent. The Andrew Jackson Hotel is built where five orphan boys died in a fire. The Gardette-LePretre House (Sultan's Palace) is linked to a legendary mass murder. Muriel's Restaurant sets a place every night for a ghost who lost the building in a poker game.
Every place in this collection (86)
Each name opens its archive page: the full timeline of the address, what is there now, connected places and nearby history.
A. P. Tureaud House
New Orleans, LA · 1947–present · RepurposedHome of NAACP attorney A. P. Tureaud (1899–1972), who led Louisiana's school and university desegregation suits.
Andrew Jackson Hotel
New Orleans, LA · 1890–present · Still hereHotel built 1890 on the site of the federal courthouse where Andrew Jackson was fined for contempt in 1815; ghost lore from a 1794 orphanage fire is the…
Antoine's Restaurant
New Orleans, LA · 1840–present · Still hereThe oldest continuously family-owned restaurant in America, where the ghost of founder Antoine Alciatore checks up on his descendants.
Arnaud's
New Orleans, LA · 1918–present · Still hereWhere the Count's daughter reigned as Carnival queen 22 times.
Backstreet Cultural Museum
New Orleans, LA · 2022–present · Still hereSylvester Francis's museum of Mardi Gras Indian suits, second lines and jazz funerals, founded 1988/1999 in a Tremé funeral home and moved to 1531 St. Philip…
Bourbon Orleans Hotel
New Orleans, LA · 1964–present · Still hereFrom quadroon balls to a convent to a hotel.
Brennan's Restaurant
New Orleans, LA · 1956–present · Still hereOwen Brennan's restaurant (founded 1946 on Bourbon St, Bananas Foster 1951) at 417 Royal since 1956; closed 2013, reopened 2014 under Ralph Brennan.
Caesars Superdome
New Orleans, LA · 1975–present · Still hereThe world's largest fixed domed structure, survivor of Katrina, host of eight Super Bowls.
Casamento's Restaurant
New Orleans, LA · 1919–present · Still hereTiled inside and out in 1919, closed every summer.
Charity Hospital
New Orleans, LA · 1939–2005 · ClosedThe second-oldest public hospital in America, empty since Katrina.
Chris Owens Club
New Orleans, LA · 1968–2022 · RepurposedChris Owens's club at 500 Bourbon from 1968 (Club 809 before that, at 809 St. Louis); renamed for her in 1976; she died April 2022 and Gayle Benson bought the…
Circle Food Store
New Orleans, LA · 1938–present · ClosedThe first Black-owned full-service grocery, anchoring Black Wall Street until the interstate destroyed it.
Coliseum Arena
New Orleans, LA · 1922–1960 · RepurposedDempsey, Tunney, Louis and Robinson fought here.
Coliseum Theater
New Orleans, LA · 1915–1976 · DemolishedNeighborhood movie palace of 1915; closed as a cinema in 1976, later a film-production space (Interview with the Vampire, 1994); burned in 2006 after Katrina…
Commander's Palace
New Orleans, LA · 1893–present · Still hereThe legendary turquoise landmark that launched Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.
Congo Square
New Orleans, LA · 1817–present · Still hereThe sacred ground where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to play music and dance - the birthplace of American jazz.
D.H. Holmes Department Store
New Orleans, LA · 1849–1989 · RepurposedThe clock from A Confederacy of Dunces.
Dew Drop Inn
New Orleans, LA · 1939–1970 · Still hereThe swankiest nightclub for Black New Orleans where Little Richard developed his wild stage persona.
Dooky Chase's Restaurant
New Orleans, LA · 1941–present · Still hereThe civil rights landmark where Thurgood Marshall called Robert Kennedy while Leah Chase cooked gumbo.
Eagle Saloon (Odd Fellows and Masonic Hall)
New Orleans, LA · 1908–1917 · ClosedThe crumbling landmark where Buddy Bolden invented jazz and a young Louis Armstrong was arrested on New Year's Eve 1913.
Economy Hall
New Orleans, LA · 1857–1965 · DemolishedThe 'Carnegie Hall of Jazz' where King Oliver and young Louis Armstrong cut their chops for the free Black brotherhood that built it.
Emeril's Delmonico
New Orleans, LA · 1895–present · Still hereCelebrity chef Emeril Lagasse revived this 1895 institution only to close it permanently during the pandemic.
F.W. Woolworth's (Sit-In Site)
New Orleans, LA · 1911–1997 · DemolishedSite of New Orleans' first civil rights lunch-counter sit-in, September 9, 1960, by seven CORE members.
Fair Grounds Race Course
New Orleans, LA · 1872–present · Still hereAmerica's third-oldest racetrack, where three horses are buried in the infield and Jazz Fest is born.
Francs Amis Hall
New Orleans, LA · 1870–1963 · RepurposedThe dignified Creole society hall where Homer Plessy was an officer and the hottest jazz bands played for $2 a night plus free food.
Frank Early's My Place Saloon
New Orleans, LA · 1897–1917 · ClosedStoryville saloon where pianist Tony Jackson played and composed 'Pretty Baby' upstairs before 1912; one of three surviving District buildings.
Freedom House
New Orleans, LA · 1960–present · RepurposedCORE's headquarters and the Freedom Riders' safe house.
French Opera House
New Orleans, LA · 1859–1919 · DemolishedNew Orleans' cultural crown jewel burned to ashes the night after a performance of Les Huguenots.
Funky Butt Hall (Union Sons Hall)
New Orleans, LA · 1900–1917 · DemolishedThe raucous hall where a four-year-old Louis Armstrong first heard Buddy Bolden blow—just steps from Armstrong's childhood home.
Galatoire's
New Orleans, LA · 1905–present · Still hereThe James Beard Outstanding Restaurant where New Orleans society still dresses up for Friday lunch.
Gardette-LePretre House (Sultan's Palace)
New Orleans, LA · 1836–present · RepurposedLegend tells of a Turkish prince who filled this mansion with a harem, only to have everyone inside brutally massacred one stormy night.
Gus Mayer
New Orleans, LA · 1949–1987 · RepurposedGus Mayer's Moderne flagship of September 19, 1949 by Favrot and Reed, with green terra-cotta cloverleafs; closed 1987.
Higgins Industries City Park Plant Site
New Orleans, LA · 1941–1945 · DemolishedThe world's largest boat-manufacturing plant under one roof, where 12,000 D-Day landing craft and 200 PT boats were built.
Homer Plessy Arrest Site
New Orleans, LA · 1892–present · DemolishedWhere Homer Plessy was arrested in 1892, sparking Plessy v. Ferguson.
Hotel Monteleone
New Orleans, LA · 1886–present · Still hereA Literary Landmark with a revolving bar.
J&M Recording Studio
New Orleans, LA · 1945–1956 · RepurposedThe tiny 15x16-foot room where rock and roll was born - Fats Domino, Little Richard, and the birth of a genre.
Joy Theatre
New Orleans, LA · 1947–present · Still hereCanal Street movie palace (1947). Closed 1980s, restored and reopened 2011 as live music venue.
K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen
New Orleans, LA · 1979–2020 · RepurposedChef Paul Prudhomme's legendary restaurant that popularized Cajun cuisine worldwide.
Krauss Department Store
New Orleans, LA · 1903–1997 · RepurposedThe last department store on Canal Street.
L&N Terminal
New Orleans, LA · 1902–1954 · DemolishedThe opening scene of A Streetcar Named Desire was filmed here.
La Louisiane Hotel
New Orleans, LA · 1881–present · RepurposedDiamond Jim Moran wore diamonds in his teeth and hid jewels in customers' meatballs.
Lake Forest Plaza
New Orleans, LA · 1974–2005 · DemolishedLouisiana's largest mall when it opened in 1974; emptied by suburban competition, destroyed by Katrina in 2005 and demolished in 2009.
LaLaurie Mansion
New Orleans, LA · 1832–present · Still hereWhen fire broke out in 1834, rescuers found enslaved people chained in the attic, evidence of torture that horrified even a slaveholding city.
Loew's State / State Palace Theatre
New Orleans, LA · 1926–2007 · ClosedOpened April 3, 1926 for the Loew's circuit with 3,335 seats; epicenter of 1990s raves; closed 2007.
Mahogany Hall
New Orleans, LA · 1897–1917 · DemolishedStoryville's $40,000 marble-and-mirror palace.
Maison Blanche
New Orleans, LA · 1897–1998 · RepurposedHome of Mr. Bingle and radio station WSMB.
Maylie's Restaurant
New Orleans, LA · 1876–1986 · RepurposedWomen weren't allowed until 1925, and it became a private club for a year to avoid integration.
McCrory's (CORE Four Site)
New Orleans, LA · 1922–1997 · RepurposedSite of the September 17, 1960 CORE sit-in that produced Lombard v. Louisiana (1963), the U.S. Supreme Court's 8–1 reversal of the protesters' convictions.
McDonogh 19 Elementary School
New Orleans, LA · 1929–2005 · RepurposedIntegrated November 14, 1960 by the McDonogh Three.
Municipal Auditorium
New Orleans, LA · 1930–present · ClosedWhere MLK delivered the first I Have a Dream speech and George Clinton landed his Mothership.
Muriel's Jackson Square
New Orleans, LA · 2001–present · Still hereOpened March 10, 2001 in the former Chart House on Jackson Square; famous for its nightly table set for the ghost Pierre Jourdan.
Napoleon House
New Orleans, LA · 1914–present · Still hereA mayor's house meant to shelter Napoleon.
Old Absinthe House
New Orleans, LA · 1869–present · Still hereAdvertised as the Absinthe House since 1869.
Old U.S. Mint
New Orleans, LA · 1838–present · RepurposedCoins for the United States and, in 1861, the Confederacy.
Olympic Club
New Orleans, LA · 1883–1897 · DemolishedCorbett knocked out Sullivan here, September 7, 1892.
Orpheum Theater
New Orleans, LA · 1921–present · Still hereA 1921 vaudeville house brought back from Katrina.
Pat O'Brien's
New Orleans, LA · 1942–present · Still hereFrom Club Tipperary to the Hurricane.
Pelican Stadium
New Orleans, LA · 1915–1957 · DemolishedHeinemann Park (1915), renamed Pelican Stadium in 1938; home of the Pelicans through 1957 and demolished the same year.
Perseverance Hall
New Orleans, LA · 1880–2022 · DemolishedWhere Buddy Bolden played the Monday banquets.
Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park
New Orleans, LA · 1939–1983 · DemolishedNew Orleans' beloved lakefront playground closed with a farewell concert featuring Fats Domino.
Pontchartrain Hotel
New Orleans, LA · 1927–present · Still hereWhere Tennessee Williams worked on A Streetcar Named Desire.
Preservation Hall
New Orleans, LA · 1961–present · Still hereThe intimate French Quarter venue where traditional New Orleans jazz never stopped playing.
Rivergate Convention Center
New Orleans, LA · 1968–1995 · DemolishedCurtis and Davis's 1968 convention hall with a 225-foot thin-shell concrete roof; demolished 1995 for Harrah's casino despite a preservation fight.
S.H. Kress
New Orleans, LA · 1913–1980 · RepurposedEmile Weil's 1913 terra-cotta Kress five-and-dime with an Aeolian pipe organ; now part of the Ritz-Carlton.
Saenger Theatre
New Orleans, LA · 1927–present · Still here150 ceiling lights arranged as the night sky's constellations.
Schwegmann's
New Orleans, LA · 1946–1999 · RepurposedThe store that brought self-service groceries to New Orleans.
Six Flags New Orleans
New Orleans, LA · 2000–2005 · DemolishedThe haunting ruins of this flooded amusement park became Katrina's most iconic symbol, abandoned longer than it ever operated.
Smoothie King Center
New Orleans, LA · 1999–present · Still hereOpened 1999 as the New Orleans Arena ($114 million); renamed Smoothie King Center in 2014; home of the Pelicans since 2002 and host of the 2008, 2014 and 2017…
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
New Orleans, LA · 1983–present · Still hereThe classiest jazz club in New Orleans where Ellis Marsalis held court for 30 years.
Southern Railway Terminal
New Orleans, LA · 1908–1954 · DemolishedDaniel Burnham's Beaux-Arts Southern Railway terminal at Canal and Basin, opened 1908 and closed when the Union Passenger Terminal opened in 1954; demolished…
St. Augustine Catholic Church
New Orleans, LA · 1841–present · Still hereAmerica's oldest African American Catholic parish, where free people of color won the War of the Pews.
St. Charles Hotel
New Orleans, LA · 1896–1974 · DemolishedThe third St. Charles Hotel (1896–1974), successor to the domed 1837 original by Gallier and Dakin and the 1853 rebuild; razed for Place St. Charles.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
New Orleans, LA · 1789–present · Still hereNew Orleans' oldest cemetery (1789): Marie Laveau, Homer Plessy, Etienne de Boré; closed to unguided visitors since March 1, 2015.
Tad Gormley Stadium
New Orleans, LA · 1937–present · Still hereThe Beatles' only Louisiana concert, September 16, 1964.
Temple Sinai (Original)
New Orleans, LA · 1872–1977 · DemolishedRomanesque Revival synagogue dedicated November 13, 1872, home of the Temple Sinai Reform congregation until its 1928 move to St. Charles Avenue; sold to the…
The Cave (Grunewald Hotel)
New Orleans, LA · 1910–1930 · RepurposedAmerica's first nightclub, built with 700,000 pounds of plaster stalactites.
The Columns Hotel
New Orleans, LA · 1884–present · Still herePretty Baby was filmed in this tobacco magnate's mansion.
The Maxime Supper Club
New Orleans, LA · 1926–1966 · DemolishedOpened January 13, 1926 by Count Arnaud Cazenave, named for Maxim's of Paris; called the first full-fledged Bourbon Street nightclub. Closing year approximate.
The National WWII Museum
New Orleans, LA · 2000–present · Still hereOpened June 6, 2000 as the National D-Day Museum by Stephen Ambrose in the 1888 Weckerling Brewery; designated the National WWII Museum in 2003.
The Roosevelt New Orleans
New Orleans, LA · 1893–present · Still hereHuey Long's New Orleans headquarters and home of the Cave nightclub.
Tipitina's
New Orleans, LA · 1977–present · Still hereOpened in 1977 to give Professor Longhair a stage.
Tujague's Restaurant
New Orleans, LA · 1856–present · Still hereThe second oldest restaurant in New Orleans, birthplace of brunch.
Tulane Stadium
New Orleans, LA · 1926–1980 · DemolishedThree Super Bowls and forty Sugar Bowls.
Uglesich's
New Orleans, LA · 1924–2005 · ClosedCroatian-founded seafood house of 1924, run by Anthony and Gail Uglesich from the 1960s until they closed it on May 7, 2005.
Werlein's for Music
New Orleans, LA · 1905–2003 · RepurposedThe music house that pirated "Dixie."
William Frantz Elementary School
New Orleans, LA · 1938–present · Still hereWhere six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked past screaming mobs to desegregate the Deep South.