We popped in to this small urban visitor center that explores the music of NO and the nearby…read morehistory of the French Quarter. We spent about thirty minutes here watching a short film on the Mississippi River and reading the exhibits on the culture of the people. We did learn about a jazz performance at their other nearby location which was very good. Worth a short detour.

The Baseline: For a national park/monument visitor's center the facility must be informative, have…read moregreat exhibits, and have a park rangers that are knowledgeable of one of the United States' greatest ideas ever implemented that is the National Parks of America. Facility: The New Orleans Jazz/Jean Lafitte French Quarter Visitors Center is a clean, well presented center with great displays and a well organized gift store. Personnel: The park rangers were friendly and informative about the activities in the park. We were given several suggestions of visiting the preserve and the local battlefield as well as information on those locations. The rangers have to be public relations and gift shop customer service at the same time so be kind to your National Park Ranger. They also run programs to educate on the parks and monuments. Stamps: You can get your passport stamps next to the gift shop and Ranger's info station. Special note: If you have young kids or want to be a kid yourself make sure to take advantage of the Junior Rangers program. You will learn and enjoy the National Park more that way.

Overall, this is a great place to stop to stretch your legs and a great welcome to Mississippi. It…read moreis clean and welcoming and a nice place to break the monotony of the highway.

This rest area features southern hospitality at its finest…read more In a time where rest areas are going the way of the dinosaur, this location proves that there are still places where state workers are kind and caring. The first part of my review will highlight the reason most people come to this, or any, rest area. The bathrooms are clean, but very busy. The main building is decorated in a way to highlight the surrounding area that would be of interest to tourists. there was a waving hand display advertising a upcoming festival, a gold display highlighting the local courses, and all sorts of brochures and magazines focusing on tourist attractions. Sure you could pull up the internet on your phone and look these attractions up, but there's something satisfying about talking to a local and asking for their input or reading a tourist magazine. An additional benefit of going inside is that they offer you coffee free of charge. Who doesn't like coffee when they are on a road trip? People who hate America, that's who. Now for the part of my review that focuses on the rest area employees. When you're a dad travelling somewhere with your daughter, finding an acceptable bathroom is a big deal. You can't take a little girl into a men's room because men are disgustingly filthy. You also can't take her into a women's room because most women assume a dud in their bathroom is one of the aforementioned disgusting dudes so you're left with a dilemma. I recently had such a dilemma when I was taking my daughter to the beach and we needed a restroom ASAP. I figured a rest area would be the bets place to stop so that's what I did. When I asked if they had a family restroom we could use, I was surprised to learn that they did not. But I was even more surprised to know that they were willing to escort me to the closed restrooms located off of the main building and stand guard to make sure no one else wandered into the bathroom. You may not think that type of service is a big deal, but I do. I have asked that same question at many different places only to be told no and looked at disapprovingly as if a guy cant take his kid somewhere. In addition to everything else I mentioned, the exterior of this rest area is beautifully landscaped. If you are driving in to Mississippi and need to stop, I strongly recommend this rest area.

Cleaning restroom. Got to see alligator. They also have instruments for the kids to play. The…read morestaff very friendly and helpful.

putting on miles because they fit and all these places start looking the same: various combinations…read moreof bigger and fancier and updated and mostly closed when I come through or at least not offering coffee and snacks to this weary traveler... anyway... in this particular case though a large group of people just went in and I really don't want to deal with that right now since I have coffee and don't feel particularly snacky but it's warm out and this is a nice rest area with room to roam and out back has a theme park feel to it except no rides or costumed characters, just vending and restrooms. Three Flags Over Louisiana?? has a nice ring to it.

Excellent service. Gave brochures and directions to whatever we needed. Hidden gem to find out…read morewhat's in the city.

Patrik at the 339 Decatur location was amazing!! He helped us pick our tour, gave us shop and…read morerestaurant recommendations!! He was so sweet and full of information.

The St Tammany Parish Tourist Commision is located on HWY 59, just north of I-12. Located on the…read morenorth shore of Lake Pontchartrain, this parish has a lot to offer. Several large towns, a lot of small towns, there are many unique things to experience. From the Abita Mystery house, many sorts of museums in between, cute stores, a brewery or two, an alligator farm, there is just a lot to do. Also there are quite the number of festivals here. This visitors center is full of information and very helpful employees. Come here and get your fill of information on things to do in the area. Go off the beaten path.

Patrick is fantastic. He knows so much about the city of New Orleans. Ghost tours, bourbon tasting,…read moreand all the historical sites. He clearly loves his job. He is New Orleans hidden gem.

Excellent resource for travelers. The gentlemen here is super helpful and gave great guidance on…read morefinding & getting to key destinations in the New Orleans - French Quarter area. He also books bike tours, swamp tours, has maps on deck for reference and the gift of gab. I appreciated his time & effort. Stop in and give him a shout. ~Christy

In the middle of the day on day 5 of our 5 day trip to NOLA, we needed a break from all the walking…read morebut we had already checked out of our air bnb so we had no where that we could just hang out and rest from all the walking and to top it off, it was the hottest day of all the days we were there. Luckily I remembered this Visitor's Center from our last trip! Look, it's not that big nor is the (we'll call it the) mini-museum very appealing but it's a great place w/ a restroom, air-conditioning and insanely helpful people to guide you in the right direction if you're looking for something specific in town. And if it's not too hot, their little courtyard is a nice place to take a break and take some pictures :)

AN UNEXPECTED NEW ORLEANS ADVENTURE AND WE SAW THE GATORS!…read more We originally wanted to book a swamp tour, but unfortunately we were too late to get one for the day. I've been to New Orleans before, and seeing an alligator in its natural habitat was still on my bucket list, so we decided to take a ride out to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and see what we could find. And baby... LO AND BEHOLD! Not long after we arrived, we came across some locals standing near the swamp taking pictures. We walked over and THERE IT WAS an alligator right there in the water! Bucket-list moment CHECKED! Now, here's where those locals became our best friends for the day! Do NOT go out there poking sticks in the water, trying to get an alligator to come closer for your picture! Thank God we ran into people who knew the area and gave us some much-needed knowledge. They explained just how quickly these animals can move and reminded us to keep a safe distance. Needless to say, we enjoyed our gator from WHERE WE WERE! The entire experience was beautiful because this wasn't a staged attraction we were able to see wildlife right there in its natural environment. The drive in was peaceful and beautiful, surrounded by woods and the sounds of nature. And then there were the SPIDERS! The spiderwebs throughout the area were absolutely incredible, but some of those spiders were bigger than a half-dollar! So keep your eyes OPEN while you're admiring the scenery! If you're visiting New Orleans and want a FREE, authentic nature experience, this is definitely worth checking out. Just remember: respect the wildlife, keep your distance, stay aware of your surroundings, and if you happen to run into a knowledgeable local LISTEN! We went looking for a swamp tour and ended up having our own little adventure instead. Beautiful scenery, nature at its best, giant spiders, local wisdom, and MY ALLIGATOR! Bucket list: CHECK! New Orleans owes me nothing!

Arrived shortly after the Government shut-down during our 11K road-trip across America. We had…read morealready been disappointed at a couple stops that were completely closed due to shut-down. We were so happy to find the trails and boardwalk were open and our biggest surprise was to find that the Rangers/Staff was kind enough to set-out the Park Cancellation Stamp (very thoughtful during their stressful time). The bathrooms were also opened so greatly appreciated by myself and family. We walked the Boardwalk and was treated to the amazing beauty of a Moma Alligator with a pod of youngsters around her right off the boardwalk. What an amazing opportunity to see wildlife up close and in their natural environment. I was able to get some pictures (I have a 600M Lens) so at a distance. We did not bother them and they remained where they were at chillin. What a sight to see, one of the coolest yet of the wild side of National Parks.

All in all, this is a great welcome center and the two women manning the welcome center were…read moreextremely friendly. The rest area was clean and well maintained. Parking was adequate and it was a great place to stretch my legs and enjoy a cup of complimentary coffee.

Wonderful welcome center. Wide entrances and exits. Clean and well lit. Ladies working were…read morefriendly and well informed on things to do in the area. Stop on by! I do wonder about the signs in the women's restrooms about human trafficking and what to be aware of. I wonder if there are similar signs in the men's restrooms, or if they aren't as worried about male presenting people being trafficked.

This was such a fun stop on our recent travels through Abita! I loved all of the surprises and…read morememory inspiring items in the museum! We really enjoyed the crank piano and the 32 foot alligator! Fun stuff! Got a tshirt and some magnets and a mystery bag. The curator was also so helpful and nice. Will be back next time I'm there with another friend.

Abita Mystery House / UCM Museum…read more 22275 LA-36, Abita Springs, LA 70420 Not food this time. Found something strange out in Abita Springs, and I'm still trying to process it. Nostalgic, weird, and oddly captivating all at once. Louisiana always hides its secrets in plain sight. #tonylameats #abitamysteryhouse #explorelouisiana #abitasprings #louisiana