I've been 3 times in the past 4 years. the guides are knowledgeable, passionate, and funny. it's a…read moregreat way to see new orleans in a new light, meet people, and learn about an authentic artistic subculture. it can be a very hot walk, wear a hat and bring a water bottle.

From the owner: From the bustling streets of the 9th Ward to the edge of the historic French Quarter, come…read moreexperience towering murals and hidden street art while learning about the city's underground art scene. Discover a side of New Orleans that never made it into commercial travel guides on one of the most colorful tours in the city. You'll also get an insider's take on some of the city's most exciting neighborhoods, music venues, and restaurants during your time with us—and plenty of great photo ops! We'll explore the largest concentration of street art, murals, and graffiti in New Orleans, painted by world-famous artists like Banksy, Rebeka Skela, Crude Things, Jeremy Novy, and Laurel True, as well as local artists such as WTFToto, Swan, Henry Lipkis, and Jay McKay. By the end of the walk, you'll know more about our public art than most locals.

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting this interactive cultural funhouse, highlighting the Joy /…read moreArt / Music of New Orleans. It was truly a love letter to the city, full of colorful, unique, and creative art exhibitions, all made out of recycled materials (which I found to be impressive and admirable)! There was a curated playlist of amazing jazz music playing throughout, which really set the tone delightfully! Upon entering, guests are welcomed into the space and there was a personable and helpful guide who described the space, then led us into the opening rooms. The first one was blue with neon pink, green, and glowing, with letters, symbols, and TV screens, comprising of one big puzzle. The next is a long hallway of hot pink with blue detailing and lights throughout, along with cool protruding, spongy shapes representing organs on the walls. Very psychedelic vibes! This led into a large space with sculptures of a larger than life alligator mouth open wide, creature atop a huge pot with the words "Stir the Pot," crawfish, tall lily pads, insect jazz band, peacock and more. There was also a cool, pretty flower wall, and upon closer inspection, I discovered they were made out of records. From there, I headed upstairs to see the blue, purple, and pink room holding the gorgeous Fountain of Youth glowing bright blue, filled with gold coins in them for wishes. The ceiling was lush and leafy with a lovely hanging light, as well as a pearly oyster shell inspired one. In addition, there was a shotgun style house with a balcony we could go in. Back downstairs, I explored a bar neon colored words related to New Orleans all over the walls, with upside down piano & drinks. Next, I checked out a decorative white a black room, featuring a glowing green stand. With the press of a button, it turned the room disco-y blue with a glow in the dark effect. After that, I went into the beautiful Desire themed room with humongous pearl structures hanging down, where you can write and release your true desires. Such a dreamy, ethereal feel to this one! There was a little sleek and sexy speakeasy space, called Candlelight Lounge. Then was one of my favorite exhibits: Feast Mode, displaying glittery New Orleans culinary delight classics in true indulgent style, as well as super funky, fun paintings and art pieces. Near this room was a window with full of shiny, delicately constructed objects of vibrant colors representing New Orleans. This was a glitzy video opp with props offered, with the phone going in the center, spinning around and capturing us dancing, shimmying, or whatever suits your fancy! The remaining few installations were music themed with drums and large silver circles, which could be played, emitting different sounds to create a symphony of song. At the end, there was a room showcasing larger than life sculptures of heads of musical greats, including Louis Armstrong, Lil Wayne, and Big Freedia. I really enjoyed my time here. Staff were super welcoming, accommodating, and helpful with photos throughout. The artistry, detail, and care was visible throughout each and every art piece and room. JAMNOLA was such a fun experience and I recommend you check it out for yourself!

I took my 12 year old daughter to JAMNOLA and we had a blast…read more Every room was something different, super colorful, interactive, and just fun. She was excited the whole time, and honestly so was I. It's one of those places where you can actually enjoy it as an adult and still let your kid have their moment too. We definitely got some really cute pictures, so if you're into that, you're going to love it. It's very "stop, pose, next room, do it again" in the best way. It's not a super long experience, but it's worth it. I'd say give yourself about an hour, maybe a little longer if you're taking your time with photos. Only tip is try to go when it's not too crowded, because some people really turn it into a full photoshoot and you'll be waiting a little. Overall, I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you have kids or just want something different to do in the city.

Incredible. We feel so lucky to have been introduced to historian Malik Bartholomew. He was an…read moreendless well of knowledge about New Orleans. We did the Treme tour. He made the great number of facts and stories relatable and digestible. His sense of humor and passion for this history is infectious and made the time breeze by. We could've spent the entire day with him. We tried! He seamlessly tied complex webs of historical information together with the modern day situation on Treme and New Orleans. I look forward to future visits and more tours with Know NOLA.

Malik is a gem. He guided me in my exploration of Tremé and is beyond knowledgeable, proud, and…read morepassionate about NOLA history. He's known and well-respected in the community which was clear during our walk. Thank you for the many history lessons and recommendations.

A fantastic and unique perspective on the city from our guide (Tyler) who not only know the artists…read morepersonally, but was involved in the commisioning and preservation of local murals. An excellent take on a diverse range of artists and their styles, as well as the hidden meaning behind the art. Well worth seeing.

Not your typical walking tour. You've done history, food, cocktails, ghosts and voodoo. Now it's…read moretime to see the city's best street art. Let Tyler show it to you. He moves at a great pace and explains it all. As a local, I've walked by many of these masterpieces multiple times. Now I know the stories behind them.

Marc Preuss's private tour was the best!…read more Definitely worth the upgrade from the regular tour companies with their 22-seater buses. We have always shied away from private tours in the past because it sometimes results in high-pressure situations where the tour guide pushes the places and activities they want and is not able to tease out what you want without being overbearing. And if that happens, the higher cost of a private tour makes you feel a bit of a chump. However,our family of 4 (one teen and one younger daughter) visited New Orleans during 2023 Mardi Gras week and had an absolute blast with Marc. There were not too many tour companies running on Lundi Gras right Monday (the day before Mardi Gras Tuesday) but he was. His partner Kristen makes all the arrangements but Marc is the one who conducts the tours -- it's pretty much the two of them. We were picked up mid-morning in a mid-size Ford SUV that was comfortable and nimble enough to navigate the tight roads in the French Quarter and many other places. It certainly allowed us to see a few places we could have otherwise not visited. This also made it very easy to be dropped off right at our hotel in spite of the traffic late afternoon, in spite of live parades and crowds. With one teen and a young kid in our party, we had been concerned that the private tour might be a little over their heads, but Marc was able to make everything interesting for everyone and cover a lot of ground, both outside and inside the city proper. We were able to see some unique spots with him such as the Lake Ponchartrain shore and levees, Crescent Park, Treme and understand the history of the region. All in all, Marc went above and beyond, spending much more time with us than the reservation had promised, and accomodating all our desires. e.g. he took us on drive-through tour of a cemetery, since we wanted to see one but did not want to get out and walk. He knew what would be open even though most were closed that day. He treated us to beignets at a mid-morning tour stop in City Park that was much appreciated. As we are all vegetarian, we had also been concerned about lunch. But we need not have worried. He took us to a relaxed no-pressure lunch at a very nice food court/market, which had various cuisines from around the world and we had a great choice of flavorful vegetarian entrees. All too often, vegetarian is translated by some tour guides into an unappetizing salad and sandwiches. On the way back to our hotel, he stopped at a supermarket so the kids could find and buy the moon-pies they had been looking for, and we were able to pick up some bottled drinking water for the rest of our stay. We were not able to see inside St Louis Cathedral as they were closing for the day when we arrived, but we managed to get inside another day. Apart from that, we covered everything the tour companies would have and more, with very little walking, exactly as we had wanted. That said, we did get out and walk at multiple places that we wanted to and skip the ones we didn't. As we got back into our hotel room, we realized that our youngest daughter's bracelet had been left behind in Marc's vehicle. No matter, he found it and dropped it off at the hotel a couple days later. Marc also provided some tips on what to do on other days of our trip and where to eat or listen to live jazz. Be sure to ask Marc about the original business he and his father were into as natives of New Orleans -- that provides him the background to be such an effective tour guide. Overall, we agreed this was money well spent -- first time ever we splurged on a private tour, but very glad we did. Go for it, you won't regret it!

Marc was so awesome! This was the perfect tour for us. Don't waste your time on those big tours…read morethat are not tailored to you. Call NOLA Detours instead and get the truly personalized experience you're looking for. We learned so much about New Orleans and experienced the sights and sounds with a local as our guide. It was like having a friend pick you up and show you around. Marc's knowledge about and passion for New Orleans shines through. We will definitely be back and when you return, we will absolutely call Marc again.

What a gorgeous space! LOVE the renovation of this historic home. Seriously the buidling is…read morebeautiful. But that's not all! The art on display is incredibly varied and really impressive/moving/inspiring/calming depending on the piece. I'm a big fan of highly curated collections like these. It really helps you see the collector/curators vision. I was lucky enough to visit because of fellow yelper Teneha had rented this space for her birthday extravaganza! So much fun and it was wonderful seeing all her friends & family celebrating her awesomeness. Their special exhibitions are interesting and diverse. I just wish they were keeping regular hours, despite the hours posted on their website, the front page says "open by appointment only."

The George & Leah McKenna Museum is a wonderful place to African American art in historical…read morereference. The museum also hosts events. I was recently there for the swearing in of the first African American Coroner in New Orleans 300 year history. This year is also New Orleans' 300 year anniversary. The McKenna Museum became part of history! I absolutely love this place!

I am giving this museum 5 stars for the sheer history it discusses and the part of history that a…read morelot of people don't fully understand or know about --- the reality of free people of color during the times of slavery. As a lighter-complexioned woman of African and European descent, I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had grown up during slavery. Would I have worked inside the plantation house? Would my curly hair have made it impossible for me to pass, or would I have been able to pass as people would assume I was "Spanish," as they called Latinos way back then? While a lot of people say what they would and would not have done during the times of slavery, I am aware of the horrors of that time enough to know that when one is focused on sheer survival, they may do things like "pass", if it meant freedom from back breaking grueling work, harsh outside conditions under the hot sun, being beaten and/or assaulted in all manner of ways, etc. I do not blame those who engaged in passing for white or another ethnicity back then. The times were so brutal and harsh. I love my African heritage, and this museum is so rich and full of tradition and history, and the strength of overcoming the odds. While it is not a very large museum, it contains some valuable information within its walls. I definitely recommend this museum for my fellow biracial people and those whose families may have been very diverse over the generations.

I had my wedding at this amazing gem of a place, and it was absolutely amazing. I was able to take…read morea tour and walk through prior to my event. Since I was out of town, a lot of what I did was virtual, which could be a bit scary because you are trusting others, but it was great. The staff was really great a friendly and they work like clockwork. The day before my event, we did another walk through and the only thing I will say is that I wish we were told to rent outdoor lights prior to the day ny the venue (we ended up getting them on a last minute whim and because my wedding planner had another wedding there and it was literally in the dark). Other than that, the day of my wedding was such a beautiful and magical experience in such a history rich place. It was everything I imagined and and then some. The price was great and it's really an awesome venue for weddings or any type of celebration for adults. I also love that there's a little cottage that you can rent out as well on the property. I highly recommend that because otherwise it can be air bnb by anyone and that would be awkward. But if you are looking to make an impact and support black business while highlighting the struggles and triumphs of the black community, this is the place to do it.

Check out the historic 1870s white firehouse on Magazine Street that has been restored and…read morerenovated into a beautiful event space. Love the exposed brick walls and the 14 foot high ceilings that mimic the night sky. The grand fireplace wall is perfect for taking photos with family or friends. The space is so open and inviting with an antique bar and plenty of space for couches, tables and seating conducive to mingling. Catering is easily done with Sukho Thai downstairs. Get the spring rolls, fried tofu and fresh rolls with a peanut dipping sauce for appetizers. For main courses, try the pad Thai, drunken noodles or I Love You, My Sweetheart. Filled with eggplant, veggies and a choice of proteins, it is so good. Finish the buffet with sweet mango sticky rice. Great place for a special family event.