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.

I'm intrigued by all things spooky, murder, true crime, death, etc. and had been wanting to go to…read moresome sort of murder museum for a LONG TIME. But it seems they're always in tourist-y towns, never close to where I live. But of course while planning the New Orleans trip, we had to add this to the itinerary. Right when you walk in, there is a little gift shop we perused at first. There was lots of really cool little knick knacks, and looking back on it, I regret not getting anything. The other three girls were extremely intrigued by all the posters and art lining the wall, and Rachel went back and forth on getting this one piece of art so many times. (Side note, she decided to not get it, but a couple days later on the trip, she was so distraught about her choice to not get it, that she requested we go back to the museum simply so she didn't have to leave New Orleans without it). I saw a t-shirt or baseball cap or something that said something to the effect of "I Came to the Museum of Death and puked" or passed out or something, and I saw it before we even went in! I have an extremely high tolerance for blood, and murder & death related things, so I wasn't necessarily worried at that point, but I was extremely curious what us 4 girls were about to get ourselves into. It's disappointing I have no pictures to attach because they didn't allow photography of any sort inside. I really wish I did, because this museum was packed with things right up my alley. There was a huge serial killer artifacts, including letters written by serial killers, artwork by serial killers, and memorbilia from murder scenes, like O.J. Simpson and the Manson Family. I didn't know this until later, but I guess the New Orleans Museum of Death has the biggest collection of Serial Killer artwork anywhere. There was lots of explicit and graphic photos of famous deaths and car crashes, taxidermy, and autopsy tools. It's funny because I already knew I was going to like that stuff. But I didn't know how the other girls would do. Even if they seemed intrigued, I knew at least Ashley struggled to look at real crime scene photos. But all the girls seemed to do really well; even if it was hard to look at it, they had a hard time looking away. I was unbelievably amazed that I was looking at the actual handwriting of notorious serial killers on paper, and I could barely believe my eyes that I was looking at actual artifacts and memorbilia, like the bra and panties of Aileen Wurnos. Around 3/4ths through the museum, I started feeling kinda nauseous. That had been a somewhat recurring theme during my New Orleans trip, and I truly think it was just because I was away from home in an unfamiliar territory (so I was anxious constantly, although I was having SO much fun), it was UNBELIEVABLY hot and humid being below sea level, so I was always sweaty and uncomfortable. And we were drinking alcohol every couple hours every single day, so my stomach just wasn't happy with me. And although I know for a fact I wasn't ill because of the material in the museum, but I'm sure it didn't help. I was *mostly* done with looking at what I wanted to anyway, so I asked Ashley if she'd sit down with me while we wait for the others to be done. We were hoping there would be some sort of seating toward the end, and sure enough, there was the perfect place for us to relax and wait. The end of the museum has a Theater of Death, it is literally just a room with maybe about 6-8 church pews in front of a movie theater screen TV, that just plays an endless stream of gore. We were seeing heads get chopped off, violent executions, police finding dead bodies inside attics, and just the most gory scenes. It was such a funny and ironic moment, that we went to find solace and somewhere to relax, and that was where we wound up. Even though I can handle A LOT of gore, even sitting watching that for 20-25 minutes straight was quite the sickening experience. I feel like we spent ample time at the Museum of Death, and I don't feel like we rushed ourselves or missed anything. But I do hope I get the opportunity to go back another time, so I can get more time viewing and appreciating the artifacts collected to make such an interesting museum. I'd also love to see the other location(s?) of Museum of Death.

I walked out after 5 minutes. Tourist trap that profits off glorifying serial killers and…read morecommodifying murder through shock value. I didn't leave feeling thought-provoked, enlightened or creeped out. I left feeling heavy, confused and physically sickened. Some people may like that, like that one website from millennial times where they would show you shocking pictures of death to get clicks, but not me! Misleading signage in front makes it look educational. $20 basically helped to pay off this "museum's" investment in serial killer prison art, photos of dead/murdered people, including children, displayed like a quirky tchotchke. I identify as being dark and macabre, majorly Scorpio, super fascinated by medical history, psychology, shadow side of humans and support normalizing death, but my god, these are people's family members that were murdered or died by tragic accident being consumed for fun. The tone was to shock. It seemed to normalize the consumption of shocking acts, objectification of people and disruption of empathy. It also smelled really bad. I'm not trying to be vindictive (as someone who works at a science museum, could be improperly preserved specimens) but it smelled so bad I had to put my mask on. The back of the ticket says their exhibits may fall on you and they're not responsible. They don't explain this when they take your money and hand your admission card, didn't realize until I got back to my stay.

This piece just jumps and grabs you. it is amazing. I dare you not to look. You can't do it. It is…read morethe masterful work of Brazilian painter Carlos Eduardo Fernandes Leo, AKA (artistically known as) Eduardo Kobra. The mural was painted in 2019 and is 45 feet tall. It depicts a close up of a wide eyed Louis Armstrong blowing into his trumpet. The artist had to work around 10 windows on the building to paint the mural and keep the flow going. In order to do so, he just blended them into the mural's colorful translucent geometric pattern. It is very realistic and looks like a photograph. However, the mural is divided into different color filtered squares. Those geometric patterns are a trademark of Kobra's style. Kobra said, the rainbow colors "symbolize that people are all the same." It really looks like he is looking at you. This is one of my favorite pieces, not only in the CBD, but in the entire city. The mural is on the side of The Rampart Hotel and overlooks a paid parking lot. The building is over 100 tears old and fittingly is located in a part of the city that what was known for jazz-era nightclubs. There is metered street parking and paid lots available nearby to park and get out to take a closer look. You could also get a good look from the windshield of your car doing a slow rolling drive by. Anyway, as with most murals I have reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You should consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals and attractions in the area, such as the SuperDome, to maximize your time and trip. Fu Fact: The mural was dedicated on the 118th anniversary of the Satchmo's birth.

Today I had a reading with Miss Raven! The shop was able to schedule me in and before I knew it,…read moreRaven was whisking me away for our read! It was amazing! I laughed, almost cried, felt seen!!! Thank you so much for your wisdom, insight, and time with me!

This shop is recommended by NOLA famous High Priest Robi Gilmore as authentic. They have tons of…read moreherbs and ingredients to practice vodou (which is the actual way to spell and say it if you're talking Haitian Creole, like voh-doo). They have alters and figurines. Candles and protective charms. There are educational explanations pinned up around the shop for many of the items on display so you can learn about the practice while perusing. They also have voodoo dolls, which Robi has mentioned are NOT an authentic part of the religion. While the shop has a lot of interesting inventory, it was super crowded in here and very touristy, so you really couldn't enjoy the wares or talk to the employees (who I'm told are knowledgeable and interesting, but alas I'll never know for myself). That's the main reason for four stars instead of five.

Definitely worth it to stop by if you're in the area for a photo with your group of friends. I've…read moregone here twice now for a photo. I actually just really love the artwork from Greetings Tour, so whenever I see a mural similar to this, I always take a photo in front it.

Super cute and colorful mural! Perfect for a shot to take back home from NOLA. Located on Magazine…read moreStreet away from the craziness in the French Quarter. There are many shops around. Perfect area to stroll around. It was not very busy. We went on a Sunday at 4:30 PM.

Black Butterfly "New…read moreOrleans is the only city that I've been in that if you listen, the sidewalks will speak to you." - John T. Scott Maybe this is why so many artists come from New Orleans. Jazz musicians. Writers. Painters. Chefs. Sculptors. Artists in so many different genres. I know that the streets and sidewalks of New Orleans always speak to me. Black Butterfly was sculpted by artist John T. Scott in aluminum. Scott received a MacArthur Genius Award. Amazing! Scott's works often explore themes related to the rich Afro-Caribbean culture and musical heritage of New Orleans. Scott taught art at Xavier University for over 40 years. It was interesting to hear his son, Ayo Scott who is also a gifted artist, talk about his dad's influence at a gallery opening several years ago.

I did 3 tours with Erin as my guide and 4 tours total with FQP…read more it was increíble to have someone so well versed in a variety of NOLA culture, history, architecture etc. to ask questions to the Tremé and Voodoo tour are highly recommended but all were awesome Erin was funny, informative ,and also super kind when I got lost and needed assistance figuring something out

We did the evening Ghost and Vampire Tour, and it was so bad we ended up leaving halfway through…read morebecause of our tour guide, Addie. She came across like an overly dramatic theater kid who couldn't dial it back. Her mannerisms and constant theatrics were cringey, and while maybe one or two stories had potential, the delivery completely ruined them. She would randomly go off on personal tangents (where she lives, her parents, and other irrelevant details) that had absolutely nothing to do with ghosts or vampires and added nothing to the experience. The worst part was her points system, where she'd give out points if people followed instructions or answered questions. For example, when we stayed on the sidewalk instead of walking in the street, she'd shout "10 points!" and point at each person while repeating it. It wasn't quirky or fun, it was just annoying. I wouldn't recommend this tour based on her alone. After our awful experience we tried another company called Nola Ghost Riders and I'd highly recommend them. They are located at the Voodoo Lounge off Decatur St, while French Quarter Phantoms is at Voodoo Lounge off Rampart St.

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans was absolutely great! The entire campus is incredibly well…read morelaid out, packed with tons of interactive exhibits that keep you fully engaged from start to finish. A massive highlight was the 4D theater movie narrated by Tom Hanks--it was awesome and is highly recommended if you visit. Make sure you give yourself definitely a few hours to go through everything so you can properly learn and take in as much as possible. If you are staying next door at the Higgins Hotel, there is a small ticket discount available, which is a nice perk. We didn't get to try the food inside the museum, choosing instead to go offsite to Magazine Pizza. It's located within steps of the museum and turned out to be a smarter choice cost-wise, I think!

Two of my cousins visit annually because they love this museum so much. When they told me that hat…read moreI knew we add it to our vacation itinerary! We decided to visit on a rainy Thursday morning. We got there right after they opened. All of the staff and volunteers were so friendly and helpful. We went through all of the exhibits at the museum. Learned a lot and am so glad we visited!

This is a historic spot. It's small inside- not fancy- it's real. No big lights, no big speakers,…read moreno mixers or autotune. Think- sitting in the living room. Old church style benches. Get your tickets early. The musicians were great- music was great. I loved it.

I was lucky enough to have visited Preservation Hall twenty eight years ago so I knew I had to come…read moreback since we'd be on vacation in New Orleans the first week of May. We made our reservations two weeks prior to our visit, since I believe that's the earliest you are able to. We were in line not long before they opened the doors. We had purchased front row seats and that was a wonderful treat! Being in that intimate setting to see and hear the incredible music performed is such a magical experience. I am thrilled I was able to share it with my fiancé who loved every minute of it!

I can't believe this museum is free. I only had time for the exhibit on The Revolutionary War, and…read moreit was remarkably well done. The interactive virtual experience provided a lot of interesting information and insight to the battles and events of this time period. I especially enjoy that you could see what the historical sites look like in the present time and how some of them are preserved. I really enjoyed this exhibit and learned quite a lot. The staff was helpful and it was easy to check in at the front desk.

At some point during my research for an upcoming trip to New Orleans I started getting ads for this…read moreplace. I was a little annoyed, but figured I might want to keep in mind this free museum about New Orleans. While there is so much to do in New Orleans, its nice to have something to do if you are feeling like you won't want to spend a lot of money or might want to leave quickly if you don't like. This is much bigger than it looks like from the outside. It also really nice on the inside, everyone I talked to here was really friendly. There are a variety of exhibits to check out. Some held my interest more than others, but this was definitely a good way to spend a couple hours. Even if you don't want to check out the museum there is a super cute coffee shop and courtyard on site which looks like a nice place to spend some time sitting. There's a store too, but I did not have time to check this out. I enjoyed learning that this used to be a rich person's residence and that he was the owner of the organ. We did watch the organ presentation and I found it very interesting. The ipad interactive American Revolution exhibit did not hold my interest as much, but I am sure many people enjoyed it. You do have to get a free ticket for this exhibit, which I assume is so they don't run out of ipads. Looks like this was just starting and we must have been one of the first people to check this out. I found the current Civil Rights and French Quarter parts to be much more interesting to me. The 18 minute video is a little hard to watch with images appearing on all 4 walls, but it is a good place to sit down and take a break. Looks like the exhibits change regularly and there are many other tours available at different times (some do cost money). I would certainly stop here on my next trip, especially if I just had a couple hours to kill and was feeling like I had not checked out enough museums. Its nice to have free educational things to round out a vacation. There were some kids doing a scavenger hunt who seemed to be enjoying themselves.