Free Things to Do in New Orleans: From a Local

One of My Favorite Sculptures Peeking Out

City Park

By far one of my favorite things to do in New Orleans is meandering around the sculpture garden in City Park. This particular display of beautiful sculptures is free to everyone, and worth every penny you didn’t have to pay to see. It’s a serene, quiet space located next to the New Orleans Museum of Art, and frequented by locals and visitors alike. On a beautiful day, you might find me there taking photographs. A few of my New Orleans Collection notecards are even taken in the garden. The rest of the park is fantastic to visit as well, with the live oaks and moss all over the place. I'm there all the time for one reason or another, enjoying the scenery.

Audubon Park

Audubon Park has risen to one of my favorite places to take a stroll. In particular, there is a loop that goes for about 2 miles around, and you can find a golf course and nature with lots of birds along the way. Additionally, you can go to what's called "The Fly" and that borders the Mississippi River. Watching the big boats go by, watching a soccer game, or picnicking by the river is a true New Orleans pastime. It's something I grew up doing and still do to this day. If you want to do more, the zoo is on the same grounds, but the zoo is not free, so I'll leave that there.

Crescent Park

Another opportunity to see the Mississippi River from a different vantage point, Crescent Park is simply awesome. It's very much an urban park, as it has the feel of something more like the Highline in New York City. It's long and narrow, and you can find benches to sit on or a running or bike path there. You get to it by crossing over the Rusty Rainbow bridge, and that is one of my favorite things to take photos of in the city. It's along the Bywater neighborhood, so while you're at this park, walk around one of my favorite neighborhoods in New Orleans.

Gorgeous Tombs in Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery

Greenwood Cemetery 

At the end of the red streetcar line, you can make the stop at Greenwood cemetery, where you can stroll around and look at some amazing tombs. It's typically very quiet (shocking!) and not many people go here. The trip is an easy one because you can take the streetcar down (sorry, not free but practically free) and meander around some of the most beautiful above ground graves in the city. And get some beignets at Morning Call afterwards!

Metairie Lake Lawn Cemetery 

I'm very biased to this cemetery, as I often go walk around there "for fun" myself. You can definitely spot me walking around with my camera, and lately I've been getting people to let me take their portrait photos there because the scenery is just so special. The cemetery used to be a racetrack, so it has an interesting layout. To get here, you could take the red streetcar line, but you'd have to walk the rest of the way and it's a little precarious. I'd recommend taking an Uber or taxi to get to it for ease. It's very much worth visiting.

Holt Cemetery 

Holt cemetery is a humble yet fascinating cemetery that was introduced to me by a friend. She happens to love New Orleans cemeteries the most of anyone I know, and wanted to go there with me for the first time. To find it was interesting. It's located near the edge of City Park off of City Park Avenue, and near Delgado College. The cemetery is kind of hidden, so if you think you're lost, you probably aren't. There's a small entrance. And watch for the shorter hours when you do go.

M.S. Rau in the French Quarter

Garden District

One of the best neighborhoods to meander is the Garden District. It's not a huge area, and you can navigate around very easily. This neighborhood was comprised of several plantations originally, and eventually it was divided into smaller lots. The grandiose houses still remain, and many of them have plaques on their fences for you to get a snippet of history. I do recommend a paid tour if you want to learn more, but you can also create your own walking tours in the different neighborhoods in New Orleans.

French Quarter

How could I mention New Orleans neighborhoods and not mention the French Quarter? I'm going to focus mainly on Royal Street things to do, as it's my favorite street in the Quarter. I know you want to see Bourbon Street, so take a walk down there, but go back to Royal for more. Two notable stops on Royal Street in the French Quarter are The Historic New Orleans Collection and M.S. Rau. The former is a beautifully curated museum about New Orleans. The latter is a beautifully curated antique shop that looks like a museum but is actually a store where you can buy things. A few other notable things to watch for in the French Quarter are: Jackson Square, the Moonwalk along the river, and listen for live music for some good old New Orleans jazz in the streets. And don't forget to walk through the French Market.

Bywater & Marigny

The great thing about these two neighborhoods, Bywater and Marigny, is that they are adjacent to each other and adjacent to the French Quarter. You'll have to walk through the Marigny to get to Bywater, so you may as well enjoy them both. After you've had your way with the French Quarter, walk down Dauphine Street and into the Marigny, crossing Elysian Fields. Some of the best photographable houses in the city are around these areas, so make sure you have your camera ready. Remember that New Orleanians actually live here, so be respectful and kind, and do say hello. We love a good conversation about our city. You might even get invited inside a house!

The Sazerac House

Sazerac House Museum

Maybe “drinks” is a stretch, but this free tour with samples at the Sazerac House will whet your tastebuds for something delicious. Visiting the Sazerac House is one of my very favorite free things to do in New Orleans, even as a local. Learning about the history of the drink called the Sazerac, and about many other aspects of the alcohol making and distribution is a huge part of our culture. Don’t blame me if, when they spit you out to the gift shop, you end up spending your weight on alcohol. That’s what happened to me, but hey, the tour was free. It’s a trade-off! I also have a bunch of other ideas in this blog post.

Swamp Walk

Walking in the swamp where I am going to recommend will require a car or transportation of some sort. It's about 40 minutes from the city in Barataria, but a couple of times per year I find it to be so worth the effort. In fact, some friends from out of state told me it was their favorite thing they had done in New Orleans. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park is my favorite place to get some reprieve from the busy and loud city and be in nature. You can spot anything from rabbits to squirrels to spiders to alligators along your walk. So many birds are waiting for you to snap their picture. It's truly dreamy, and something you wouldn't find in most places you visit.

Mardi Gras

Maybe Mardi Gras should get its own category, but I'm going to just mention here that this is the best free show on earth. Each and every year, locals and visitors alike enjoy Mardi Gras, and when you go you will see why. The entertainment is endless. Go to parades, get into your costumes, people watch, indulge on king cake...it's all worth the effort to be here. My guide on how to enjoy Mardi Gras like a local should help with some of your questions as well. You definitely don't want to do it any other way. If unique experiences are your jam, put Mardi Gras in New Orleans on your list of things to do. You might come back for more every year after.

Eating at a French Quarter Fest

French Quarter Fest

As a local, I love the French Quarter Fest probably the most. At least it's my favorite free festival, to be clear. The weather is usually perfection that weekend in April - it almost never fails to be. I'm always in a fabulous mood and ready to sit in the grass and watch band after band play on the stages in Jackson Square. That's my favorite spot to watch the music. If you love festivals, this is one to take note and attend. It runs for a full 4 days (Thursday to Sunday) and the acts are out of this world. And it's FREE!

Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival

The Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival is fantastic because it's in November, a month not always associated with festivals here. But what a great month to have a festival. It's in the beautiful Louis Armstrong park that is adjacent to the French Quarter and in Tremé neighborhood proper and it's put on by the Jazz and Heritage Foundation. You know it's a great even if they put it on. It lasts two days, and you can hear all kinds of amazing musicians. If you're here in November, do try to make this festival.

Satchmo Summer Fest

The Satchmo Summer Fest is a great reprieve (mentally) from the heat of August. Honoring the great Louis Armstrong (AKA Satchmo), you'll hear music all around the Jazz Museum, which used to be the US Mint. It's always the first weekend of August, so if you do decide to come here during our hotter months, you may consider this weekend as an opportunity to hear some live music and hear it for free. Our festivals never disappoint, and be sure to bring your portable fan and your water bottle with ice water to this one. You'll need it in the heat!

The best things in life are free, and that goes for some of my best ideas in my hometown of New Orleans. Whether you're coming for the food, the music, the art galleries, or the tours of New Orleans, you'll be happy you came. This list is easy and to the point, and it enhances any visit here. While many activities do require paying, this list of free things to do in New Orleans will get you far and keep you busy. Trust me, I love a good deal, and there is no better deal than free. These experiences don’t feel cheap, though. You’ll come away with a good feeling about your time spent, and then you can come back for more. So what are you waiting for? Let’s book that trip!

Some (paid) tours of New Orleans I recommend are: Orion Couling who does the best haunted and cemetery/Voodoo tours, and  Two Chicks Walking Tours who do a fabulous Garden District tour and Historical Carrollton walking tour

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