A Culture Lover’s Guide to New Orleans

Just around the corner from Jackson Square in the French Quarter sits one of the city’s most famous bookshops: Faulkner House Books. This compact bookstore, which occupies the former home of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer William Faulkner, is a fantastic place to stock up on titles by and about its namesake author, as well as rare books and first editions by authors from NoLa and beyond. Visit on your own or on a New Orleans literary tour.

While many visitors to New Orleans are familiar with French Quarter culture, the adjacent Faubourg Marigny is arguably the true heart of music culture in New Orleans. Head to the neighborhood’s main drag, Frenchmen Street, to hear musicians show off their talents at famous jazz venues such as Blue Nile and The Spotted Cat Music Club, or make your way to just beyond the edge of the neighborhood to check out the exhibits at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

Insider tip:Going with a guide is a great way to have an authentic New Orleans jazz experience.

Also on Frenchmen Street, JAMNOLA (an acronym of Joy Art Music New Orleans) aims to spark happiness through exhibits that focus the city's artistic and cultural traditions, immersively. This family-friendly experiential space features 29 art- and music-filled exhibits created with the help of more than 100 New Orleans artists. Each installation ties back to the Big Easy and its rich cultural heritage, with nods to everything from Creole cuisine to Mardi Gras traditions.

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is the city’s premier art museum, with a collection of nearly 50,000 works by artists from around the world. Here you'll find works by the likes of Monet, Picasso, Renoir, and Gauguin, along with temporary exhibitions featuring everything from photography to mixed media. The museum's Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is also worth a visit, with more than 90 pieces of art spread across tree-lined gardens.

A short jaunt from the Garden District, the Warehouse District is a fabulous place to immerse yourself in art, with numerous art galleries (many housed in old warehouses), particularly along Julia Street, as well as popular museums such as the National WWII Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center. The District is also a culinary hot spot, with several restaurants helmed by James Beard Award–winning chef Emeril Lagasse, including Emeril's.

Related: 9 of the Best Museums in New Orleans and How To Visit

New Orleans is known for its culinary traditions, and plenty of people visit the city to try out local favorites, from bananas foster to crawfish étouffée. For a deeper introduction to the region’s famous Cajun and Creole cooking styles, head to the New Orleans School of Cooking and learn how to whip up some classic dishes yourself. Demonstration classes are a great way for time-pressed visitors to learn the basics, though you may prefer spending a bit more time with an immersive, hands-on cooking class instead.

Insider tip: If you don’t feel like cooking, but still want to try authentic New Orleans cuisine, a food tour may be just the ticket.

On the edge of the French Quarter, near the banks of the Mississippi River, the French Market is a spectacular place to pick up Cajun and Creole ingredients—including easy-to-use (and transport) spice mixes—along with locally made gifts to bring back home. It’s also one of the most popular historic sites in New Orleans, with a history dating back some 200 years. Don’t miss the chance to sample beignets and chicory coffee at the market’s most famous eatery: Cafe du Monde.

Housed in a former funeral home in the heart of Tremé, the oldest African-American neighborhood in the country, the Backstreet Cultural Museum provides a window into some of the most important cultural traditions in New Orleans. Here you can see elaborate suits made specifically for processions as well as ephemera related to second-line parades and their predecessor, jazz funerals. Visit on a Sunday for the chance to participate in an immersive second-line parade tour.

New Orleans has long been associated with voodoo and hoodoo traditions in the US, but there are plenty of misconceptions about what they entail. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is a good place to learn about voodoo history. The museum offers both traditional exhibits and guided tours designed to both demystify some of the legends behind voodoo practices and entertain visitors. And don’t miss Voodoo Authentica, a shop owned and operated by voodoo practitioners.