Things to Do in New Orleans Louisiana

Activities

A great start to a New Orleans vacation is the Natchez River Boat. Enjoy the food, scenery, and music during a cruise down the Mississippi on a real steamboat. Learn more about New Orleans at the Musée Conti Historical Wax Museum, which tells more than 300 years of history, legend and scandal using the 154 life-size figures displayed in historically accurate settings. Visit Mardi Gras World, where thousands of sculptured props and breath-taking giant figures are displayed, and the artists work here as they build the floats for next year's Mardi Gras. New Orleans is also home to the National World War II Museum, with exhibits that encompass the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, the Home Front during WWII, and the D-Day Invasions in the Pacific, using text panels, artifacts, and Personal Account stations in which visitors may listen to the stories of WWII veterans.

Events

The Louisiana Superdome is home to College Football's New Year's Day Sugar Bowl. In addition to the game, Sugar Bowl events also include a prep football classic, a swimming invitational, a sailing regatta, a basketball classic, a pep rally and more.

Mardi Gras season begins on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6 and is a time for parties, parades, balls and celebrations. The final day is Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday, held on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

"What a Wonderful World" you'll discover during the Satchmo Summerfest in the French Quarter, honoring Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. The program includes musical performances, jazz exhibits, activities for budding young jazz fans, a club crawl, "red beans and ricely yours" foods, and a star-studded line-up of performances.