French Quarter Walking Tours
Daily tours at 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
1850 House Museum Store • 523 St. Ann
Online bookings are the best and only way to reserve tickets, day of the tour tickets are almost always available if all online tickets are not sold-out. ($30 for adults, $20 for students 12-college, Under 12 Free).
You can purchase here, the ticket link to the right, purchasing the day of or by calling the store at (504) 524-9118
Our French Quarter walking tours are conducted by city licensed guides and emphasize the history, architecture, and folklore of this fascinating city.
Tour and store proceeds benefit Friends of the Cabildo, a non-profit volunteer group organized in 1956 to provide support for the Louisiana State Museum.
In addition to other cultural institutions throughout the state, there are five museums in the New Orleans French Quarter that are operated by the Louisiana State Museum. Tour tickets include admission to the 1850 House Museum and you can purchase tickets to the Cabildo, Presbytere and New Orleans Jazz Museum at the 1850 House.
Shop at the 1850 House Museum Store before or after your tour for great books and local mementos of your visit to New Orleans!
Please call the store (504-524-9118) about tour availability during New Years, Mardi Gras, French Quarter Fest, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It’s Better to Walk With a Friend
We love school groups of all ages to tour New Orleans and the French Quarter
Book a Corporate or Private Group with the Friends and support the Louisiana State Museum
We can handle schools from K-12 to colleges and students of all ages and have done groups from 2 to 200. Contact the FOC office at 504-523-3939 or contact Barbara Holdsworth (Education Coordinator), barabra@friendsofthecabildo.org to reserve your French Quarter Tour, Museum Docent Tour, Neighborhood Tour or Step-On Bus Guide.
Neighborhood and Cultural Tours
Put on your best walking shoes, bring a bottle of water and a good camera, and join us for a special walking tour! Tickets are limited to 15 spots for each tour, and no tickets are sold the day of the tour. Don’t miss out. Reservations are required. Please see our events calendar for dates and ticket information. Tours are $25, or $20 for Friends of the Cabildo/Louisiana Museum Foundation members.
Battle of New Orleans Tour
The Battle of New Orleans was a defining event in America’s national identity. The Friends of the Cabildo Battle of New Orleans tour offers a fascinating look at the battle away from the battlefield, from lost locations of forts that protected the city, to Jackson’s headquarters, to events in the French Quarter related to the unfolding battle. First developed for the Bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans, the tour continues to draw historians, locals, and guests for a unique perspective on this turning point in American history.
Garden District Tour
Most residents and visitors alike know of the Garden District as a stunning neighborhood full of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture, bounded by Jackson, St. Charles, and Louisiana avenues, and Magazine Street. But do you know who established the Garden District? What part did the NO & Carrollton Railroad play? Why do we always hear tour guides reference “Lafayette” and “Livaudais?” Discover the answers to those questions and more when exploring the Garden District with the Friends of the Cabildo. As we unveil the Garden District’s incredible architecture, and the influence of culture, climate, political events, and famous figures on the area, you will see these grand residences as more than just beautiful houses; they are the enduring statements of mid-nineteenth century Americans in New Orleans.
Faubourg St. Mary Tour (Central Business District)
Walking along the busy concrete sidewalks of the Central Business District today, it is difficult to imagine that the streets now shaded by skyscrapers were originally part of Belair, the plantation of city founder Bienville—part of his 1719 land grant which stretched to the present-day Jefferson Parish line. The Friends of the Cabildo Faubourg St. Mary walking tour reveals the history behind the present day commercial district, from the plantation beginnings through the explosive American growth during the 1800s, to the present day revival. This tour provides a historic backdrop for a new appreciation of the American Sector.
Lower Garden District Tour
Nineteenth century residential life in New Orleans comes alive through the Friends of the Cabildo Lower Garden District Tour! The district’s extensive collection of 1800s residences- primarily side hall, double-galleried homes in the Greek Revival and Italianate styles – will capture your imagination with both the romance and realities of life in these grand homes in the age before modern conveniences. Bounded by the Crescent City Connection, Mississippi River, Jackson Avenue and St. Charles Avenue, the Lower Garden District was developed as six different faubourgs, and it known for its many irregularly shaped parks. You will gain a new understanding of the history and culture of the area through a review of its architecture, geography and famous residents.
South Market District Tour
A booming area of revitalization at the intersection of the Central Business District, Medical District, and the sports/entertainment corridor of downtown, the South Market District is experiencing a renaissance placing it squarely in the up-and-coming areas of the city. But what was the historical significance of South Market before the construction projects? What are the stories behind the buildings being redeveloped as apartments, condominiums, hotels, and restaurants? Join the Friends of the Cabildo as we examine the fascinating mix of adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and new construction in the “Old CBD.” This one-time tour of rapidly transforming South Market will provide a unique snapshot of techniques used to resurrect this district while preserving its historic character.
Treme Cultural Tour
This walking tour of Treme provides a rich, detailed perspective on one of the city’s oldest and most storied neighborhoods. Originally known as “back of town,” the old Creole feel of Treme makes it easy to imagine the early 1800s multicultural community formed by immigrants, free people of color, and refugees from Saint-Domingue. An important center of the city’s African-American and Creole culture, Treme is the cherished home of fourth and fifth generation residents who strive to maintain the area’s cultural and social traditions. We will trace the origin and development of Treme through the amazing nineteenth century architecture (including Creole cottages, townhouses, and shotgun houses), geography, and urban influences dating from the subdivision of this land by Claude Treme in the 1790s to the present day.
