6 to 8 hours in New Orleans what to do ?

[MimitoAlex]

DH and I will be in New Orleans for around 6 to 8 hours during the day, possibly into the late afternoon or early evening. We are planning on going to the WWII museum which is a great interest to us, what else can we do. It's hot as Hades there right now we need to take that into consideration.

One friend suggested paying for the hop on hop off bus, as a easy way to get around and hit just the highlights. She said that looking for air-conditioning is a must.

So what highlights do you suggest? restaurants that is a must? some type of shopping street ? something not to be missed?

Thanks in advance..

 

[barb969]

There is a casino.

 

[Mathmagicland]

DH and I will be in New Orleans for around 6 to 8 hours during the day, possibly into the late afternoon or early evening. We are planning on going to the WWII museum which is a great interest to us, what else can we do. It's hot as Hades there right now we need to take that into consideration.

One friend suggested paying for the hop on hop off bus, as a easy way to get around and hit just the highlights. She said that looking for air-conditioning is a must.

So what highlights do you suggest? restaurants that is a must? some type of shopping street ? something not to be missed?

Thanks in advance..

The WWII museum may take up most of your time, as there is a lot to see.

Re hop on/hop off - if you are OK with no narration and want to see the city, a One-day Jazzy Pass might be a good option. $3.00 per person gets you all busses, street cars, and ferries in town for 24 hours…can’t beat that price! Get off and on as many times and whatever routes you want, not limited to a tour bus route.

https://www.norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/jazzy-passes

I’d suggest riding around the city, and maybe going to one of the old cemeteries. You can really see how Walt and the imagineers got their inspiration for New Orleans Square and Haunted Mansion in Disneyland.

 

[HopperFan]

The museum will def take up a few hours - I think we did it in about 2 hours but didn't read every single bit of information.

First question, have you ever been there before? If you haven't I would do the traditional walking around French Quarter, REAL Beignets at Cafe du Mondo, true NOLA lunch, some shops ...

If you have and don't need to be in the center (above) maybe a good guided cemetery tour or check out Mardi Gras World - great tour and story of Mardi Gras. They make most the floats, store them so you will see real ones and do outside work like CFA billboard cows and the old food court at POFQ.

 

[BrianL]

The WWII Museum is great and definitely worth seeing. There is also a great aquarium nearby on the river that might be good. It'll be nice and cool in there too!

 

[JLTraveling]

Don't pay for the bus, or any transportation with that limited amount of time. The museum will take up a lot of the time--schedule it for when you first arrive, when it will be the hottest. Spend the rest of your time just roaming the French Quarter. Yes, it's hotter than the surface of the sun here right now, but you'll have an endless array of shops/restaurants/bars to duck into whenever you need to cool off.

Specific streets depend on what you're into:

Bourbon Street is, well, everything you'd expect. Bars and strip clubs and people throwing beads off balconies and gigantic green glowing drinks. See it, take a pic, then get off it again (unless that's your scene).

Royal Street is all the fancy expensive antique shops. Wonderful place to gawk, probably a wonderful place to spend money if you have it lol

Decatur Street (the one that runs along the river) is sort of the alternative scene, especially as you head towards Esplanade Ave/the Marigny. Goth shops and dive bars and lots of street kids asking for money (but they're super nice, so don't be intimidated).

Crossing over Esplanade from Decatur, you'll be on Frenchmen, aka Bourbon Street for the locals. Really good jazz clubs, fun restaurants, and an amazing night market. Don't miss it!

Dumaine Street is voodoo row. The Voodoo Museum, Temple, and several voodoo shops are all within a few blocks of each other.

Barracks Street, especially near where it meets Decatur, is the place to go for vintage everything. It's all the same stuff as the antique shops, but it hasn't been cleaned and prettied up, and it's pretty cheap.

Jackson Square is the center of the French Quarter. St. Louis Cathedral, 3 museums, and a bunch of local shops form a ring. In the middle is the old hanging ground, which is now a sort of free speech zone. You'll find visual artists, mimes, tarot readers, and so much more. Another don't miss!

Otherwise, just poke around and see what you find. One of the best ways to enjoy this city is simply to step outside with no particular expectations or itineraries, and see how things unfold.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We really enjoyed taking a carriage tour. The narration was excellent and we got to cover a large area without walking it all. And we learned a lot!

Also definitely spend some time in Jackson Square. Make a lunch reservation at one of the famous restaurants. Get beignets. Visit a cemetery - some only allow people in on guided tours; you can’t walk around by yourself.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Went there once. I was over it in probably 2 hours. Have never been back.

 

[wvjules]

I'd spend the remainder of my time in the Jackson Square area. The museum will take up a lot of time. I personally liked the beignets at Café Beignet better than those at Café Du Monde; however, if you must get CDM, then go to the mall on the Riverwalk. Lines were much shorter. With such limited time you don't want to spend hours waiting in line.

 

[Praying Colonel]

If you only have 6-8 hours and the museum is your top priority, I'd focus on that and eating at a good local restaurant. Anything else and you're probably going to feel rushed.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

When we went to the WWII museum, we spent the entire morning there, left for lunch, and went back for another few hours. We stayed in a hotel within walking distance, which was great. There was a good restaurant nearby called Flamingo A-Go-Go that I would go to again. Beignets at Cafe du Monde on Jackson Square are a must.

 

[happybaker]

You probably won't have enough time for this with the WWII Museum, but I love the New Orleans School of Cooking. I've done it a few times now.

https://neworleansschoolofcooking.com/

 

[LSUmiss]

Went there once. I was over it in probably 2 hours. Have never been back.

That was very helpful.

 

[Disneychick13]

The WWII museum is great but it will take a while to really see everything. Are you catching a late flight or driving through?

 

[Southernmiss]

If you are going anytime soon, our region is experiencing record heat with heat index well over 100 each day.

Just be aware and keep in mind as you'remaking plans. It's suffocatingly hot for even us natives who can usually adapt to summer temperatures.

New Orleans is always a fun place to be, though.

 

[CGB]

We loved the National WWII museum. Without a doubt, one of the best historical museums in the country. If you get the opportunity, strike up a conversation with out of the curators. When I visited, I had a lovely chat with one of the older gentlemen who worked there. We began talking about current WWII movies and he shared that Tom Hanks visited the museum often. You never know what info they might share!

Although I agree with the suggestions of Cafe du Monde and other suggestions above, I'd also suggest a dinner cruise on one of the riverboats in the evening. It's a two-hour cruise on the Mississippi River on one of the most historical connections to New Orleans you can get. Plus, you get dinner and entertainment while watching the sun set. We did one a few years ago and had a great time.

 

[lilmc]

We love the Mardi Gras museum. If not a lot of time to eat, Central Grocery’s muffulettas can be purchased at their neighbor currently (being remodeled after a chimney collapse) and a great eat on the go meal. In the Cafe du Monde vs Cafe Beignet debate, I’m strongly camp Cafe du Monde and go every time.

centralgrocery.com

• Sidney's Wine Cellar • 917 Decatur Street • New Orleans

 

[bcla]

It's got to be Cafe du Monde. They set the standard.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Folks have suggested Cafe du Monde (which I also suggest) but please be aware:

1) they only take cash
2) the beignets have powdered sugar all over them so if you are wearing black or anything dark, you will look like you've gone on a cocaine bender
3) they are open 24 hours (not sure if this matters but still fun to know as I've been there at 3:30AM and the place was packed)

 

[SueInBoston]

Cochon is a great restaurant about 2 blocks from the WWII museum. The food is fabulous.