Top 10 Places to Visit in New Orleans
The National WWII Museum is the United States’ official WWII museum and focuses on telling the complex story of this war with immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, artifacts from the time period, and first-person oral histories. This museum is quite charter bus-friendly, with a designated loading/unloading zone on Magazine Street (945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130) and complimentary bus parking two blocks down in the Museum’s parking lot under the I-10 overpass.
945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 528-1944
America's oldest Catholic Cathedral Faith Community, St. Louis Cathedral is a popular destination for thousands of tourists, regardless of faith. Visitors can stroll through Jackson Square and see it from the outside, take a tour of the inside and see its beautiful architecture and intricate stained-glass windows, or even attend Mass. Several of the streets surrounding the cathedral are closed to vehicles, so we recommend having your charter bus load/unload in front of Jackson Square on Decatur Street.
615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-9585
The Audubon Zoo gives visitors a chance to see exotic and endangered animals from around the globe through immersive habitats, up-close animal encounters, and thoughtfully crafted exhibits. One of their most popular by far is the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit, which offers an in-depth look at the ecosystem of Southern Louisiana. If you’re visiting during the warmer months, make sure to pack a swimsuit and cool off in their Splash Park & Lazy River (open seasonally). The Zoo makes it easy to start and end your day with group transportation, offering a designated loading/unloading zone right at the front gate and complimentary bus parking in the designated bus parking areas on Magazine Street and at Audubon Riverview Park.
6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 861-2537
Preservation Hall has been an institution in the New Orleans music scene since 1961 and works to protect, preserve, and perpetuate the tradition of New Orleans music. Visitors can support their mission and enjoy live jazz music from local musicians all in one by attending one of Preservation Hall’s nightly live performances. Just let us know what time your show starts, and we’ll drop you off on St Peter with plenty of time to get inside and find your seat.
726 Saint Peter Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 522-2841
Loud, colorful, and always open, Bourbon Street is where you call for a good time in New Orleans. With over 50 bars to choose from, many of which open 24-hours a day, those 21+ can get a Hurricane go-cup at long-standing institutions like Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar (the oldest structure used as a bar in the United States) and Lafitte-In-Exile (the oldest gay bar in the United States and favorite of 20th century playwright Tennessee Williams), or discover a new favorite like Tatlo, serving up absinthe cocktails made with 300-year-old water drips. Much of Bourbon Street itself is closed to vehicle traffic, so we recommend coordinating drop-off/pick-up with your driver beforehand at a specific address on Canal Street, Dauphine Street, or Bienville Street.
Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA
Within the 100 blocks of New Orleans’ French Quarter lies the French Market District, a six-block hub of shopping, dining, and entertainment stretching from the Upper Pontalba on Jackson Square to the Flea Market on Barracks and N. Peters Street that's been part of the city for 200 years. There’s something for every tourist here; foodies can enjoy beignets at Cafe Du Monde, families can step into the numerous candy and toy stores, shoppers can hunt for treasure in the Flea Market, and music lovers can listen to live performances from local musicians. Let us know where your group wants to start and end, whether that’s the same location or two different ones, and your charter bus driver will coordinate an exact spot, most likely on Decatur Street, to meet at.
518 Saint Peter Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 636-6400
The Audubon Aquarium is home to over 3,600 animals from more than 250 different species, including African Penguins, Moon Jellies, and even Piranhas, to name a few. A ticket to the Audubon Aquarium not only includes access to experiences like the Gulf Coral Exhibit and Great Maya Reef, but to the Audubon Insectarium next door, a garden with hundreds of free-flying butterflies overlooking the Mississippi River. Visitor drop-off and pick-up is permitted at the Aquarium’s front gate, but there is no official bus parking or staging area at the Aquarium.
1 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 565-3033
New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is the city’s oldest fine arts institution, having opened in 1911 with only nine works of art. Today, the museum has a permanent collection of almost 50,000 pieces of art, with particularly impressive collections of French, American, African, and Japanese artwork, as well as expansive exhibits in photography and glasswork. NOMA also hosts many different temporary exhibits throughout the year, so make sure to check out their website before you go for the most up-to-date information on what will be there during your visit. Charter buses can utilize the circular drive of Collins Diboll Cir outside the museum’s entrance for drop-off and pick-up and can park in any of the three free surface lots along Dreyfous Dr during your visit. There is more free parking available throughout City Park, but we recommend using one of these three lots for their size and proximity to NOMA.
One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park, New Orleans, LA 70124
(504) 658-4100
New Orleans City Park is a 1,300-acre oasis in the heart of NOLA and home to the largest grove of mature oaks in the world, some of which are almost 800 years old. In addition to providing ample space for outdoor activities such as fishing, disc golf, and tennis, the park is home to top attractions like the Louisiana Children’s Museum, the New Orleans Botanical Garden, and the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park (open seasonally). You could easily spend an entire day (or two) getting lost in the natural beauty of New Orleans that’s on display here. We recommend discussing which area of the park you plan to explore with your driver to determine the best locations for drop-off and pick-up. From there, your charter bus driver will be able to park in one of the many free surface lots available throughout City Park.
1 Palm Drive, New Orleans, LA 70124
(504) 482-4888
Every day is Mardi Gras at Mardi Gras World! Devoted to showcasing the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mardi Gras World gives visitors a rare behind-the-scenes look at the work and creativity that artists, sculptors, carpenters, welders, and craftsmen put into making the parade a reality each and every year. If you want to get even more into the Mardi Gras spirit, Mardi Gras World also offers a mini float building workshop for groups (45 person minimum). Mardi Gras World is located right next to Hall J of the New Orleans Convention Center, which is the easiest spot to use for drop-off and pick-up. Mardi Gras World also recommends using Convention Center Lot G for parking, which is available at $42.00 per oversized vehicle.
1380 Port of New Orleans Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 361-7821
504-272-2481
