New Orleans Garden District Self Guided Walking Tour GPS APP

1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approximately)
Offered in: English

Explore the historic Garden District of New Orleans at your own pace with this self-guided walking tour. Discover architectural gems like Colonel Short's Villa and the iconic Buckner Mansion, learn about the fascinating stories behind the Seven Sisters homes, and visit the renowned Commander's Palace. This tour offers a unique glimpse into the city's rich history, including its ties to famous figures like Anne Rice and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Perfect for history enthusiasts and families alike, you can pause and resume the tour as you explore.

- Self-guided walking tour of New Orleans' Garden District
- Visit landmarks including Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and Commander's Palace
- Perfect for families; suitable for all ages
- Offline access available, allowing you to explore without internet connectivity

What's Included

Learn the story and see the sites of the Garden District.
Autoplay, the tour plays automatically with GPS as you walk
Go anytime, at your own pace, the tour never expires
Tour of the Garden District on our Self Guided Walking Tour App
No Admission this tour is all outside
No Human guide this tour is all on our walking tour app

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
The Rink Shopping Center

Begin at The Rink, an 1884 former roller-skating rink built for the World Cotton Centennial Exposition. Across the street, see Colonel Short’s Villa and its famous cast-iron cornstalk fence, created in 1859 for Short’s homesick Kentucky wife. Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis…

End point

Finish beside one of New Orleans' legendary above-ground cemeteries. Founded in 1833, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 contains roughly 7,000 people in around 1,100 family tombs, including yellow fever victims and Confederate General Harry T. Hays.

Itinerary

Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approximately)
  • 1
    Garden District

    This tour takes you through the streets of the garden district stopping at historic homes, and sharing the story of their past. Here about Anne Rice and the Vampires diaries, famous football players, historic legends, legendary characters, the best restaurants and learn the history of New Orleans.

    55 minutes • Admission ticket free
  • 2
    The Rink Shopping Center

    Begin at The Rink, an 1884 former roller-skating rink built for the World Cotton Centennial Exposition. Across the street, see Colonel Short’s Villa and its famous cast-iron cornstalk fence, created in 1859 for Short’s homesick Kentucky wife.

    5 minutes • Admission ticket free
  • Commander's Palace (Pass by)

    This Garden District institution began as a saloon and has been serving the neighborhood since 1893. Under the Brennan family, its kitchen helped launch culinary legends Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse; the tour recommends the turtle soup and bread pudding soufflé. Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis… Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis…

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Movie fans can see the Garden District house used as the retirement home in the 2008 Brad Pitt film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. New Orleans provided the backdrop for much of the movie, and this house appears at both the beginning and end of Benjamin's extraordinary story.

    Admission ticket free
  • Women's Guild of the New Orleans Opera (Pass by)

    This grand 1850s mansion eventually became home to the Women's Guild of the New Orleans Opera Association. Unlike many of the private mansions on the route, the house opens for tours on select days, giving visitors a rare opportunity to step inside a Garden District home.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    See one of architect Henry Howard’s earliest major commissions—and a house with a surprising football connection. It later became the longtime home of Saints quarterback Archie Manning, where Peyton and Eli Manning spent much of their childhood.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    See a Garden District mansion with connections to two very different entertainment icons. Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor lived here during his New Orleans years before actor John Goodman purchased the property in 2005. Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis…

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Legend claims these narrow homes were built by a father for his seven daughters—but count carefully and you'll discover there are actually eight. The real story reveals another side of Garden District architecture, including the African and Caribbean influences behind New Orleans' famous shotgun houses.

    Admission ticket free
  • Buckner Mansion (Pass by)

    One of the tour's showstoppers, Buckner Mansion was built in 1856 and was the largest private residence constructed in New Orleans before the Civil War. More recently, millions have seen it as Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies in American Horror Story: Coven. Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis…

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Discover the former home of Interview with the Vampire author Anne Rice. Rice purchased the mansion in 1989, and its Gothic atmosphere became intertwined with her fictional New Orleans—including its use as the setting for The Witching Hour and her Mayfair Witches novels.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, came here gravely ill in 1889 and died inside the house on December 6. Local ghost lore adds another twist: Davis is said to still wander the house searching for his missing boots.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    See one of New Orleans' most historic firehouses, built in 1851 and used for 140 years. It was the city's last fire station to trade its horse-drawn engine for a motorized truck and later became the New Orleans Fire Museum. Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis…

    Admission ticket free
  • Lafayette Cemetery No.1 (Pass by)

    Finish beside one of New Orleans' legendary above-ground cemeteries. Founded in 1833, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 contains roughly 7,000 people in around 1,100 family tombs, including yellow fever victims and Confederate General Harry T. Hays. Next door, Le Petit Bleu offers crêpes, coffee and casual dishes from the Brennan family. Greg V2 New Orleans' Garden Dis…

    Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Supplied by WalknTours
Show 1 more

Tags

Private and Luxury
Private Sightseeing Tours
Audio Guides
Architecture Tours
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Show more
from per person
Was {{formatPrice(summaryFromPriceBeforeDiscount, currency, 2)}}