Incredible Things to Do in New Orleans!
The Grand Victorian B&B was the perfect place for our long weekend NOLA visit. It is in the heart of the Garden District, making walking to Magazine St., Commander’s Palace, and other places very easy. It is right on the streetcar line which we used to go to our favorite beignet place
Kathleen S
When you are planning a New Orleans vacation, remember the old expression, “any excuse for a party.” In Louisiana, we live up to this expression!
There are incredible things to do in New Orleans! Many of the festivals are perfect for a day trip from the Grand Victorian. Consider our bed and breakfast in New Orleans as an alternative to a hotel. We’re only 15 minutes away from the French Quarter. We offer incredible lodging near Tulane & Loyola Universities, the Audubon Park Zoo, Caesar’s Superdome, and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center…all on the historic St. Charles Avenue streetcar line just 10 feet from the front gate of the Grand Victorian! And, we’re within walking distance to Magazine Street, one of New Orleans’ premier shopping and entertainment districts!
Use this handy guide to see how close we are to your favorite New Orleans venue: the universities, the French Quarter, the Convention Center and more!
Learn How to Ride a New Orleans Streetcar
The St. Charles streetcar line stops right at our front door! You can learn how to use streetcars to get around New Orleans during your visit in this video:
Within Walking Distance or Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast
Many popular New Orleans attractions are just a walk away. You will find many popular New Orleans attractions all within walking distance of the Grand Victorian.
Established in 1833, Lafayette Cemetery No.1 in the Garden District of New Orleans is a unique monument to a city that has known a tremendous amount of cultural diversity. It is the perfect place to visit during the day.
Visit Lafayette Cemetery
Nestled in the middle of the Garden District, stands this turquoise and white Victorian fantasy of a building– complete with turrets, columns, and gingerbread. Since 1880, Commander’s Palace has been a New Orleans landmark known for the award-winning quality of its food and many commodious dining rooms.
Visit Commander’s Palace
Magazine Street — one of New Orleans’ premier shopping and entertainment districts — is an unparalleled collection of neighborhoods with a diverse array of businesses, shops, restaurants, and hot spots. It’s where people live, work, play, and enjoy the good life that New Orleans has to offer. Visit Magazine Street
The Garden District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are St. Charles Avenue to the north, 1st Street to the east, Magazine Street to the south, and Toledano Street to the west.
History, Culture, & the Arts Nearby
Many of these well-known New Orleans attractions are an easy streetcar ride from the Grand Victorian and offer visitors a way to explore the local culture, history, and arts in the area. Consider our B&B as an alternative to New Orleans hotel lodging near Tulane University.
Aquarium, IMAX Theatre, Insectarium, Zoo
Audubon Nature Institute is a family of ten museums and parks dedicated to nature. We serve our visitors, our community, and our world as an educational resource, an environmental guardian, a leader in economic development, and a venue for family entertainment.
The Contemporary Arts Center is a multi-disciplinary arts center, financially stable and professionally managed, that is dedicated to the presentation, production, and promotion of the art of our time. Visit cacno.org
Make sure to visit us the next time you are in town. Located in historic Mid-City, the Fair Grounds has been a New Orleans staple since 1842.
For over 200 years, the historic French Market has been among the people of New Orleans. While the market has existed on the same site since 1791, each new decade and the governing flag has brought dramatic changes to the Market and helped to secure its special place in the hearts of the people of New Orleans.
Visit frenchmarket.org
French Quarter History consists of over 200 years of history. The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter.
Visit frenchquarter.com
Friends of the Cabildo is a private non-profit volunteer group that provides financial and volunteer support for the Louisiana State Museum, its projects, and its properties.
Visit friendsofthecabildo.org
Harrah’s New Orleans Casino is one of the most exciting casinos in the country. Inside, you’ll find life-sized Mardi Gras floats, French Quarter balconies, and a pirate’s ship.
Visit harrahsneworleans.com
Step into the city’s rich past at one of these historic New Orleans homes. Visit some of the nation’s oldest, still-standing examples of original French, Spanish and American architecture. Visit more information on New Orleans historic homes…
A leading authority on historic preservation in the French Quarter, the museums of Hermann-Grima and Gallier Historic Houses, offer entertaining and interactive programming designed to stimulate the curiosity in the history of this great city of New Orleans.
Visit hgghh.org
Longue Vue’s mission is to preserve and use the historical and artistic legacy of Longue Vue and its creators to educate and inspire people to pursue beauty and civic responsibility in their lives.
Visit longuevue.com
Awaken your love of history and patriotic pride at a New Orleans museum that features exhibits, priceless documents, and more. From contemporary to southern, to classical art and sculpture, there is a New Orleans museum to awaken your senses.
Visit neworleansmuseums.com | For New Orleans Museum of Art see noma.org
The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region.
Visit hnoc.org
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans opened on June 6, 2000, as The National D-Day Museum. The Museum tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.
Visit nationalww2museum.org
Once the site of Allard Plantation, facing Bayou St. John, City Park’s 1,300 acres offer visitors a sample of the city’s riches both in fine art and natural splendor. City Park is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art and the largest collection of mature live oaks in the world. Trees in the oldest grove are over 600 years old.
Visit neworleanscitypark.com
We provide mobility to residents of the city as well as to large numbers of tourists, taking them to and from their hotels to historical neighborhoods and countless attractions. Many ride the RTA’s iconic streetcars simply for the fun of it.
Visit norta.com
For over 30 years, Snug Harbor has provided the best in live jazz & great regional cooking at reasonable prices. Snug is located in three rooms of a renovated 1800’s storefront located in the Faubourg Marigny, just outside the French Quarter.
Visit Snug Harbor
Spring Fiesta has continued to be committed to promoting the beauty and heritage of the “Crescent City.” The Spring Fiesta Festival, our largest annual event, has grown into a major cultural event focusing on the historical and architectural delights of the city.
Visit springfiesta.com
Preservation Hall is located in the French Quarter, just three blocks from the Mississippi River. The Hall has served many functions over the years. Originally built as a private residence in 1750, the hall has evolved into a tavern, inn, photo studio, and art gallery.
Visit preservationhall.comWithin the New Orleans Area
Many of these well known New Orleans attractions are an easy streetcar ride from the Grand Victorian and offer visitors a way to explore the local culture, history and arts in the area. Consider our B&B as an alternative to New Orleans hotel lodging near Tulane University.
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sport and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Plans were drawn up in 1967 by the New Orleans modernist architectural firm of Curtis and Davis.
Visit Superdome
Located Along the mighty Mississippi River, within walking distance of the French Quarter, fine dining, attractions, and 20,000 first-class hotel rooms, The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (MCCNO), the nation’s sixth-largest convention center, is the engine that drives the Crescent City’s hospitality industry.
Visit MCCNO.com
New Orleans Arena is an indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city’s Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It has been home to the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA since 2002 and is also home to some Tulane University basketball games as well as some high school basketball games and other special events. Visit New Orleans Arena
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,000-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. We create $5 billion in new capital each year- more than any other business sector- by attracting millions of visitors, special events, and conventions.
Sites and Attractions within a One Hour Drive
There are many sites and attractions that are only within a one hour drive from Grand Victorian. They are well worth the time it takes to drive there. A few are partners of ours as well, feel free to pay them a visit.
Explore Louisiana’s backcountry along its meandering bayous abundant with wildlife and exotic plant life.
Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour visit Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour
Located only twenty-five minutes from New Orleans, Jean Lafitte Swamp and Airboat Tours explore Louisiana’s backcountry
Plantation Tours
South Louisiana is known for its beautiful antebellum architecture and there are plenty of plantation homes that are within an hours drive from New Orleans. Get a feel for the Antebellum South as you look out over rows of oak trees to the Mississippi river from the porch of a plantation home.
Tour through the city for an in-depth narrated guided tour of New Orleans’ famous neighborhoods. Or enjoy a plantation tour where your guide’s stories of the Antebellum South prepare you for a pilgrimage back in time.
Visit toursbyisabelle.com
Wandering among the authentic buildings on the plantation after the tour of the lovingly restored main house, you can find yourself immersed in the rich history of Louisiana and better understand what it is like to live in another time when French was the language and the white gold of sugar drove the economy.
Visit destrehanplantation.org
Evergreen Plantation is the most intact plantation complex in the South with 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 slave cabins. Evergreen has its country’s highest historic designation and joins Mount Vernon and Gettysburg in being granted landmark status for its agricultural acreage.
Visit evergreenplantation.org
Enjoy a guided tour of the 200-year-old sugar plantation homestead with a visit into the 3 gardens: Jardin Français, the kitchen potager & the Bananaland grove. The Laura plantation also features newly restored Big House, its raised basement and galleries, men’s and women’s parlors, service rooms, and common rooms.
Visit lauraplantation.com
Nottoway, the South’s largest remaining antebellum mansion, is a stunning historic plantation that lies between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. A dramatic, renovation has restored this historic plantation to her days of glory as well as added luxury resort amenities and corporate and social event venues. Visit nottoway.com
Located on the Mississippi River between the historic Louisiana cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Oak Alley Plantation has been called the “Grande Dame of the Great River Road”.
Visit oakalleyplantation.com
Restaurants
So many great places just a walk or streetcar ride away. Enjoy the neighborhood of the Garden District. These are some of our favorites, however, way too many in New Orleans to list them all. You have come to the right place to eat! (Our favorites are marked *)
Walk from the Grand Victorian
Favorite Breakfast Places
Got a Sweet Tooth?
Streetcar or Short Drive Away
Just so you Know they are Nearby
Tourism Partners and Organizations}
LOUISIANATRAVEL.COM is the official travel authority for the state of Louisiana. Travel tips, videos, interactive maps, articles by experts, and personalized recommendations help you plan your ultimate Louisiana vacation.
Visit Louisiana Travel
Founded in 1906 with a mission to collect, preserve, interpret and present the state’s rich history and diverse cultures, the Museum’s collection now totals more than 450,000 artifacts and works of art. These provide an authentic experience of Louisiana to visitors from around the world while enhancing the quality of life for residents.
Visit Louisiana State Museum
What's Happening in New Orleans?
“There’s always some way to enjoy New Orleans” – let this calendar guide you
“Around the clock, every day, every week, every month – New Orleans has it going on and on. From festivals and second lines to music shows, dance performances, comedy and performing arts, it’s here. Interested in sports? The outdoors? Dining and cocktail events? New Orleans has all that and more. Check this calendar for what you might expect to see, and know that you’ll also find the unexpected.”