Immerse yourself in the unique rhythms of the city and feel the beat of New Orleans’ signature musical genre.
A Music Lover’s Guide to New Orleans

Although it’s hard to imagine an era when a live jazz show was a rarity in New Orleans, the rock ‘n’ roll craze sweeping the nation in the ‘50s and ‘60s threatened to drive jazz music into the annals of history. Larry Borenstein’s Associated Artists gallery became a haven for local jazz legends to “rehearse,” at his invitation, including George Lewis, Punch Miller, Sweet Emma Barrett, Billie and De De Pierce, The Humphrey Brothers, and dozens more.

Passing through New Orleans on the return from their honeymoon in Mexico City, Pennsylvania couple Allan and Sandra Jaffe stopped into one such rehearsal session that changed their lives. Before they knew it, they had moved to New Orleans and were responsible for the operations of what had since become Preservation Hall. This venue promoted the unique cultural mélange of New Orleans jazz, drawing influence from the local melting pot of African, Caribbean, and European musical traditions at the turn of the twentieth century, and continued its integrationist legacy as a rare space in the South where black and white patrons gathered to share music during the Jim Crow era.

Today, Preservation Hall is managed by the Jaffes’ son Ben, and is open nightly for 45-minute performances. Bring the whole family to this all-ages venue for an evening of unforgettable jazz, honoring this unique musical form in the very cauldron from which it emerged.

Only in New Orleans can you visit a U.S. National Park devoted solely to jazz, complete with its very own “Jazz Rangers.” Created in 1994, this park offers a family-friendly French Quarter experience for visitors of all ages to learn about the history of this uniquely American music form in its birthplace.

Begin your visit in Armstrong Park, just north of the French Quarter, where the National Park Service leases four acres to house its collection of bronze statues depicting jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Mahalia Jackson, Mardi Gras Indian Chief Tootie Montana, a brass band, and jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden. Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901 in the neighboring Storyville neighborhood, where he got his first job playing trumpet at the age of seven.

Continue your visit by passing through Congo Square, a historic gathering place for enslaved peoples who assembled there on Sundays to sing, drum, dance, sell wares, and find community. If you’re passing through on a Sunday afternoon, you might be lucky enough to witness the revived drum circle tradition in Congo Square yourself.

Finally, be sure to stop by the Visitor’s Center, located at 419 Decatur Street in the French Quarter. There, you can partake in the free weekly concert series and learn more about the fascinating history of this pivotal music form, with its quintessential rhythm still singing in your ears.

Naturally the city that invented jazz and brunch has a host of jazz brunch offerings to choose from. But jazz brunch at the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States? Now that’s something to toot one’s proverbial horn about.

Antoine’s Restaurant was opened by Antoine Alciatore in 1840 and has been serving its signature French-Creole cuisine out of its current French Quarter location on St. Louis Street since 1868. The restaurant boasts 15 dining rooms, several of which are named after Mardi Gras krewes, and a fleet of famous diners, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Pope John Paul II, and Whoopi Goldberg, just to name a few!

Five generations of the Alciatore family have stewarded the restaurant to its current iteration, which still proudly serves dishes invented by Antoine’s son, Jules, including Oysters Rockefeller and Eggs Sardou. For those partaking in libations, bottomless mimosas or sparkling wine are on offer for $18, or if you’re feeling fiery, try the Café Brûlot Diabolique, Antoine’s original spiked chicory coffee, served “flamed tableside.”

While brunch is on offer Saturday and Sunday at Antoine’s, the Jerry Embree Trio performs exclusively on Sundays from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations are recommended, and dress code is “smart casual,” which means no cargo or athletic shorts, baseball hats, or flip-flops, and collared shirts are recommended for gentlemen.

Emblematic of the indomitable New Orleanian spirit, Kermit’s Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge on the historically black Claiborne Avenue has undergone several rebirths to arrive at its current iteration. Originally opened in 1994 by renowned New Orleans R&B artist Ernie K-Doe, the venue is named after his chart-topping hit, “Mother-in-Law.” Following Ernie’s death in 2001, his widow Antoinette took over operations. When Hurricane Katrina submerged the entire building in floodwaters, Antoinette helmed its renovation, and the Mother-in-Law Lounge reopened its doors on the one-year anniversary of the storm, in August 2006.

 New Orleans’ own Kermit Ruffins, jazz trumpeter, singer, and acclaimed chef, reopened the venue in 2014 after it sat shuttered for several years, and today, the bar is just as vibrant as ever. The exterior is painted in colorful murals depicting Ernie and Antoinette smiling down from R&B heaven, and the interior is choc-a-bloc full of local music memorabilia. Weekly programming features an Irving Mayfield set on Tuesday nights, Kermit himself on Saturdays at 8 p.m., and brass band second line music on Sunday evenings. Any night of the week, you’re likely to catch Kermit helming the grill out back, as he loves to show his visitors a generous New Orleans welcome, serving up free BBQ, fried chicken, red beans and rice, or boiled crawfish.

Invite your inner child—or even your actual child—to come play at the Music Box Village in the Bywater. This ongoing experiment in “musical architecture” was originally developed in 2011 and features the collective talents of over 80 artists and builders. The rusty corrugated metal exterior conceals a wonderland of an outdoor sonic sculpture garden, including 16 interactive “musical houses” that allow visitors to conduct their own audio experiments. When the chaotic symphony really gets going during public Open Hours at the Music Box, you might be witnessing a new form of music altogether.

In addition to Open Hours, the Music Box also hosts art markets, educational programming, public art workshops, and one-of-a-kind performances. Past hits have included Big Freedia, Wilco, Norah Jones, Tank and the Bangas, and even a bee opera! Be sure to check the event calendar when planning your visit.

Just three years before his sudden death in 1980, Henry Roeland Byrd (a.k.a. Professor Longhair or “Fess”) received one of the greatest honors a living musician can imagine: a venue created specifically for him to perform in. Best known for his signature song, “Mardi Gras in New Orleans,” an anthem of Carnival season in the Crescent City, Professor Longhair’s career spanned three decades and earned him a place as one of the most revered rhythm and blues musicians in the legacy of New Orleans music. Fusing rhumba rhythms with boogie-woogie, blues, and southern R&B, Fess was an inspiration to subsequent generations of New Orleans musicians, including Dr. John, the Neville Brothers, and Allen Toussaint.

Fess’ venue kept rocking after his passing, and is today the beloved Uptown institution known as Tipitina’s, named after one of Professor Longhair’s most famous songs. Its unusual logo is a remnant of the juice bar that was originally a feature of the venue. Tipitina’s hosts local musicians, national, and international touring acts, but you’ll want to find a sitter before setting out for a night on the town, as all shows are 18+. 

When you’re looking for a seat in the shade (and maybe another beignet), sidle off the French Quarter’s Bourbon Street into Musical Legends Park. There, you’ll be greeted by life-size bronze statues of local musical legends Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino, Chris Owens, Ronnie Kole, Louis Prima, Allen Toussaint, and Irma Thomas.

Live jazz music is performed daily starting at 10 a.m., and Café Beignet at the far side of the park serves cold drinks and snacks. If you can spare a little change, all coins contributed to Pete’s Wishing Well Fountain in the center of the park are donated to local McDonogh Elementary School to provide band equipment. The park is open Thursday to Monday, and admission is always free.

Located at the intersection of the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street, sits the Old U.S. Mint. Its impressive, colonnaded brick exterior and expansive courtyard, enclosed behind wrought iron gates, previously housed the only Mint in the American South following the Civil War, then a federal prison during Prohibition, and now contains the national treasure that is the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

The museum began as a passion project for a group of local jazz enthusiasts, opening its doors at its first location in 1961. After an itinerant beginning, the collection found a permanent home at the Mint building in 1977, and now boasts over 25,000 museum artifacts.

What’s more, as a celebration of not only jazz’s history, but also its living legacy in New Orleans, the museum hosts over 365 concerts and 15 music festivals annually, including French Quarter Fest and Satchmo SummerFest. These performances and resources offer something for music lovers of all ages and nationalities in the city where jazz was born.

The museum is closed on Mondays, and children under six receive free admission. Be sure to check out the museum’s events calendar before you go, so you know whether you’re in store for a film screening, public lecture, concert at the state-of-the-art performance center, or jazz yoga class. 

Not even many locals know that Gasa Gasa, Uptown’s funky live music venue that emerged from the pandemic under new leadership, is Japanese slang for “doing too many things at once.” What the locals do know, however, is that Gasa Gasa is a beloved, intimate club off the beaten track with a steady stream of indie rock shows, art exhibits, and film screenings.

Originally developed as part of the post-Hurricane Katrina renaissance along the Freret Street corridor, Gasa Gasa is easy to spot with its signature murals. The venue’s colorful courtyard is almost the same size as its interior room, both featuring full-service bars and amplified sound, so patrons can take a break from the intensity of the dance floor to get some fresh air without missing a beat. Be advised, Gasa Gasa is only for the grown-ups, as there is a 21+ age limit for all shows.

New Orleans’ City Park is home to the largest collection of mature live oak trees in the world, some of which are nearly 800 years old. But there’s only one “Singing Oak,” hiding in plain sight in the southeastern corner of the park. Also known as the “Chime Tree,” the branches of the Singing Oak house a collection of wind chimes painted black to blend in with the natural shadows of the tree’s branches. Designed by local artist Jim Hart, the chimes range in size from precious to enormous, one of them clocking in at 14 feet long.

A prime picnic spot, the Singing Oak delights visitors of all ages with its soothing music and ample shade, a perfect place to find respite from the New Orleans heat. The chimes are all tuned to the pentatonic scale, which is used in West African music, gospel hymns, and New Orleans jazz. Listen to the wind improvise a melody as you admire the lush greenery of City Park. City Park is open daily until 10 p.m., and admission is free. Be advised that the chimes are not up during all seasons.