A Walking Tour of the New Orleans Central Business District

There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. Whether you are preparing for a road trip or just out to look at your own town in a new way.

Each walking tour describes historical and architectural landmarks and provides pictures to help out when those pesky street addresses are missing. Every tour also includes a quick primer on identifying architectural styles seen on American streets.

When Americans first came to New Orleans in the early 1800s they settled in the uptown side of the city across Canal Street from the original city, the French Quarter. It was in this section that they built their homes and business establishments and distinguised their lifestyles from those of the Creoles residing nearby.

The name ‘Canal Street” derived from a planned waterway that was to connect the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain but it was never constructed. Instead Canal Street became the main shopping district of New Orleans. It was long home to grand department stores. The world’s first movie theater, Vitascope Hall, was established on Canal Street in
1896. Canal Street remains the hub of the city’s mass transit system.

Nearby, churches and city government buildings gathered around Lafayette Square, once a grand park for residents and cotton merchants. This is where our walking tour will begin...