10 Things to Do Off the Beaten Track in New Orleans

The Backstreet Cultural Museum near Louis Armstrong Park definitely ranks among the things to do off the beaten track in New Orleans but worth a visit. Housed in what was once a funeral home, the museum features the largest collection of Mardi Gras Indian costumes in the world. Each costume is a work of art costing thousands and thousands of dollars to create.

These costumes reflect the heritage of the Mardi Gras Indians, who, in turn, represent more than 20 Louisiana Native American tribes that took in African slaves running from the city during the 1700s and 1800s. In addition to the costumes, the museum also displays a collection of vintage Mardi Gras Indian photographs.

Most visitors to New Orleans know St. Louis Cathedral – the landmark that sits on Jackson Square is featured in many a photo of New Orleans. However, how many visitors actually go inside? Step into this notable piece of history, which is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States.

Inside the cathedral, you can take either a self-guided tour or ask for an impromptu tour from one of the volunteer docents that you’ll find wandering around during opening hours. It’s definitely worth taking the time to explore the intricately decorated interior.

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum in the French Quarter resides within an early 1800s apothecary that was also home to the first licensed pharmacist in the United States. Now, visitors can enter the small street-facing storefront to learn a little bit more about early medicinal cures and how superstition played into medicinal practices from centuries ago.

Self-guided and guided tours are both available, and you can explore both floors of the house and the back courtyard during your visit.

Just the existence of the Museum of the American Cocktail proves that there’s nowhere else in America where the drinks flow as freely as they do in New Orleans. You can find this unique attraction in New Orleans’ Central City.

This nonprofit museum teaches visitors about the culinary history that surrounds the American cocktail culture and how cocktail culture has influenced pop culture, and vice versa. The museum jointly shares the space with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, giving you the opportunity to explore both related topics with one visit.

The tiny, tiny Musical Legends Park on Bourbon Street is a lovely little convenient stop for those travellers exploring the French Quarter. Take a photo with the bronze statues of some of New Orleans’ music legends. Walk through the park, littered with cafe-style seating, to find the food stands serving up cocktails, beignets and New Orleans eats of every variety. You can also stop to sit a while to enjoy the live jazz music that you can just about always find there.

Fort Pike was built shortly after the War of 1812 and was part of a chain of new defensive systems stretching along the young United States’ Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Along with 2 other forts, Fort Pike was intended to protect New Orleans from a water-based invasion.

Used in the Seminole Wars, Mexican War and Civil War, Fort Pike was abandoned in the 1890s. Now, the fort is part of the Louisiana State Park System and you can make appointments to tour the monumental ruins that overlook the straits leading to Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico beyond. Tours are by appointment only.

The House of Broel’s Dollhouse Museum contains dozens of miniature dollhouses and vignettes, as well as the largest collection of miniatures by a single artist in the world. The single artist in question is Bonnie Broel, after whom the museum is named. The museum also includes some interesting antiques, such as 2,000-year-old Egyptian linen, a French desk that belonged to the Duke of Dresden in the 1800s and a display from the Broel frog farm.

The House of Broel’s Dollhouse Museum certainly counts among the things to do off the beaten track in New Orleans, particularly for its location. Since the museum is on the 2nd floor of an event venue, tours must be arranged ahead of your visit and are given by appointment only.

Metairie Cemetery is found in New Orleans’ Lakewood neighbourhood, adjacent to Greenwood Cemetery. It’s often overlooked by travellers headed to the city’s more famous resting grounds – the series of St. Louis cemeteries. Metairie Cemetery, however, deserves a look for anyone who appreciates a bit of spooky history.

The cemetery sits on the grounds of a former racetrack and later a Confederate camp. Both the racetrack and its owner were supposedly cursed, which led to the land’s eventual use as a cemetery. Now, notable spots in the cemetery include an Egyptian tomb replica and tombs and graves for a range of interesting New Orleans individuals, from a famous madam to restauranteurs to politicians to artists.

While Honey Island Swap itself isn’t in New Orleans, the swamp’s tour provider will come straight to your hotel to pick you up and ferry you to the swamp and back. The swamps that surround New Orleans are filled with a combination of wildlife that you won’t find anywhere else, the fiercest of the bunch being the deadly gators.

An all-day experience, a swamp tour is definitely something to add to your itinerary if you're looking to get out of the city and see a bit of Louisiana beyond The Big Easy.

The Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans offers a range of educational and family-friendly activities. After moving to a new space adjacent to the Audubon Aquarium in 2020, they are continuing the Audubon Nature Institute’s mission to protect and conserve wildlife.

One of the largest American museums dedicated to insects, the garden and insectarium features more than 50 live insect exhibits and thousands of individual insects, from butterflies to beetles, with the butterfly pavilion being the star attraction.