Louis Armstrong Park sits in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, known for its African American and Creole heritage. It is easy to visit during a day of sightseeing, especially with its proximity to other attractions such as St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and St. Louis Cathedral. Several city tours—such as Segway tours, walking tours, and jazz tours—include the park.
One of the park’s best-known attractions is Congo Square. Listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, the open space was once a gathering point for both enslaved and free Black people, where they could socialize, sell goods, and make music together. Other points of interest in the park include the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts and the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
You can walk from the French Quarter—just across Rampart Street—or take one of the city bus lines that stops on Rampart Street.
The park is open from dawn to dusk. Events take place throughout the year, such as food and music festivals, concerts, Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, and weddings.
Named for renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who grew up in New Orleans, this theater has been a cultural center since 1973, and underwent major renovations after being damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Still the city’s leading venue for live performances, the theater is home to Broadway shows, opera, ballet, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, as well as touring musicians and comedians.
