Antebellum and Victorian mansions set back from oak-lined streets, surrounded by semi-tropical gardens and wrought-iron fences. The Garden District was built by wealthy Americans in the 1830s-1850s who wanted to live outside the Creole French Quarter. The architecture is Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne — a contrast to the Quarter's Spanish-Caribbean vernacular.
Location
Garden District, New Orleans
Map
Insider Intel
Walk a loop: Start at Washington Avenue and Prytania, walk north on Prytania to First Street, turn right to Magazine Street, return south. The mansions are private homes — observe from the street. Notable stops: the Buckner Mansion (1856, Italianate), the Robinson House (Greek Revival), Anne Rice's former home on First Street. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 on Washington Avenue is worth 20 minutes for the above-ground tombs and ironwork.
Morning or late afternoon when the light filters through the oak canopy. Spring (March-May) when the gardens are in bloom. Take the St. Charles streetcar from the CBD — get off at Washington Avenue. Weekdays are quieter than weekends.
The Garden District was a separate city (Lafayette) until annexed by New Orleans in 1852. The wealthy Protestant Americans who built here wanted nothing to do with the Catholic Creole establishment downtown. The live oak trees predate most of the houses. The above-ground cemetery tradition comes from the high water table — coffins would float during floods before modern drainage. Most homes are private and not open for tours, but the streetscape itself is the attraction.