Lafayette Square
The basics
Lafayette Square makes a pleasant place to rest during a walk around New Orleans’ Central Business District. Look for statues of the city's forefathers, including Benjamin Franklin and Southern statesman Henry Clay, whose bronze likeness is the park’s focal point. Most visitors flock to the square during spring for the free Wednesday at the Square concert series. The Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival is also held at Lafayette Square each fall.
Things to know before you go
- Overlooking the square is Gallier Hall, a historic Greek Revival building that served as the New Orleans City Hall for over 100 years.
- Food and drinks are available from vendors around the edge of the square at the Wednesday at the Square concerts.
- Many parades pass through the square during Mardi Gras. Some nearby businesses offer paid bleacher seating for the best views.
How to get there
Lafayette Square is bordered by St. Charles Avenue, Camp Street, North Maestri Street, and South Maestri Street in New Orleans’ Upper Central Business District. It is within walking distance to many attractions, but paid parking garages and meters are available nearby. Wednesdays in the Park offers bike valet.
Trip ideas
When to get there
The public square is open daily. Wednesday at the Square runs for 10 weeks from mid-March to mid-May, and the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival takes place in October.
History and Games in the Central Business District
New Orleans’ historic French Quarter may get most of the attention, but some of the city’s biggest attractions are just a short streetcar ride away in the Central Business District (known as the CBD locally). Football fans fill up the Caesars Superdome—home of the New Orleans Saints—while the Smoothie King Center next door hosts NBA games and music concerts. Just a few blocks from Lafayette Square, the National WWII Museum is ranked one of the best museums in the US.
- Ogden Museum of Southern Art
- Confederate Memorial Hall Museum
- Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium
- National WWII Museum
- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
- Storyville District
- Hard Rock Cafe New Orleans
- Hotel Monteleone
- Steamboat Natchez
- Musical Legends Park
- Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC)
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
- New Orleans School of Cooking
- Napoleon House
- New Orleans Pharmacy Museum