Paul & Tara Visit the National Parks: New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

Visited: Nov 2022

Nearby city: New Orleans, LA

"Life is a lot like jazz ... it's better when you improvise."

-George Gershwin

The Big Easy. Crescent City. Birthplace of Jazz. N'awlins.

New Orleans is one of the most unique and diverse cities in the United States. It is known for its distinctive cuisine, party-atmosphere, festivals, and perhaps most famously, its music. The NPS designated a section of downtown New Orleans specifically to celebrate jazz. It is the only national park unit dedicated to an art form.

The historical park mostly consists of Louis Armstrong Park in the Treme neighborhood. There is also a visitors center and a concert venue in the French Quarter.

entrance to Louis Armstrong Park

statue of Louis Armstrong. "Satchmo"

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. A self-taught trumpet player, Armstrong became one of the most influential figures in jazz. Armstrong was also well-known for his distinct and gravelly singing voice.

Adjacent to Louis Armstrong Park is Congo Square. During New Orleans' French colonial era (18th century), enslaved Africans were commonly allowed Sundays off from work. On Sunday evenings, they would gather at this town square to set up a market, barter, sing, dance, and play music. The music developed here is generally considered to be the "birthplace" of the art form known as jazz.

Make sure to spend some time in the Visitors Center to learn more about the history of New Orleans and jazz. At the time of our visit, the visitors center was closed, but a temporary Visitors Center with a few exhibits was set up at the Visitors Center at nearby Jean Lafitte NHP.

For more info on the Jazz NHP: https://www.nps.gov/jazz/index.htm

We also stopped by the New Orleans Jazz Museum on the north end of the French Quarter. The museum is not a part of the national park unit, but it's worth a visit. The museum is housed in the old U.S. mint. The museum contained exhibits both about history of jazz and the minting of coins.

Louie Armstrong learned how to play this cornet when he was serving time in juvenile detention. He was arrested for firing a pistol into the air during New Years Eve celebrations as an 11-yr old boy.

We had a lot of fun exploring the French Quarter.

The city of La Nouvelle-Orleans (New Orleans) was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ceded the New Orleans area to the Spanish Empire (West Florida). The Spanish controlled New Orleans for a few decades, then it briefly reverted again to French rule. In 1803, New Orleans (and the rest of Louisiana colony) became a part of the United States.

The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood of New Orleans. Most of the extant buildings in the neighborhood are from the Spanish rule of late 18th-century. The focal point of the French Quarter is Jackson Square, along the Mississippi River. It was bustling with activity on our visit. There were lots of artists and musicians at the square.

the prominent St. Louis Cathedral was built in 1789

statue of Andrew Jackson on horseback.

Jackson successfully defended the city from the British Army during the War of 1812

There's lots of beautiful examples of French and Spanish architecture throughout the Quarter.

We stopped to eat at Cafe Beignet. We got the creole staples of gumbo and etouffee. But the highlight were the beignets, a deep-fried pastry or fritter. They were delicious.