Orleans: Market District, Sculptures and Architectural History

Orleans Parish and the City of New Orleans have identical boundaries. For geographic orientation, New Orleans, the City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish refer to the same area. A destination within the City of New Orleans is therefore also in Orleans Parish. This helps place the following attractions within the same geographic framework. For trip planning, it offers several distinct areas of focus: markets and the riverfront, landscaped green spaces, and architectural and urban history.

French Market District and the Mississippi River

The French Market District includes the shops of Upper Pontalba and the Colonnade, the Craft Bazaar, the farmers and flea markets, Oscar Dunn Park and the Moon Walk. The District stretches 1.4 miles along the Mississippi River and is suitable for cycling and picnicking. This makes the District more than just a place to visit a market: in addition to shops and markets, it includes named places such as the park and Moon Walk, while cycling and picnicking are other activities that fit the area. When planning your trip, you can therefore think of the District both as a market area and as a setting for outdoor recreation.

Sculptures, trees and lagoons

The design of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden creates outdoor spaces for viewing sculptures. Pines, magnolias and Virginia oaks shape the landscape around two lagoons. Art and landscape are thus brought together: the sculptures are set in a designed outdoor space, with trees and lagoons forming part of the garden’s character. If you would like to view sculptures in a landscape setting, this interplay is a clear focus.

Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park comprises 16 acres of green space between the Mississippi River and the historic French Quarter. The park’s stated size and location between the river and the Quarter help put it in context. The two green spaces therefore have different distinguishing features: sculptures, tree species and lagoons in the garden, and size and location in the park. When choosing, you can consider whether you would rather focus on art in a designed outdoor setting or on a green space between the river and the French Quarter.

Architectural history and historic designation

Old Ursuline Convent on Chartres Street was built in 1745 and is considered the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley. Gallier House was completed in 1860 and designed by renowned New Orleans architect James Gallier Jr. The two buildings can be compared by different points of reference: for the convent, its construction year and standing in the Mississippi Valley; for Gallier House, its completion year and architect. The French Quarter was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. This date refers to the designation of a neighborhood, while 1745 and 1860 mark the architectural history of individual buildings. For cultural planning, you can therefore consider the history of individual buildings and the designation of a neighborhood as different perspectives on Orleans.

Discover more destinations: New Orleans

For the broader travel overview: Louisiana.