10 Things to Do in New Orleans at Night

The city has been known for its nightlife for a couple of centuries and has always been able to adapt to what its population demands when it comes to entertainment. The things to see and do in New Orleans that I have compiled for you are a perfect balance between the wild aspects of its nightlife identity and the safety and security that it offers to all its tourists.

I invite you to continue reading this list if you wish to have different alternatives for the nights that will be part of your tourist itinerary.

For several decades in New Orleans there was a red light district called Storyville. In short, it was an area where prostitution was tolerated by the authorities and, since its prohibition in 1917, burlesque shows remained a reminder of the era.

The Burlesque Ballroom, the Royal Sonesta Hotel and the One-Eyed Jacks Bar are some of the establishments that today lead the way when it comes to offering this type of flamboyant and erotic entertainment to those looking for a live show to party and drink alcohol.

The Latter is another venue that often hosts burlesque shows on a more casual basis, as well as other live musical events and plays that combine a racy and comedic tone with striptease in glittering costumes. Always in the best style of this nightlife underworld.

The House of Blues completes the list of nightspots that have a permanent cast to perform burlesque shows on a regular basis. You are sure to find one at week ends at any of these venues.

New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in North America and throughout its history all sorts of urban legends have developed. In fact, spiritualism is strongly associated with the cultural identity of this place and the Voodoo subculture is a defining factor of its post-colonial past.

It is therefore quite logical that one of the best things to do on a night out in the city is to take a ghost tour of the haunted corners of New Orleans.

There are different types of tours that focus on different legends and historical myths. For example, there are some that deal exclusively with Voodoo culture.

Others are guided tours of New Orleans' most famous cemeteries and there are also tours of bars and houses that have chilling legends among the local population.

These types of packages are guided by experts in the field and most of them last no more than two hours. There is no age limit for the visitor, but you should bear in mind that this is a service focused on an adult clientele.

For many it may seem too luxurious, while for others it is the perfect opportunity to realise a dream they have had since childhood. Helicopter flights in New Orleans are a great idea for a couple, although there are some that also allow two children to join the trip.

In terms of duration, they usually take between 30 and 45 minutes from take-off to landing. That's more than enough time to see the city's skyline from the skies, as well as the incredibly well-lit streets of its historic neighbourhoods.

As for the starting point, it all depends on the chosen package. Most likely it will be a heliport near the tourist perimeter of the city, so you won't have to travel too far to experience such a special moment.

When you read the word Preservation Hall you probably imagine a large and elegant amphitheatre.

The surprise, however, is that this famous jazz-only establishment is an aging two-storey wooden building with a charm so unique that it is an architectural heritage site in the city.

It is emblematic of the development of this musical genre in this city that has welcomed it with open arms since the beginning of the last century and, lucky for you, it offers concerts most nights of the year.

It is located on St Peter Street just a few steps from Jackson Square. This proximity is quite convenient as the square is a great place to walk around with your kids if you're thinking of plans to do New Orleans with children.

In fact, if your kids enjoy this genre of music, this can be a life-changing experience for them, as there is no age restriction at the entrance to Preservation Hall.

VIP tickets are the only tickets that entitle you to a seat during the musical show, which can be instrumental in ensuring visibility for a child who has not yet reached their teenage years.

Practical information

• Address: 726 Saint Peter Street
• Hours: 12:00 to 17:00 and 20:00 to 23:00. The last session is usually at 22:00 and lasts approximately 45 minutes.
• Price: about $25 for a regular ticket and about $40 for a seated ticket.

Beignets are a staple, but a very important element of New Orleans cuisine and can best be described as a balanced combination of a churro, a doughnut and a beignet.

Café Du Monde has been making beignets since 1862 and is so iconic to the city's dining scene that it operates 24 hours a day.

When you visit it, you will notice that it is packed with people, both tourists and locals, at unusual times of the day. It is therefore recommended that you visit in the early hours of the morning if you are in the area, for a very authentic taste of the New Orleans nightlife.

The coffee is served black American-style or with milk, always piping hot to ensure that even the most demanding diners enjoy their coffee.

Branches have opened all over the city, but the one to visit is located on Decatour Street, near the French Market and Latrobe Park, both iconic stops in the city's French Quarter.

The chicory coffee is another iconic item on the menu here. It's a must-try if you like to experiment with drinks from other parts of the world.

Practical information

• Address: 813 Decatur Street
• Price: depends on what you order

A night out on the streets of New Orleans is an experience that offers you the opportunity to have a drink in historic buildings at every turn along your route.

In the case of Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, the plan is even more interesting, as this is one of the oldest bars in the country, having opened in the 1770s.

The history of this place is anything but boring, as it is believed to be haunted by the ghost of Jean Lafitte, who was basically a smuggler during the first half of the 19th century and who lived in this old structure for a decade.

As for the reinvention of the structure as a bar, everything becomes more captivating. This is because the business has its foundations in the mid-1940s, when it was an epicentre of the city's bohemian clientele, as well as the gay community that at the time lived as a subculture.

The accumulation of this interesting historical precedent and the ancient architectural beauty of the place made it a national historic landmark.

Visiting it for a beer after finishing one of the New Orleans food tours thattake place in this part of the French Quarter is an excellent idea. This way you dare to be in one of the establishments that tops the list of the most haunted corners of the city.

Practical information

• Address: 941 Bourbon Street
• Price: depends on what you order
• Hours: 10:00 am to 3:00 am

Bar Hopping is the term used by Americans to describe the action of going from bar to bar throughout a night out to experience different atmospheres and to try different cocktail menus.

In New Orleans the perfect place to do this is Bourbon Street, as its streets are a real treasure trove when it comes to nightlife.

Some of the tours of New Orleans' French Quarter can tell you which are the most iconic establishments on this famous street to party in after dark. However, from this very moment, you can go knowing that there are places like Café Lafitte in Exile, which is the oldest gay bar in the United States.

Maison Bourbon offers live music in the best Jazz Club style and is a historic landmark, knowing that most of the genre's most famous musicians have performed here as a form of enshrinement at some point in their careers.

Saints and Sinners is another place you can't skip on your Bar Hopping, as this is a venue that has been operating since the days when brothels were legal in this port city and represented a strong aspect of the area's culture.

Away from the crowded tourist streets of the French Quarter, in the Uptown section of the city, and on a street of the same name, is the Prytania Theather. It consists of a single-screen cinema that has been in continuous operation since 1914 to the present day.

They offer midnight showings of current commercial films, along with other iconic elements of the film subculture such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors.

This can be classified as an excellent summertime plan when visiting New Orleans as it gives you a break from the establishments with the hordes of tourists. It also gives you the opportunity to see an iconic place in the history of this city.

In keeping with the theme of nightlife, Bourbon Street isn't your only alternative if you're looking for a lively and fun night out during your visit to New Orleans.

Your other safe or preferred option is Frenchman Street, a section of the city that stands out for the quality of its nightclubs, for being more crowded by the locals and for offering the best live music establishments of the nightlife scene.

Varying the musical epicentre, Frenchman Street is home to R&B, which is another genre that has a strong cultural tie to the African-American community. Even more so with the people of the South.

The food scene is also vibrant in this section of New Orleans and it's recommended that you spend a good chunk of your evening wandering the nearby streets of the Faubourg Marigny neighbourhood.

It is advisable not to stay too late if you have a transfer booked from New Orleans airport the following day , as temptation is bound to tempt you to want to wake up dancing and party ing in these fun and friendly bars.

New Orleans is a city that has a colonial charm like no other corner of the United States. For this reason it is not surprising to know that you have the possibility of renting a carriage to take you on a nighttime tour of some of the blocks in the French Quarter, while enjoying a cool night with a beautiful starry sky.

Some include live music with a jazz trumpet aficionado playing on every corner of the city, while others offer ghostly tales of voodoo culture and the complicated periods of New Orleans' past.

It's a good plan to share as a couple, but there are no limitations on including young children on the same trip.

New Orleans is a city with a privileged climate in the North American context.

Winters do not have negative temperatures and summers are not oppressive, although humidity can be very high.

I advise you to always have long trousers on hand in case you decide to go somewhere fancy, but you can really dress however you want to participate in all the activities that are summarised in this list.

It all depends on whether you are paying only for your own expenses or those of a whole group of companions. Keep in mind that the budget is adjusted to the amount of things you do in a single night and the level of consumption you develop at each stop on your nightly itinerary.

If you have a couple of drinks at any of these establishments, you should expect to spend at least $50. A beer in a relatively crowded place usually costs less than US$10 in low or high season.

Entertainment alternatives exist for all ages and for all types of tour groups when organising a night out in New Orleans.

Clearly, a bar is not the most appropriate place for a minor - in fact, it's illegal for them to enter. But strolling through a square, strolling through a park, eating at an ice cream parlour and visiting a restaurant are all activities that will be available to you every night of your visit.

In terms of safety, you can take precautions to avoid lingering around Bourbon Street when the most festive hours begin. That is, after 10 or 11 pm.