Bourbon Street Travel Guide
Historic street in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Extending thirteen blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars and strip clubs.
Places to See on Bourbon Street
Galatoires
Restaurant on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter specializing in French Creole cooking
Musical Legends Park
Small park on Bourbon Street features life-size bronze statues of New Orleans musicians
Overview
Bourbon Street is a historic thirteen-block stretch through the heart of the French Quarter, running from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, and is New Orleans' most famous destination for bars, live music, and nightlife.
Laid out in 1721 and named for France's ruling House of Bourbon, the street was later rebuilt largely by the Spanish after the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788, giving it more Spanish than French architectural character. A premier residential address through the 19th century, it took on a different reputation after the nearby Storyville red-light district emerged in the early 1900s, an era in which jazz pioneers such as King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton got their start playing in the district's brothels. By the mid-20th century, Bourbon Street itself had become lined with nightclubs and burlesque shows, cementing its identity as the city's entertainment strip.
Largely quiet by day, Bourbon Street comes alive at night, especially during Mardi Gras and the French Quarter's many festivals. Local open-container laws allow drinking on the street, and popular drinks include the Hurricane cocktail, the Hand Grenade, and giant "huge-ass beers" sold to tourists. The busiest stretch, "Upper Bourbon" toward Canal Street, is packed with bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops, while "Lower Bourbon," past St. Ann Street, is the center of the city's gay nightlife and the annual Southern Decadence festival.
Notable stops along the street include Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, one of the oldest surviving bars in America; Pat O'Brien's, birthplace of the Hurricane cocktail; the historic Old Absinthe House; and Musical Legends Park, a free outdoor venue for live jazz.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bourbon Street" which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
