12 Things to do in New Orleans that Aren’t Drinking
New Orleans is known for being a party destination, but it also boasts rich culture and history. As a travel blogger and someone who doesn’t drink, here are my top recommendations for things to do in New Orleans sober.
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Is New Orleans worth visiting if you don’t party?
I’ll be honest; I had a bad time in New Orleans. Most of it was due to picking the wrong neighborhood to stay in and feeling unsafe. I would recommend staying in the Garden District or Faubourg Marigny away from the South 7th Ward border.
Parts of the city are also completely dedicated to bars, such as Bourbon Street, so you may feel a bit out of place walking around at night there.
All that said, there’s still plenty to do besides partying. Many people simply have a very romantic and idealistic picture of New Orleans (especially Europeans, I’ve noticed), so I just want to be honest and say it wasn’t what I’d hoped.
Things to do in New Orleans if you don’t drink or party
1. Visit history museums (pharmacy and WWII)
Starting off strong, as the polar opposite of drinking is to visit history museums haha.
I enjoyed the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, which is full of medical artifacts from the 1800s to 1900s. One of the interesting facts I learned is that speculums (the pap smear tool) have not changed in centuries.
Another major attraction is The National WWII Museum, which reviewers say is unique because of its interactive storytelling; you get to know the real people who lived through the war. The museum is absolutely massive and can take up to a full day to go through.
2. Eat fluffy beignets and chat over coffee
Beignets are one of New Orlean’s most famous foods. These fried dough squares topped with powdered sugar are so comforting and the perfect complement to coffee or hot chocolate.
The most famous beignet spots are Cafe du Monde and Cafe Beignet. I personally prefer Cafe du Monde, especially the City Park location, as lines are a bit shorter than those at the French Quarter location, and you can stroll around the park afterwards.
3. Listen to live jazz music
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, and you can enjoy it without drinking. There are several live jazz venues, but the most highly-recommended is Snug Harbor. They have a dining room and a performance room, but the music is audible from both.
4. Visit a wildlife preserve.
NOLA is surrounded by parks and wildlife preserves, including Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge, and Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area.
I visited Jean Lafitte briefly, and saw plenty of snakes and an alligator on a short walk at Barataria Preserve within the park.
5. Walk along the riverfront (Woldenberg Park)
There’s a riverfront bike path and running trail which is lovely at sunset. You can take photos of the steamboats, sit on the benches, or simply stroll. There’s an outlet mall at the end of the boardwalk for when you get hungry, or you can stop at the Jackson Square and make your way towards the French Quarter.
6. Enjoy the Spanish moss covered oaks at City Park or Audubon Park
City Park and Audubon Park are the largest parks in New Orleans. Both are beautiful to simply walk through or have a picnic in, but they also offer several attractions.
City Park is home to the New Orleans Botanical Garden, a seasonal amusement park, Louisiana’s Children’s Museum, and New Orleans Museum of Art.
Audubon Park hosts the Audubon Zoo, the tree of life (a massive, centuries-old oak), and a golf course.
7. Take a walking or ghost tour.
New Orleans is full of history, and there’s no one better to tell it than the locals. Try one of these walking tours in famous historic districts during the day, or a thrilling ghost tour at night.
8. Stroll through the New Orleans Botanical Garden
Located in City Park, the botanical garden is small but sweet. If you have a membership to another garden in the US or Canada, you may be able to get in for free due to reciprocity agreements.
9. Admire the houses in the Garden District.
The Garden District is a historic neighborhood known for its mansions. You can take the St. Charles Streetcar down St. Charles Ave, which has some of the most stunning homes. Prytania Street also is another famous street with plenty of photo ops.
10. Go shopping on Magazine Street.
Magazine Street stretches six miles long and offers independent shops (a handful of thrift stores), restaurants, art galleries, cafes, and more.
11. Visit Whitney Plantation.
About an hour outside New Orleans, the Whitney Plantation is nationally renowned for its preservation and depiction of history. If focuses on the lives of the enslaved people forced to work there, rather than brushing over the horrors or commercializing the plantation by turning it into an “aesthetic” place.
12. Go on a riverboat cruise or swamp tour.
For a romantic evening, consider doing dinner and jazz on a riverboat cruise. Or, if you’re looking for more nature and wildlife, go on a swamp tour.
If you go on a swamp tour, make sure to pick an ethical operator that doesn’t feed the gators, and doesn’t use speedboats—this kayak tour seems to fit the bill.
Let us know what you end up doing and if you have any suggestions for this list!
