Whether you are a first-time visitor to New Orleans or have made a few trips to the Big Easy, you will find our 2024 Annual Session host city offers an enormous spectrum of entertainment, unique scenery and delectable cuisine. It will be easy to fill your schedule outside the lecture halls with delightful experiences and fun with your guests or friends.

The French Quarter: The Heart of the New Orleans Experience
Located a walkable distance of just over a mile from our meeting facility, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans’ iconic French quarter is also accessible via streetcar. A visual treat combining historic French, Spanish, Creole, and American architecture, the French quarter also offers many gastronomic treats.

The location of world-renowned Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Galatoire’s and Brennan’s, French Quarter dining experiences make it apparent why Tripadvisor ranked New Orleans #1 in its 2023 Best Food Destination in the U.S. list. Whether you would like to sample Creole or Cajun cuisine, beignets or po-boys, a muffuletta or gumbo – possibly with Bananas Foster for dessert – French Quarter restaurants will not disappoint.

The French Quarter’s vibrant nightlife scene combines New Orleans hospitality with the city’s extraordinary musical heritage.
 
Music: JazzFest is Happening during Annual Session
Annual Session attendees and guests will be able to sample a large-scale, world-renowned New Orleans musical experience: The second weekend of the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, aka JazzFest, will be Thursday, May 2 through Sunday, May 5, overlapping with Annual Session.

Taking place each day from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the Fair Grounds Race Course near the French Quarter, the festival features 5,000 musicians on 13 stages. The performers represent every genre associated with New Orleans and Louisiana including jazz, blues, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, country and bluegrass music.

Big-name national performers are included along with talented rising stars and local favorites. Click on the link above to view the music line-up and purchase tickets.

Enjoy New Orleans’ Unique Outdoor, Historical and Cultural Attractions
Many visitors to New Orleans are intrigued by the city’s elaborate above-ground tombs and unique burial traditions including 14 Catholic cemeteries as well as municipal and other cemeteries. Some, like St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, offer tours.

Dating from 1789, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the final resting place of many famous New Orleans residents. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as having a national level of significance in art and architecture. In addition, the State of Louisiana lists Cemetary No. 1 as part of the African American Heritage Trail, because of the number of historically and culturally significant African-Americans buried there.

Bayou tours offer fascinating sights from cypress swamps to alligators basking in the sun, often with Cajun guides sharing intriguing legends and stories.

The Garden District, a walkable neighborhood, offers a slower pace than the French Quarter. The Garden District is known for its antebellum mansions, lush gardens and upscale shopping.

The Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium has 50 insect exhibits and displays inside and a garden overlooking the Mississippi River where hundreds of butterflies fly free. Its facility is a former New Orleans port customs house built in Egyptian and Greek revival style.The National World War II Museum, a world-class museum, features interactive exhibits, immersive displays, and personal stories that bring the war to life.