Garden District: Mansions, Money & Mayhem Walking Tour
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Step beyond the iron gates and grand façades of one of New Orleans' most famous neighborhoods. Garden District: Mansions, Money & Mayhem reveals the remarkable stories behind the beauty, from the plantation land and fortunes that shaped the neighborhood to the people who have continued reinventing it for nearly two centuries. Walk beneath ancient live oaks while discovering spectacular architecture, hidden histories, family dramas, scandals, literary connections, Hollywood locations and surprising secrets behind some of the district's most recognizable homes. Along the way, explore how money was made, how fortunes were lost, how architecture reflected status, and how historic mansions became connected to writers, athletes, actors, musicians and modern New Orleans personalities. This isn't simply a walk past beautiful houses. It's a journey behind the façades to discover the money, ambition, secrets and mayhem that made the Garden District legendary.
Free cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Duration 2 hours
Check availability to see start times.
Live tour guide
English
Key facts
What's included
Included
- Professional Licensed Guide
- Insight you cannot get elsewhere
- A Locals Perspective
Not included
- Gratuities
- Food and Beverage
Itinerary
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Stop 1
Discover places where literature, television and film collided with real Garden District history, sometimes in surprising ways. This includes American Horror Stories and more
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Stop 2
From outside a historic cemetery, discover how New Orleans remembers its dead and what burial traditions reveal about the community that surrounded it.
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Stop 3
Home to the wealthy and our major Mardi Gras Parades, this is where opulence and history meet in New Orleans. You will see the famous home of Anne Rice, where the Mayfair Witches resided in novels. You will see where Mark Twain attended parties and where films and tv shows you love were filmed. You will pass by and learn about the celebrity owned homes as well. Sandra Bullock, Nic Cage, John Goodman, Trent Reznor and NBA star Zion Williamson just to name a few.
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Stop 4
Begin at a neighborhood landmark and uncover the surprising story of the land beneath today's Garden District.
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Stop 5
Discover how transportation, geography and commerce helped make this remarkable neighborhood possible.
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Stop 6
Enter streets lined with extraordinary homes while learning how architecture became a public declaration of money, taste and social standing.
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Stop 7
Some of the Garden District's most beloved stories are not quite what they seem. Discover what hides behind the legends.
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Stop 8
Elegant architecture gives way to stories of betrayal, scandal, questionable decisions and events that generations have continued talking about.
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Stop 9
Explore the Garden District's continuing relationship with writers, performers, athletes and other familiar names without knowing in advance whose doors you are approaching.
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Stop 10
See how wealth, marriage and family relationships were written directly into the neighborhood's streetscape.
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Stop 11
Return toward The Rink while discovering how preservation, changing fortunes and new generations allowed an old neighborhood to remain very much alive
Meeting point & pickup
Meet at the starting point
We meet in front of The Rink Shopping Center. The Rink has a coffee shop and restrooms. The guide will meet you outside the front entrance.
Open in Google MapsCancellation & confirmation
Free cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- 100% refund if cancelled at least 1 day(s) before
- 0% refund if cancelled 0–1 day(s) before
- May be cancelled for bad weather
- May be cancelled if there are not enough travelers
Instant confirmation
Your booking is confirmed immediately after checkout.
From $37.99 per person
- Free cancellation
- Secure checkout with our booking partner
