New Orleans is one of the most distinctive U.S. reunion cities — a 13-square-block French Quarter that feels foreign, the Garden District streetcar ride, the National WWII Museum (consistently ranked the top museum in the country), and Cajun-Creole food at every meal. Reunion logistics are unusually compact: from a French Quarter or Warehouse District hotel, you can walk to Café du Monde, Jackson Square, Frenchmen Street music, and the WWII Museum. Skip Mardi Gras (week before Ash Wednesday) and Jazz Fest (last weekend of April + first weekend of May) unless you're going for those — hotel rates triple.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
French Quarter
13-block oldest neighborhood in New Orleans (1718) — Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, the French Market, and Royal Street antique shops.
Official source ↗Jackson Square
Pedestrian park anchored by St. Louis Cathedral; the heart of the French Quarter and the spot for street performers and tarot readers.
Official source ↗National WWII Museum
Consistently ranked the top museum in the country; immersive Beyond All Boundaries 4D experience. Plan a full half-day.
Official source ↗Café du Monde
Original 1862 French Market location; beignets and chicory coffee, open 24 hours except Christmas. Iconic group photo.
Official source ↗Garden District
Historic 19th-century neighborhood with Victorian mansions and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1; reachable by St. Charles streetcar.
Official source ↗St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
Oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world (1835). Loops from downtown through the Garden District. $1.25/ride.
Official source ↗Audubon Zoo
58-acre zoo in Audubon Park uptown; alligator-rich Louisiana Swamp exhibit. Combo ticket with the Aquarium downtown.
Official source ↗Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
Riverfront aquarium downtown — Mississippi River walk-through tunnel, sharks, and an IMAX theater. Easy half-day with kids.
Official source ↗City Park
1,300-acre park (50% larger than Central Park) — New Orleans Museum of Art, the sculpture garden, Storyland, and the Carousel Gardens.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your New Orleans reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Music and food obsessives
- History families (WWII Museum is unmatched)
- Multi-generational groups (compact, walkable French Quarter)
- Reunions that want a "different from anywhere else" feel
- Architecture lovers (Garden District mansions, Spanish/French Quarter)
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- Louis Armstrong (MSY) — 25 min to French Quarter
- Group Lodging
- Royal Sonesta New Orleans (French Quarter, 483 rooms), Hotel Monteleone (historic French Quarter, 600 rooms with Carousel Bar), Marriott New Orleans, and Sheraton New Orleans all do group blocks. The Pontchartrain Hotel and Hotel Peter & Paul are boutique alternates.
- Parking
- $45-60/day at French Quarter hotel garages. Streets are nearly impossible — use the hotel.
- Accessibility
- French Quarter has uneven sidewalks and curbs; bring sturdy shoes. WWII Museum, Audubon Zoo, and Aquarium are wheelchair-accessible. The St. Charles streetcar has limited wheelchair access (newer cars only).
- Cost Per Person
- Plan $250-450/person/day in French Quarter. Higher during festival weekends.
- Official Site
- https://www.neworleans.com/
When to go
October-November and February-April. Avoid Mardi Gras (the week before Ash Wednesday — typically Feb-Mar), Jazz Fest (last weekend of April + first weekend of May), and Essence Fest (early July). Avoid June-September unless you can handle 90+°F with high humidity.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
10-25: A 4-5 bedroom French Quarter or Marigny AirBnB; private dinner at Cochon or Compère Lapin.
Medium group · 25–60
25-60: Royal Sonesta New Orleans (French Quarter), Marriott New Orleans (downtown), or Hotel Monteleone (historic). All with private event rooms.
Large group · 60+
60+: Hilton New Orleans Riverside (1,622 rooms) or Marriott New Orleans handle the largest groups. Sheraton New Orleans (1,110 rooms) is alternate. Pair with a private after-hours WWII Museum buy-out for a signature event.
Sample 3-day New Orleans reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Friday — Arrival & Quarter Welcome
- MSY arrivals, 25 min to French Quarter
- 4 PM hotel check-in (Hotel Monteleone)
- 5:30 PM walk Jackson Square + Café du Monde beignets
- 7:30 PM welcome dinner — Antoine's private room
- 9 PM Frenchmen Street live jazz
Saturday — WWII Museum + Garden District
- 9 AM National WWII Museum (timed tickets, plan 4 hours)
- 1 PM lunch at Cochon
- 3 PM St. Charles streetcar to the Garden District
- 4 PM walk Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 + mansion tour
- 7:30 PM group dinner — Commander's Palace
Sunday — Audubon + Goodbyes
- 9 AM jazz brunch at Court of Two Sisters
- 11 AM Audubon Aquarium for kids OR City Park sculpture garden
- 1 PM final group photo at Jackson Square
- 2 PM goodbye po-boy at Mahony's or Domilise's
Reunion organizer tips
Stay in the French Quarter or Warehouse District. Royal Sonesta and Hotel Monteleone (Carousel Bar) are walking distance to Jackson Square, Café du Monde, and Frenchmen Street. Warehouse District (Marriott, Sheraton) is a 10-min walk to the WWII Museum.
Avoid major festival weekends unless you're going for them. Mardi Gras week, Jazz Fest weekends, and Essence Fest all have hotel rates 3-4x normal and group blocks unavailable. The visitneworleans.com calendar has the full list.
Make the WWII Museum a half-day priority. Buy the "Day at the Museum" ticket plus the Beyond All Boundaries 4D film; allow 4-5 hours. The museum has a dedicated group services desk for parties of 15+.
Reserve a private room at a New Orleans classic for the big group dinner. Commander's Palace (Garden District, jazz brunch on weekends), Antoine's (1840 French Quarter, multiple private rooms), and Cochon (Cajun, Warehouse District) all do groups of 20-50.
Plan a Café du Monde + Jackson Square sunrise. Café du Monde is open 24 hours; before 8 AM the Quarter is quiet, the beignets are fresh, and Jackson Square is empty for group photos.
Add a swamp tour or paddle on Bayou St. John. Honey Island Swamp Tour or Cajun Pride Swamp Tours run 2-hour boat trips with alligators. 30-45 min from downtown by car. Strong "different from home" reunion activity.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your New Orleans reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
When should we avoid New Orleans for a reunion?
Mardi Gras (the week before Ash Wednesday, typically Feb-Mar), Jazz Fest (last weekend of April + first weekend of May), and Essence Fest (early July). Hotel rates are 3-4x normal and group blocks are unavailable. The visitneworleans.com calendar has all major dates.
Where should we stay for a New Orleans reunion?
French Quarter (Royal Sonesta, Hotel Monteleone) for atmosphere and walkability. Warehouse District (Marriott, Sheraton) for proximity to the WWII Museum. Avoid uptown unless your group plans to spend most time at Audubon Zoo / Tulane.
Is the WWII Museum worth a full half-day?
Yes — it's consistently ranked the top museum in the country. Buy the all-access ticket including the Beyond All Boundaries 4D film and allow 4-5 hours. The museum has a group services desk for parties of 15+.
Is the French Quarter family-friendly?
Yes during the day and early evening. Bourbon Street after 9 PM gets adult-oriented; route around it with kids. Royal Street, Jackson Square, the French Market, and Café du Monde are family-friendly all day and evening.
Do we need a car in New Orleans?
Not in the French Quarter or Warehouse District — walkable, rideshare-easy, and the streetcar reaches the Garden District. Rent for swamp tours and Audubon Park; otherwise rideshare for everything. Parking in the Quarter is brutal.
When is hurricane season?
June 1 through November 30, peaking August-October. Late August through early October has the highest probability. Buy travel insurance if booking in those months. February-April and October-November have the safest weather windows for a reunion.
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion for 50 people
Logistics, lodging, and budget for a 50-person reunion.
Read the guide →