French Quarter

The French Quarter — the Vieux Carré, or 'Old Square' — is the historic heart of New Orleans and one of the most distinctive neighborhoods in America. Laid out by French colonists in 1718, it is the city's original settlement, though its lacework iron balconies and pastel courtyards are largely Spanish colonial, rebuilt after fires in the late 1700s. A living district of Creole culture, jazz, and cuisine, it remains the cultural soul of the city and a National Historic Landmark.

New Orleans was founded in 1718 by the French colonizer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, who laid out a compact grid of streets on the banks of the Mississippi around a central parade ground, the Place d'Armes — today's Jackson Square. This original settlement became known as the Vieux Carré, the 'Old Square,' and later, in English, the French Quarter.

Although the name honors its French founders, most of the Quarter's oldest surviving buildings date from the Spanish colonial era, when Louisiana belonged to Spain from 1763 to 1803. Two devastating fires, in 1788 and 1794, destroyed much of the original French town, and it was rebuilt in the Spanish style — giving the district its characteristic courtyards, stucco walls, and wrought- and cast-iron balconies. In 1803 the United States took possession of Louisiana in the Louisiana Purchase, with the transfer ceremony held at the Cabildo on the square.

Through the 19th and 20th centuries the French Quarter remained the cultural core of New Orleans, home to a Creole society and, later, a birthplace of jazz. Its landmarks — St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo and Presbytère, the French Market, and the storied length of Bourbon Street — anchor a neighborhood famous for Mardi Gras, music, and food. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965, and a preservation commission protects its historic character.