Garden District Walking Tour

What/Where is the Garden District?

Located about three miles upriver of the French Quarter, the Garden District is where wealthy Americans settled in the mid 19th century.

Learn about the unique architecture of this district.

One of the largest collections of well preserved antebellum era mansions in the world. This is a must do tour if you love old homes

How can it be Free?

How can our expert guides lead you through; the most interesting and historic neighborhoods in New Orleans for free? We are so sure you will love our tours you will gladly pay what you feel the tour is worth ($15-25 per person is suggested).

Locally owned and operated since 2012

Nola Tour Guy is the only locally owned and operated walking tour company that offers FREE Historical Walking Tours,

How and when can I join the walking tour?

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the schedule or click book now.

Book The Garden District Tour

Take yourself on a tour with our Self-guided Tours

Can't make it on one of your free to join guided tours? We also offer free self-guided walking tours and affordably priced GPS enabled audio tours of the Garden District

Find out more about our audio tours here

Garden District Walking Tour

New Orleans’ Garden District is a delightful neighborhood characterized by beautiful antebellum homes and lush gardens. It’s also been home to a few eccentrics, scandalous souls, and some of the city’s most rich and famous residents. On this walking tour, you’ll learn about the unique architecture of this district. Starting outside the Rink Shopping Center, you’ll make your way down the neighborhood’s tree lined streets, before finishing your walk outside of the world famous Commander’s Palace. Along with hearing about the city’s architecture, you’ll also hear about some of the area’s famous former residents. I’ll point out the Italianate mansion once owned by novelist Ann Rice and later by actor Nicolas Cage. But this tour isn’t all mansions and megastars. I’ll also tell you about the city’s role in slavery, share its place in the Civil War, and reveal the reason so many stunning buildings survived the destruction of the war.

This unique part of the city is made easily accessible from the French Quarter by use of the famous St Charles Street car as well as an array of other services. A stroll through The Garden District is a must for everyone and anyone who visits New Orleans. To find our current times for our Free “pay what you feel like” walking tour of the Garden District click on Book a tour.

You can also check out our Free Self-Guided walking tour of the Garden District in New Orleans.

We are also excited to announce our partnership with Voicemap. We now offer a GPS enabled audio version of the this tour

Book a Tour

What is the Garden District? Learn more here!

Garden District Walking Tours

Learn the Secrets of the Garden District

Learn the secrets of the Garden District on a walking tour. The Garden District is a delightful neighborhood to tour. Not just for the beautiful antebellum homes and lush gardens, but for what you’ll learn about the population, including a few eccentrics and scandalous souls, both now and in the past. Including some of New Orleans most rich and famous residents

On this Garden District Tour you will see:

• Buckner Mansion, the largest house built before the Civil War, made famous by its appearance in the TV show American Horror Story
• New Orleans Opera Guild Home, a beautiful example of an 1850 Greek Revival Double Gallery which made an appearance in the Oscar-winning film Django Unchained
• The breathtaking Swiss Chalet style house owned by Sandra Bullock
• The Seven Sisters houses, which weren’t built by a father wanting his seven daughters to live side-by-side, as some might have you believe
• Montgomery-Hero House, constructed for the president of the Crescent City Railroad, Archibald Montgomery
• Walter Grinnan Robinson House, the first home to feature indoor plumbing, decades before New Orleans sewage system, where a rain collection tank was installed on the roof
-Two of three homes Anne Rice owned in New Orleans, included her main residence and where she wrote the Witching Hour Trilogy.
-Homes of celebrities such as Sandra Bullock and John Goodman.

After the tour you will have a deeper understanding of why the Garden District is so important to the history of New Orleans.

The Garden District: Home to the Rich and Famous

Free Garden District Walking Tour Schedule

Where the tour meets

The Tour meets at 1500 Washington on the sidewalk near the corner of Prytaina and Washington. Your guide will have an hat that says “GUY” While you are welcome to just show up but we recommend booking online to guarantee your spot on the tour. space on the tour is limited. Book online via Fairharbor to ensure tour is being conducted

Book a Tour

Look for the black and white hat that says: GUY.

All our Tours are Top Rated

What we are about:

Our goals are to give tours that are intellectually stimulating, historically accurate and FUN. We only offer walking tours because we believe that walking is the best way to see a city and learn about it and at a price everyone can afford

Nola Tour Guy offers no novelty “ghost” or “vampire” tours only the real history brought to life by our passionate guides. Join us, you won’t be disappointed.

See the best of New Orleans through the eyes of a local thanks to our independently owned tour service. After your Garden District walking tour with Nola Tour Guy, you’ll have a newfound understanding of and appreciation for the fascinating stories and history that makes New Orleans so special.

Learn more about Nola Tour Guy

Book Online