Your New Orleans CME conference.

New Orleans after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM New Orleans time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: Jackson Square and the galleries along Royal Street, the National WWII Museum on Magazine Street, or the Ogden Museum of Southern Art on Camp Street. Leave time for getting there, and check current hours and ticketing before you go.

Travel, accommodation and admission are arranged separately. Your conference is built around your specialty and interests; the city is simply the setting you choose for it.

The French Quarter on foot

Visit New Orleans calls Jackson Square the usual starting point for the French Quarter. Its roots go back to the 1720s, and The Cabildo, The Presbytère and St. Louis Cathedral surround it. Royal Street runs from Canal Street into the Marigny, lined with galleries, boutiques and antique shops. Café du Monde sits across from the square and is known for beignets and chicory coffee.

Much of the Quarter’s French and Spanish-influenced architecture is unchanged since construction apart from modern amenities and a major fire in 1788, and the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, built in 1745, is described as the oldest structure in New Orleans. Most major landmarks, restaurants and shops are within a 10-to-15-minute walk of Jackson Square, so a Quarter afternoon needs little planning. The same guide says the essentials fit in a day but the neighborhood rewards two or three days at a slower pace. Bourbon Street changes from day to night and is known for its nightlife; decide in advance whether it is part of your plans. For music of another kind, the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is in the French Quarter, with a visitor center on North Peters Street and a concert space at the Old U.S. Mint.

Museums or a green afternoon?

The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war, and the Ogden Museum focuses on Southern art. Check each museum’s current hours against your 2:00 PM finish, and book ahead if its ticketing page asks you to.

For open air, City Park offers 1,300 acres of gardens, golf, kayaking and walking trails, with the Botanical Garden, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden inside it. City Park’s other attractions include Carousel Gardens, Storyland, the Train Garden and the Pelican Greenhouse, and its Big Lake and disc golf draw people outdoors. Audubon Zoo is another outdoor option. Both need their own travel time from the Quarter, so choose one rather than combining them.

Neighborhoods beyond the Quarter

Visit New Orleans describes a bohemian spirit in the Marigny and Bywater, just down river from the historic center. St. Roch Market, a food hall along St. Claude Avenue, is in Bywater. Tremé is called the oldest African-American neighborhood in the nation. The Irish Channel is named for the wave of Irish immigrants who settled there in the 1830s, and a section of Magazine Street runs through it.

In Mid-City, Bayou St. John is known for its laid-back neighborhood vibe and access to nature. In Uptown, Riverbend has Oak Street’s independent bookstores.

The riverfront, Uptown and the Warehouse Arts District

At 1 Canal Street, Audubon Aquarium sits on the Mississippi River beside the French Quarter. It is home to more than 3,600 animals from more than 250 species, including African penguins and white alligators, with a Maya Tunnel where stingrays swim overhead and a wetlands exhibit called Down the Bayou.

Upriver, Uptown mixes mansions and modest houses along the Mardi Gras parade routes, and Magazine Street is known for boutique shopping. The Garden District is known for its grand mansions and oak-shaded streets, just blocks from St. Charles Avenue. Closer to downtown, the Warehouse Arts District puts residential lofts, museums, restaurants and art galleries and Visit New Orleans calls it walkable.

When to visit New Orleans

Visit New Orleans describes spring temperatures from the low 50s to the upper 70s, and October and November cooling from the upper 70s toward the mid 50s. June through August runs from the mid 70s to the upper 90s, and rain is common. Winter is humid, so it can feel colder than the thermometer reads. March through May and September through November are a useful starting point. Use the local forecast when you plan time outdoors.

Getting to New Orleans and your study setting

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is in Kenner and is the arrival point shown in this guide. Ground options listed by the airport include rental cars, public transportation, ride apps, shuttles and taxis.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.