Jackson Square, New Orleans

Jackson Square is located in the heart of the French Quarter or Vieux Carre (Old Square) in New Orleans. St. Louis Cathedral (completed in 1794) is the imposing center of Jackson Square. The Jackson Square area was generally called the Place d'Armes by the French and Plaza de Armas by the Spanish. This was the area where the militia drilled and the citizens met. The Place d'Armes was the site of the Louisiana Purchase (1803) ceremony, and was subsequently renamed Jackson Square in the 1850's in honor of Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 and later President of the United States.

Today Jackson Square is a beautiful landscaped park at the center of which you will find a statue of Andrew Jackson. The park is landscaped in a sun pattern, with walkways set like the sun's rays streaming out from the center.

It is a visual feast along the walls of this park, and on any given day you will find people displaying their arts & crafts, young musicians, face painters, carriages for hire and any number of others who make a living from the parade of tourists in this area. It's teaming with a variety of life and a great place to do some serious people watching and listening to music!

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Being old house lovers, my husband and I were eager to explore the interior of the Pontalba buildings located on both sides of Jackson Square, erected by Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba, daughter of the benefactor of St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo and the Presbytere, Don Andres Almonester y Roxas.

The 1850 House is a National Historic Landmark overseen by The Louisiana State Museum. Each room has been furnished as though the Baroness herself was reigning over this Antebellum-style home. It was a very prosperous time in the city and this is reflected in the beautiful decor.

An immense carved bed holds sway over the Master bedroom and not too far from the parents room is the children's bedroom, a dear little space with tiny tea set and small scale furniture (pic #2)while on the lower level, a kitchen staffed by slaves was located (pic #3).

We missed the guided tour, which I believe is scheduled twice a day. Visitors have access to this historic home during normal business hours for a self-guided tour.

Admission is adults $6; Students, Seniors and Active Military $5; Children 12 and under are free. If combined with other museum tours, a 20% discount is applied.

Hours are Tues.-Sat. 9am-5pm; Sun. 12n-5pm; Closed on Mondays and major holidays,

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Cafe du Monde is at one corner, so morning is a good time to visit Jackson Square. The light was bright and the chicory coffee and beignets a perked an introduction to the day. Incidentally, Andrew Jackson was the frontier hero who beat the British at the Battle of New Orleans, after the war was negotiated by peace treaty in Europe. The plaza where the statue stands is clearly one created by the Spanish during their forty year ownership of the city. Jackson Square is a good place to walk the dog (see dog walking tip).

Originally known as the Plaza de Armas, Jackson Square is located in the heart of the French Quarter, facing the Mississippi River. You'll find the St. Louis Cathedral on one side, next to the Cabildo and Presbytere on Chartres Street, and flanked by the Upper and Lower Pontalba apartment buildings along St. Peter and St. Ann streets (either side). In the middle of all of this, is a small attractive, manicured park with a statue of Andrew Jackson.

All around the Square are local artists displaying their watercolors, paintings, and other crafts, with recent years seeing an influx of performance artists and street musicians. A pedestrian mall occupies the areas under the Pontalba apartments, although most of the items here are priced higher than you'll find elsewhere.

There's also a pretty helpful Visitor Center here, with lots of free materials and knowledgeable volunteers working for the French Quarter Preservation Society.

Jackson Sq. is the home of St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo and Presbytere, the buildings on either side of it which are both historical museums. The Square is flanked with shops and restaurants and centered by a large park featuring a huge statue of Andrew Jackson, hero of the battle of New Orleans. The park is closed after dark. The Square is also full of street vendors offering everything from portraits to fortunes.

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New Orleans' colonial roots can be seen in Jackson Square. It's a lovely slice of the city, bearing respectable old buildings such as St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, Presbytere, the Pontalba apartments and the dramatic statue of Andrew Jackson (pic #2).

This is where artists display their paintings, where you can book a carriage ride or drift over to nearby French Market where you can sample cafe au lait and beignets or wander through a flea market. I think this is a good starting point to familiarize yourself with New Orleans--it was grey and rainy when we stepped foot here, but this is an attractive part of the city and full of life!

Jackson Square was my compass rose while in the French Quarter. From here you always know where you are relative to everything else: up to Bourbon, out to Frenchmen, down to the water. And there's so much going on right here. You've got the church, the Cabildo, museums, restaurants, a park and all the street life that exists on the square both day and night. Best of all, Jackson square is open and free. If I had a week in NO I'd probably spend a whole day just in the square to see how it changes from morning to evening.

You're not likely to miss Jackson Square if you are spending time in the French Quarter. This is the hub of artists from all over the city. They come down to partake in their craft and display and sell their artwork. In the early 70's, the square was closed off to vehicular traffic and turned into a pedestrian mall.

New Orleans is full of places to just walk around, take pictures and really experience the city. Jackson Square is one of those spots. There is a small park to sit down and beautiful St Louis Church which was under construction at the time as well as shops, art galleries and cafes. Including the Cafe Du Monde where you can get their world famous beignets.

Jackson Square to me is the heartbeat of New Orleans. Bourbon Street might be the playground but Jackson Square has the heart and soul of the city. At first glance it almost looks like the entrance to Disney World. Here you can see the large memorial to Andrew Jackson and the St. Louis Cathedral.