New Orleans Scavenger Hunt

48 free finds around Jackson Square, on the riverfront, under City Park's oaks and in the Garden District.

New Orleans Scavenger Hunt

TeamMeet at (place and time)

  1. Stay with your team on public squares, sidewalks and park paths.
  2. Keep behind the river rail and back from lagoon edges; cross only at marked crossings.
  3. Buy nothing, take nothing and climb nothing.
  4. Photograph nobody outside your team without asking.
  1. The letters AP worked into an iron railingBaroness Pontalba's initials are woven into the cast-iron panels on her buildings' first-floor railing. Find them.
  2. A painter at work beside the squareArtists have set up along the square for generations. Write one thing being painted; buy nothing.
  3. A cathedral with three spires facing the squareSt. Louis Cathedral is among the oldest cathedrals in continuous use in the United States; the first church here went up in 1718. Count its spires.
  4. The iron fence around the squareThe fences, walkways and benches are from the 1851 design. Count the gates you pass on one side.
  5. Red-brick row buildings along two sides of the squareThe Pontalba Buildings went up in 1849 to 1851; their upper floors are said to be the oldest continuously rented apartments in the country.
  6. The oldest market of its kind in the countryThe French Market began as a Native American trading post and now spans six blocks. Walk one block of it; buy nothing.
  7. Two matching buildings on either side of the cathedralThe Cabildo was the Spanish colonial city hall; the Presbytère was built in 1813 to match it. Write which one is on the cathedral's left.
  8. A carriage animal waiting at the curbWrite whether it is a mule or a horse. Do not touch it.
  9. A convent that may be the city's oldest buildingThe Old Ursuline Convent on Chartres Street was built between 1748 and 1752. Tick it from the sidewalk.
  10. A fleur-de-lis on a sign, a gate or a wallSketch it and write where you found it.

Next step Turn it into a photo hunt

How it works

Initials hidden in an iron railing, an oak that outlived its dueling partner and a fence of iron cornstalks: this New Orleans scavenger hunt holds 48 finds, each free to see.

Read the full guide

Start at Jackson Square

Jackson Square opens first, and The riverfront is across the street. City Park is a drive or bus north, and The Garden District lies uptown along St. Charles Avenue. Choose an area in the menu, then press Print this list.

Proof on paper

Most finds ask for a name, a count or a year, so teams prove a find by writing it. The note under each is the judging rule.

Tips
  • Summer afternoons are hot and wet. Walk the Quarter and the river in the morning and save City Park's shade for later.

Questions and answers

Can you do a free scavenger hunt in New Orleans?

Yes. Every find is seen from squares, sidewalks, the river walk and park paths. The streetcar, ferry and riverboats are watched, not ridden, and nothing needs a ticket or a purchase.

Is this New Orleans hunt good for kids?

Yes, with an adult in every team. It stays off Bourbon Street. City Park suits children best, with giant oaks and lagoons; keep them back from the river rail and the water's edge.

What can you find in the Garden District?

A cornstalk iron fence, a walled block of above-ground tombs, streetcar rails in a grassy strip and houses raised on piers. All of it is seen from the sidewalk; the houses are private.

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All 48 finds

Jackson Square 12

  • A carriage animal waiting at the curb Write whether it is a mule or a horse. Do not touch it.
  • A cathedral with three spires facing the square St. Louis Cathedral is among the oldest cathedrals in continuous use in the United States; the first church here went up in 1718. Count its spires.
  • A convent that may be the city's oldest building The Old Ursuline Convent on Chartres Street was built between 1748 and 1752. Tick it from the sidewalk.
  • A fleur-de-lis on a sign, a gate or a wall Sketch it and write where you found it.
  • A lamp with a real flame on a French Quarter street Count the ones you see on a single block.
  • A painter at work beside the square Artists have set up along the square for generations. Write one thing being painted; buy nothing.
  • A street musician near the cathedral Write the instrument. Tip only if you choose.
  • The iron fence around the square The fences, walkways and benches are from the 1851 design. Count the gates you pass on one side.
Show all 48 finds (40 more)

Jackson Square, continued

  • The letters AP worked into an iron railing Baroness Pontalba's initials are woven into the cast-iron panels on her buildings' first-floor railing. Find them.
  • The oldest market of its kind in the country The French Market began as a Native American trading post and now spans six blocks. Walk one block of it; buy nothing.
  • Red-brick row buildings along two sides of the square The Pontalba Buildings went up in 1849 to 1851; their upper floors are said to be the oldest continuously rented apartments in the country.
  • Two matching buildings on either side of the cathedral The Cabildo was the Spanish colonial city hall; the Presbytère was built in 1813 to match it. Write which one is on the cathedral's left.

The riverfront 12

  • A bench facing the Mississippi Sit and count the boats you see in one minute.
  • A bird fishing over the river Write what kind it is if you know, or sketch its beak.
  • A ferry crossing to the far bank Watch it from shore and write how long the crossing takes.
  • A monument to people who came from far away The Monument to the Immigrant was set up in the park in 1995. Write what the figure is doing.
  • A paddle wheel on a riverboat Write its color and whether it is turning.
  • A riverside park laid out on old wharves Woldenberg Park opened in 1989 where wharves and warehouses once stood. Walk it from end to end.
  • A sculpture that changes as you walk around it The Holocaust memorial in Woldenberg Park shows different images from different angles, among them a Star of David and a menorah. Tick it quietly; name one image.
  • An ocean ship moving up or down the river Write its color and which way it is heading.
  • The floodwall between the city and the river Stand beside it and write whether the street is higher or lower than the water.
  • The Mississippi from the walk facing Jackson Square It runs 2,340 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Stay behind the rail and write which way the water moves.
  • The old mint at the far end of the Quarter The New Orleans Mint struck coins from 1838 to 1861 and 1879 to 1909. Tick it from Esplanade Avenue.
  • Twin bridges across the Mississippi The Crescent City Connection is a pair of cantilever bridges, tied as the fifth-longest of their kind in the world. Count the spans you can see.

City Park 12

  • A 1930s art deco figure in the park WPA artist Enrique Alférez made many sculptures here. Find one and write what it shows.
  • A duck, goose or turtle in a lagoon Keep back from the edge; feed nothing.
  • A live oak with branches that touch the ground City Park holds the world's largest collection of mature live oaks, some older than 600 years. Count the branches that rest on the ground.
  • A park half as big again as Central Park City Park covers 1,300 acres. Copy the words on the nearest park sign.
  • A ring of columns by the water The Peristyle was built in 1907. Count its columns.
  • A sculpture on the lawn beside the art museum Pick one and write its shape or what it shows.
  • A stone bridge over a lagoon Many of the park's bridges were built in the 1930s by the WPA. Count the bridges you cross.
  • A trunk too thick to see around Stand on one side while a teammate stands on the other; write whether you can see each other.
  • An art museum that opened in 1911 The New Orleans Museum of Art began as the Delgado Museum. Tick it from outside and count the columns on its front.
  • The Dueling Oak Men once fought duels under the oaks here; one of the pair was lost in a 1949 hurricane. The survivor stands where Dueling Oaks Drive meets Dreyfous Drive.
  • Spanish moss hanging from a branch It is a flowering plant, not a moss, and it favors live oaks. Look, but leave it on the tree.
  • Still water left from an old bayou The park was laid out along the remains of Bayou Metairie. Find water with trees on both banks and write what floats on it.

The Garden District 12

  • A banana plant or palm in a front garden Write which one, from the sidewalk.
  • A cast-iron fence shaped like cornstalks Colonel Short's Villa at 1448 Fourth Street has a cornstalk and morning-glory fence. Find a morning glory in the iron. The house is private: sidewalk only.
  • A church sign on Prytania Street Write the church's name.
  • A green streetcar on St. Charles Avenue The St. Charles line, running since 1835, is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. Watch one pass; this list does not ride.
  • A house raised off the ground on piers Write one reason a house here might be built up high.
  • A landmark marker on a Prytania Street house Write the year it gives.
  • A mansion with columns on two floors Count the columns on the upper porch.
  • A sidewalk lifted by oak roots Watch your step; count the bumps in one block.
  • A walled city block of tombs above the ground Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, founded in 1833, holds about 1,100 family tombs in one block. Look through the gate on Washington Avenue; voices low.
  • Iron lace on a balcony Cast-iron galleries became the city's hallmark after the Pontalba Buildings used them first. Sketch one pattern.
  • Parade beads caught high in a tree Write their colors. Leave them where they are.
  • Streetcar rails in a grassy middle strip Write what grows between the rails. Cross only at corners.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on foot in New Orleans, Louisiana, around Jackson Square, on the riverfront, in City Park and in the Garden District, sorted by area, all scored from public squares, sidewalks, levee paths and park paths with nothing bought, no boat or streetcar ride and no ticket. Nothing was copied from another list; Bourbon Street and every bar are left off. Levels are our judgment. Names, dates, sizes and places in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Jackson_Square_(New_Orleans), St._Louis_Cathedral_(New_Orleans), The_Cabildo, The_Presbytere, Pontalba_Buildings, Old_Ursuline_Convent,_New_Orleans, French_Market, Mississippi_River, Woldenberg_Park_(New_Orleans), Crescent_City_Connection, New_Orleans_Mint, City_Park_(New_Orleans), New_Orleans_Museum_of_Art, Spanish_moss, Garden_District,_New_Orleans, St._Charles_Streetcar_Line and Lafayette_Cemetery_No._1. Licence: own work