A Cajun-style Christmas on the river also involves sky-high pyres and explosives.

This New Orleans statue of a portly figure in a goofy hat pays homage to a classic of satirical literature.

"If she'd leave us alone, we would have a happy home, sent from down below."

This cathedral dedicated to Louis IX, sainted King of France, holds many secrets.

A swamp and garden tour featuring local wildlife and exotic botanical specimens from around the world.

Once the site of a Native American harvest festival, this humble clearing later played an invaluable role in the birth of jazz.

The oldest operational cathedral in the U.S. has one shell of a way of projecting speakers' voices.

The first patented shaved-ice machine heralded a snowy wonderland of iced treats at a favorite New Orleans summer shack.

The world-record holder for the longest bridge stretching continuously over water.

A small park on Bourbon Street features life-size bronze statues of New Orleans musicians.

A little piece of Paris in the sultry south of the U.S.

The stone labyrinth in this New Orleans city park was laid to symbolize healing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Formerly known as National D-Day Museum, this collection commemorates the battles of Normandy and WWII.

This float factory takes the mask off of Mardi Gras and lets visitors see where the magic happens.

This bar named after the world's first mixed cocktail was home to one of New Orleans' most notorious politicians.

An otherworldly musical haven in The Big Easy.

A 200-year-old building in the French Quarter that was to be Napoleon's home in the New World.

The oldest family-run restaurant in the United States is a living museum of New Orleans dining history.

In 2010, Nicolas Cage purchased two plots in this cemetery using one to construct this strange pyramid mausoleum.

The second oldest continuously operating bar in Louisiana.

This knobby, drooping New Orleans oak is a favorite place both for climbing and for meeting giraffes.

This New Orleans tree is filled with hidden chimes that produce a carefully tuned melody.

The only rotating bar in New Orleans has been slowly spinning since 1949.

The final resting place of New Orleans' most famous voodoo priestess.