United States
New Orleans
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Welcome to New Orleans, USA! This lively city on the Mississippi River is where jazz music was born, and its French Quarter is full of colorful old buildings with fancy iron balconies.
Why is it famous?
New Orleans is famous as the birthplace of jazz music, a lively style that mixes African rhythms, blues, and brass band sounds.
Its French Quarter neighborhood is full of pastel-colored buildings with beautiful iron-lace balconies, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages.
How was it built?
French settlers founded New Orleans in 1718 along a curve of the Mississippi River, and it later passed to Spanish and then American rule, which is why its architecture blends French, Spanish, and American styles.
Because the city sits low near the river and sea, much of it is protected today by levees and pumps that keep water out.
Amazing facts
Musicians still play live jazz on street corners and in clubs across the French Quarter every single day.
New Orleans is famous for the Mardi Gras festival, where parades toss colorful bead necklaces and toys to cheering crowds.
Quick facts
- Musicians still play live jazz on street corners and in clubs across the French Quarter every single day.
- New Orleans is famous for the Mardi Gras festival, where parades toss colorful bead necklaces and toys to cheering crowds.
- The city is a birthplace of gumbo and beignets — square, sugar-dusted fried pastries served warm.
- St. Louis Cathedral, overlooking Jackson Square, is one of the oldest continuously active Catholic cathedrals in the United States.