Voodoo, Treme and Storyville Walking Tour New Orleans, LA

Discover the cultural heart of New Orleans on this immersive walking tour through Storyville, Treme, and the world of Voodoo. Begin at Backatown Coffee, located near the historic Storyville district, once home to early jazz pioneers like Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver. Explore the Treme neighborhood, one of the oldest African-American communities in the United States, and learn how its traditions shaped Creole culture, music, and community life.

Continue into the former Iberville Housing Project—now the Bienville Basin Apartments, to learn about the area’s layered history, including surviving structures from the Storyville era. Hear how modern “New Urbanism” influences today’s redevelopment and architectural design.

Step into the mysteries of Voodoo as you explore its West African origins, its blending with Catholicism, and the life of Marie Laveau, New Orleans’ famed Voodoo Queen. Your guide helps separate fact from myth while revealing how Voodoo shaped local culture.

From here, visit Basin Street Station, Louis Armstrong Park, Congo Square, Perseverance Hall, the Rabassa-de Pouilly House, and St. Augustine Catholic Church with its powerful Tomb of the Unknown Slave. Learn about the historic “War of the Pews” and the dramatic 1891 Parish Prison vendetta that followed the murder of Police Chief Hennessy.

See filming locations from HBO’s Treme, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, and the area associated with Marie Laveau’s home. Guests may also choose to visit the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a beloved institution preserving Mardi Gras Indian and Second Line traditions.

End your tour with a true New Orleans “lagniappe”—a bonus insight into the city’s historic above-ground cemeteries, including a brief explanation of St. Louis Cemetery’s unique tombs and burial customs.