Anne Rice's House

Enjoy a totally unique walking tour through New Orleans' Garden District and marvel at the opulent 19th-century mansions that are so common in this area. With your experienced guide, you will learn about the history behind these magnificent homes, the former owners, visitors and about the city of New Orleans in general.  Get to witness mansions that so often tell the story of wealth found and sometimes lost, during the second half of the 19th century. Marvel at the homes, designed with a love of Greek Revival and Italianate building styles, with some of them reminiscent of grand plantation mansions.  Your leisurely walk starts by visiting two iconic mansions, the Bosworth-Haus and, the Burnside Mansion. The former owners, one a successful ice-magnate, the other a plantation owner lived in decadent homes with stunning architectural features, all of which you will get to admire during this tour.  After a stop at the oldest municipal cemetery where you will learn about the city's above-ground burial traditions, you will get to visit Commander's Palace, one of New Orleans' most famous restaurants. Culinary stars such as Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse trained here under the watchful eyes of other master chefs and its owner, Ella Brennan. The tour's next stop is the Eustis-Haus, which was built for the daughter of a cotton factor and is now the home of Hollywood movie actress Sandra Bullock, who purchased it for $2.25 million. Nearby you will get the chance to see the Lonsdale house on Prytania Street. His house is the oldest in the Garden District and today belongs to a wealthy local tea and coffee importer. The walk ends at the Rink, a former skating rink that today houses a local coffee shop, an independent bookstore, and small boutiques.

No trip to New Orleans is complete without a walk round the elegant and historic Garden District. Known as the "American" section of town, it was built in the 1800's to rival the architectural splendor of the French Quarter. This 2-hour walking tour gets to the heart of the neighborhood, with a start at the gates of the fascinating Lafayette Cemetery. Occupying the entire 1400 block of Washington Avenue, the cemetery is one of the oldest in the city and has been a favorite location for many a New Orleans movie. Your tour includes visits to several famous homes in the lavish antebellum neighborhood, along with a walk past the home of the vampire chronicler Anne Rice. Throughout you will get a compelling narration by friendly guides, all licensed by city authorities for their depth of knowledge and high standard of service. Recommended by Travel Channel as a must-do attraction in New Orleans, this tour will uncover some of the city’s most remarkable treasures and give you a unique perspective on this city’s fascinating history.

New Orleans’ Garden District is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in the nation, next to it is bustling Magazine Street. If you’re looking to explore outside of the French Quarter area, and see how people live and have lived, this excursion is perfect for you or your group. After that, a stop in Lafayette Cemetery, the oldest city-owned cemetery. You’ll learn the burial practices and traditions that make the cemeteries unique. Then, during the tour, you’ll set eyes on the current residences of New Orleanians Anne Rice, Sandra Bullock, and John Goodman. You’ll see houses featured in movies such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the Buckner Mansion of American Horror Story fame. Included in this tour is a stroll along beautiful Magazine Street, historically the line between the rich and working class of NOLA. Walk a few blocks from Magazine into the Irish Channel where you’ll see the famous “shotgun houses.” The Garden District was founded in 1832, between St. Charles Avenue, First Street, Magazine Street and Toledano Street. Originally its own city, it was annexed by New Orleans in 1852. You’ll learn more about this and other historic facts as you see the neighborhood’s gorgeous mansions and their notable large, opulent lawns.

Set off to admire houses and mansions of various styles, from the Italianate to the Gothic, Romanesque and Greek Revival. Marvel at the sweeping front porches, turrets, cast-iron balconies, colonnades, 30-foot columns and double-pitched roofs. Follow in the footsteps of the authors, poets, movie stars, artists and sports legends who have made the Garden District their home. Be mesmerized by the towering Southern live oak trees, magnificent Crepe Myrtles and stunning magnolias that can make walking through the neighborhood feel like walking through a fairytale. Learn the rich history of the area and how it fits into the overall story of New Orleans. Hear about the jealousy and mistrust that led to the "new money" of the "garish" Americans trying to show up the splendor and glory of the "old money" Europeans on the other side of town. Visit the city's oldest municipal cemetery at Lafayette #1 (outside only), and discover where so many famous movies and TV shows have been shot. Hear about the above ground burial practices of New Orleans, and join in some gossip about the dead.