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The French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, became known to the French population as the Vieux Carre (Old Square). It is the site of the city's original settlement, established by French explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne in 1718. At different times, the area was owned by both France and Spain. The architecture of the French Quarter contains elements of both influences.

New Orleans was incorporated as a city in 1805. In 1812, Louisiana became a U.S. state with New Orleans as its first capital. At the close of the War of 1812, New Orleans was defended from a British attack by American forces led by General Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. Steamboat traffic on the Mississippi River made the city one of the busiest ports in North America and by 1852 New Orleans was the third largest city in the United States. During the American Civil War, the city was captured by a Union fleet in 1862 and remained a Union stronghold for the rest of the war.

The Vieux Carre is the center of interest for visitors. The French Quarter features St Louis Cathedral, the third structure to be erected on the same site since 1794. It witnessed the exchange of flags from Spanish to French to Amercian in 1803. The current cathedral, built in 1851, faces Jackson Square, a pleasant park with General Jackson sitting on his bronze horse. Around and beyond the Square are historic narrow streets and alleys with old courtyards, lovely patios, deserted corridors, Creole architecture and lace balconies. A French Quarter sightseeing carriage affords one a unique way to capture the spirit of the Vieux Carre of the past. The French Quarter is a favorite night spot, with Dixieland Jazz, risque entertainment and excellent hotels and restaurants.

The Riverfront Streetcar line, inaugurated in 1988, was the first to open in New Orleans since 1926, when over 200 miles of street railway crisscrossed the city. The new line with six vintage streetcars ties the Warehouse District to the French Quarter along a 2 mile riverfront route.