NOLA Day Trippin’: Friends of the Cabildo French Quarter walking tours – Not for tourists only

Jackson Square (Glen Abbott photos)

Contrary to popular belief, the French Quarter wasn’t founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in order for visitors to have a place to drink Huge Ass Beers in the streets, although that seems to have been an unintended consequence of his accomplishment.

Booze and Bourbon Street will undoubtedly always remain a big part of the Quarter’s attraction for many. But for those looking for a little deeper historical perspective, the Friends of the Cabildo offers guided Vieux Carré walking tours. The two-hour tours are given twice daily, six days a week.

Tours meet at 1850 Museum House Store, 523 St. Ann St. (Jackson Square)

“The tours are historically based, and include different areas of culture, architecture, and culinary traditions in the city,” says Jason Strada, Special Projects Manager for the group.

Friends of the Cabildo, a non-profit, volunteer organization founded in 1956, supports the activities of the Louisiana State Museum. The museum operates five properties in the Quarter, including the old U.S. Mint and the Cabildo — the seat of colonial government in New Orleans.

The walking tours have proven popular with tourists and locals alike.

Tours begin in Jackson Square

“Locals love the tour,” says Strada. “The guides design their own tours, so you could go on a tour every single day twice a day, and you wouldn’t get the same exact tour each time. Each guide has their own different personality, and each guide feeds off the groups. You’ll get the historical background the same each time, just told in a different way.”

The volunteer guides undergo intensive training, and are licensed by the city of New Orleans.

Volunteer guides Bob and Christine Ewy lead a recent tour

“I love New Orleans and I love to share it with people,” says guide Christine Ewy. She and her husband Bob are retired educators, and Christine has written a book about the city, “Why People Live in New Orleans” (available for purchase in the museum’s 1850 House Museum Store).

On a recent Saturday, I tagged along on the Ewy’s tour, joining a group of Tulane anthropology students and their professor on a field trip.

Describing the city’s development, history, and rich blend of cultures, the couple led us on a brisk, fact-filled trek through the Quarter, stopping to point out landmarks and architectural features along the way.

Friends of the Cabildo French Quarter Walking Tours

Among the interesting tidbits: what the guides called the “four F’s” that shaped the city’s development: Fire, Flood, Fever, and Formosan termites.

Huge Ass Beers, I noted, were nowhere on the list.

The essentials:

• Friends of the Cabildo French Quarter walking tours are offered Tuesday through Sunday (no tours Monday) at 10:00 am and 1:30 pm
• Cost: $15 adults; children 12 and under accompanied by an adult, free; students age 13-20, $10
• No reservations required, arrive and purchase tickets 10-15 minutes before tour begins at 1850 Museum House Store, 523 St. Ann St. (Jackson Square) 504-524-9118

Friends of the Cabildo website: http://www.friendsofthecabildo.org/

Near Café du Monde

Glen Abbott is a New Orleans-based freelance travel writer/photographer. Visit his blog at www.TravelinGringo.com.