Bourbon Street - Attractions

Attractions

Though largely quiet during the day, Bourbon Street comes alive at night, particularly during the French Quarter's many festivals. Most popular among these is the annual Mardi Gras celebration, when Bourbon Street teems with hundreds of thousands of tourists. Local open container laws in the French Quarter allow drinking alcoholic beverages in the street. Popular drinks include the Hurricanes, Hand Grenades and Huge Ass Beers - a large plastic cup of draft beer marketed to tourists at a low price.

The most visited section of Bourbon Street is "Upper Bourbon Street", an eight-block section of popular tourist attractions.

Among the tourist attractions are bars, restaurants,souvenir shops and strip clubs. There are also a number of gay bars. Most bars are located in the central section of Bourbon Street. Popular bars include Pat O'Brien's, Johnny White's, The Famous Door, Razzoo and The Cat's Meow.

Arguably the most popular restaurant on Bourbon Street is Galatoire's. However, Jean Laffite's Blacksmith Shop and The Old Absinthe House are also popular.

The upper end of Bourbon Street near Canal Street is home to many of the French Quarter's strip clubs. These include Rick's Cabaret, Temptations, and Larry Flynt's Barely Legal Club.

The section of Bourbon Street from the intersection of St. Anne Street caters to New Orleans' thriving gay community, featuring such clubs as New Orleans' largest gay nightclub, The Bourbon Pub, and Oz. St. Anne Street has been referred to as "the Velvet Line", in reference to it being the edge or boundary line of the gay community in the French Quarter. Cafe-Lafitte-In-Exile is the oldest gay bar in the country. The intersection of Bourbon Street and St. Anne Street is also the center of Southern Decadence, commonly referred to as the "Gay Mardi Gras" and attracts upwards of 100,000 participants over Labor Day weekend.