New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz and gave rise to Dixieland music in the early 20th century, so it only makes sense that there should be a park celebrating the history and evolution of jazz in that city. Jazz great Louis Armstrong was born here in 1901, and many of his recordings and those of his protégées have provided the city with a homegrown soundtrack to this day.
The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park celebrates this history and occupies about five acres in the French Quarter. The visitor center is sandwiched between Café du Monde and the flea market in the French Market. The park was established in 1994 to educate visitors about the cultural history of the people and places that helped shape the progression of jazz in New Orleans.
Park visitors are treated to talks about the origins of jazz through live talks and video documentaries, live jazz performances that take place in the visitor center, ranger-guided tours, and maps to self-guided walking tours in six neighborhoods that feature concert venues and homes that were essential to the rise of jazz music in the city.
The self-guided walking tour of jazz sites in New Orleans begins in Louis Armstrong Park and contains 11 stops in or near the French Quarter. The final stop of the tour is located across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans in the neighborhood of Algiers Point, next to the Jazz Walk of Fame.
The Jazz Walk of Fame, also part of the park, features a series of lampposts, each dedicated to an influential jazz musician. Brochures are available at the visitor center and offer a self-guided audio tour on top of the levee, a spot that offers spectacular views of downtown New Orleans. Also on the park site stands Perseverance Hall No. 4 (not to be confused with Preservation Hall, where many jazz performances take place), which was built from 1819 to 1820. Originally erected as a Masonic Temple, the building is undergoing renovations and is not open to visitors, but can be viewed from the outside.
On Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon, kids can bring their own instruments to the visitor center to participate in a traditional jazz workshop and play along with members of the Royal Players Brass Band. Live jazz performances take place in the visitor center from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.
The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park visitor center is located at 916 North Peters Street. Information is posted at <www.nps.gov/jazz> or available by phone at (877) 520-0677. 
