City Park
Tour Description
This tour unveils the park's history. Only a fraction of City Park's 1300 acres will be accessed. You will walk through the famous dueling grounds, stand beneath a tree whose branches touch the ground, and learn about many interesting events in the park's history.
Locations for Tour
Origins of New Orleans City Park
Before the French colonized Louisiana, Native Americans lived on the land that is now City Park. Bayou St. John, which runs through the park today, was part of a trade route commonly used by the Chapitoulas and the Houmas. After the French began to…
General Beauregard Statue
The monument to Confederate General G.T. Beauregard stood at the center of a busy traffic roundabout at the entrance to City Park. In the aftermath of the Charleston massacre of 2015, all symbols associated with the Confederacy faced renewed scrutiny…
Monteleone Gate
Two 25 foot marble pylons mark the Esplanade Avenue entrance to City Park. They were erected in memory of Park Commissioner Anthony Monteleone following his death in 1913. Known as the Monteleone Gate, the pylons include eight bronze lamps and…
New Orleans Museum of Art
Opened as the Isaac Delgado Art Museum in 1911, it was renamed the New Orleans Museum of Art in 1971. In the early 1900s, wealthy sugar broker Isaac Delgado wrote the following to the City Park Board about his intention to build an art museum:…
Allard Grave
1777 marked the birth of Louis Allard, son and heir of the affluent Creole family of Francoise Lorreins and Jean Allard. One narrative of Louis Allard's life said he was "destined to be an active citizen of the bayou for the next seventy…
Dueling Oak
Many myths are associated with the "Dueling Oaks." An 1892 Times-Democrat article noted that "Blood has been shed under the old cathedral aisles of nature. Between 1834 and 1844 scarcely a day passed without duels being fought at the…
Segregation in City Park
Until 1958, all park amenities, including the playground, were restricted to white residents. African American children and families were banned from entering the park. In a 1995 interview, the late author Tom Dent discussed his childhood experience…
Peristyle
The Peristyle was created as a platform for dancing while listening to music performances at the nearby band stand. It was originally called the paristyleum and cost $15,330 when erected in 1907. The dancing platform was designed to match the style…
Popp's Bandstand
John F. Popp was a park visitor with a penchant for classic style architecture and music. He was determined to construct a bandstand for the park that was harmonious with the other newly constructed buildings.
On July 4, 1917, Popp's Bandstand…
Timken Center
Built in 1912, this structure was conceived as a combined refreshment stand and administrative center, then referred to as "The Casino." Because of its Spanish Mission Revival design, someone at the time of its creation felt that the…
Langles Bridge
The Langles Bridge is located near the south side of the Timken Center, formerly known as the Casino building. This original stone bridge is dedicated to Miss Angele M. Langles; her estate appropriated $650 for City Park.
Angele and her mother were…
Famous Oaks
City Park is known for having one of the largest collections of mature live oaks in the world. The oldest is rumored to be up to 800 years old, although most sources claim the oak's age is closer to 500 years. Live Oaks are evergreen, but their…