One of the best and most historic places in New Orleans, you need to have a drink at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street! Famous for its use by Jean and Pierre Lafitte as a base for their smuggling operation, the building was built in the early 1700’s, and has a unique history!
Jean Lafitte was a smuggler, privateer and pirate who was based in New Orleans and Louisiana until fleeing to Galveston from the U.S. Government, and later disappearing but leaving behind stories of buried gold! While in New Orleans, he had a port and compound on Barataria Island to smuggle imports from the Caribbean, and avoid the U.S. embargo of 1812.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is now considered the oldest building in the U.S. to be used as a bar. The building has survived two fires, and if you enjoy history and a good tale, it’s a fun place to stop in.
Kids aren’t allowed inside, but there was a nice outside area where we sat and shared sodas while my husband and I took turns looking around inside. For New Orleans Ghost Hunters, the ghost of Lafitte is said to hang out near the fireplace.
Just after lunch, we walked to Lafitte’s from Central Grocery, up St. Phillip St., then headed down Bourbon Street with the kids. Other than a lot of construction, Bourbon Street with kids is fine. We took the kids to the Voodoo Museum off Dumaine and Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, where my daughter bought a love elixir for some unfortunate boy. We then took our time and walked down to Hard Rock where our daughter had to have a shirt, before heading back up Canal to our hotel. Wear really comfortable shoes in New Orleans, because to really experience the city, especially the French Quarter, you need to walk it!
If you enjoy the pirate lore, and are up for an adventure, head out of New Orleans to Grand Isle State Park, as close as you can get by car to Grand Terre, home of Lafitte’s Barataria. A two hour drive from New Orleans, it’s a great day trip to fish or play on the beach. They do have RV and tent camping sites with electricity, or you can primitive camp on the beach. Just a heads up, no dogs are allowed on the beach.
To read a little more about Lafitte’s time in Galveston and Campeachy, click HERE.
Things To Do (With Kids) in New Orleans
Play
The Audubon Aquarium is a located in the French Quarter, right on the shores of the Mississippi River! Click HERE to read more!
Ranked by Trip Advisor as the #2 Museum in the World, the National World War II Museum is a must-see! Click HERE for more information.
The Louisiana Children’s Museum is a fun play to take the kids to play and learn, located in the nearby Warehouse Museum District. Enjoy the day or enroll the kids in one of their camps to attend while you explore New Orleans for a day! Click HERE for more information.
Stay
During this visit, we stayed at the Hilton Riverfront Hotel, located just next door to Fulton Alley! The hotel offered two heated swimming pools, and a large workout facility with tennis courts and much more! It also has a terrific location, right on the river, and adjoining the Riverfront Mall and Carnival Cruise Lines port! Click HERE for more information.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
941 Bourbon Street, New Orleans
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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