When it comes to cities in the US that people tell you you HAVE to visit, New Orleans has to be one of the top. From the food to the live music to the over-the-top culture of having a good time, New Orleans is indeed one of the most fun places to visit in the US.

I didn't visit New Orleans for the first time until I was 30 years old, though, and the main reason for that was that I assumed it was a city that I, as someone who doesn't drink or party much, wouldn't really enjoy.

Well, I was dead wrong.

Just like you don't have to gamble to enjoy Las Vegas, you don't have to hang out on Bourbon Street to enjoy New Orleans.

I visited New Orleans for the first time (and the second time) with my friend Kasey, and we had a great time exploring the city's history, food, and top attractions while still going to bed at times that suited our inner grandmas.

So I figured I would highlight some of the things to do in New Orleans that have nothing to do with beads and beers on Bourbon Street.

9 things to do in New Orleans (that don't involve Bourbon Street)

1. Get your history on in the French Quarter

New Orleans' French Quarter is the city's most famous neighborhood – and it's also the oldest part of the city. This is where the first French colonists settled in the early 1700s, bringing with them culture and architecture that you can still see there today. Wandering around the French Quarter is a must.

And if you're interested in the history of the quarter, be sure to check out:

• Jackson Square – This square near the river is one of the oldest in New Orleans. And the iconic St. Louis Cathedral on one end of the square is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States (having originally been built in 1724). This is a great spot to buy artwork and souvenirs, watch buskers perform, and start a carriage tour of the city.
• 1850 House – On the opposite side of Jackson Square, you'll find the 1850 House. This multi-storied home is decorated with period furniture and artwork in order to depict middle class family life during New Orleans' most prosperous years.

• The Cabildo – Located near St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square, the Cabildo is one of New Orleans' most important historical buildings. Not only has it served as the seat of the city's government in the past, but it's also where the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803. Today it's a museum, with artifacts and exhibits that showcase the history of New Orleans and Louisiana.
• Historic French Market – You'll also want to check out the French Market, which spans roughly 6 blocks in the quarter. Not only is this a great place to shop, but you'll find very affordable eats here, too.

Take a tour: If you want to learn more about this historic neighborhood, consider a French Quarter walking tour!

2. Go to Mardi Gras World

New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations each spring, but visiting during that time of year can be a bit overwhelming. But guess what? You don't *have* to visit near Fat Tuesday in order to experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans!

(I was super excited to learn this, as Mardi Gras in New Orleans doesn't necessarily appeal to me as a person who doesn't love partying or crowds!)

I wasn't sure what to expect from Mardi Gras World, but it turned out to be one of my favorite things in New Orleans. The warehouse facility near the city's cruise port is where many of the famous Mardi Gras floats are conceptualized and built each year, and it's also where tons of props are stored.

Your ticket (which is roughly $22 per adult) includes a short movie about Mardi Gras, a guided or self-guided tour of the facility, and then free time to roam around all the floats and props.

It's super interesting to learn about the different krewes, how the floats are designed each year, and what riding on a float is really like. It helped me conceptualize and understand Mardi Gras in New Orleans a lot better.

3. Take a stroll in the Garden District

Many people never leave the French Quarter when they visit New Orleans, but I highly recommend seeing some of the city's other neighborhoods, too.

My other favorite is probably the Garden District. It actually used to be called the “American District” because it's where all the Americans who came down after the Revolutionary War settled in New Orleans.

The architecture here is so different from what you'll find in the French Quarter, and the tree-lined streets are much quieter.

My friend Kasey and I booked a walking tour of the Garden District like this one, which was a great way to learn the history of the neighborhood and see some of the most famous homes. (There are lots of famous homes and homes of famous people in the Garden District.)

You can also take a stroll along Magazine Street, but note that most of the cute little shops close at 5 p.m.!

Take a tour: A Garden District walking tour will cover the history and famous residents of this neighborhood, as well as allow you to learn about the oldest cemetery in New Orleans.

4. Spend time in a park

If it's true green space you're looking for, New Orleans has some great parks to enjoy. Kasey and I spent a morning at City Park, enjoying all the huge live oaks and wandering through the sculpture garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art, and then spent an afternoon at Audubon Park in the city's Uptown neighborhood.

Both parks have nice walking/biking trails and tons of huge trees. Wandering through Audubon Park especially gave us a feeling of what it might be like to actually live in New Orleans as opposed to just being tourists there.

5. Learn about NOLA's cemeteries

Maybe it's weird, but I love visiting cemeteries when I travel. And New Orleans has some very famous and fascinating cemeteries. We visited Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 as part of our Garden District walking tour, and learned all about these “Cities of the Dead” in New Orleans.

What makes the cemeteries here unique is the fact that, because of the swampy ground New Orleans was built upon, people need to be buried above-ground – hence why you'll find cemeteries here filled with stone crypts and mausoleums built along “streets.”

When you die in New Orleans, your coffin is put in your family mausoleum for at least one year and one day. After that, the family removes the coffin, places the remains in a bag, and puts them back into the bottom of the mausoleum, making room for more dead. This means that there literally could be dozens – or even hundreds! – of bodies in just one crypt. Talk about efficient (and creepy).

Take a tour: If you have time, definitely try out a cemetery tour in NOLA to learn even more.

6. Go on a ghost tour

Speaking of creepy… You can't really go to New Orleans without going on a spooky tour of some sort! Since Kasey and I were interested in everything from ghosts to voodoo to vampires, we ended up booking a combo tour like this of the French Quarter.

The evening walking tour was very well-done – it was the perfect blend of actual history and spooky mystery from New Orleans over the centuries, from vampires to voodoo.

If you're looking for a ghostly tour in NOLA, check out some of these options:

• New Orleans Ghost, Voodoo and Vampire Tour
• New Orleans Haunted History Ghost Tour
• New Orleans Vampire Tour
• Adults Only New Orleans Ghost, True Crime, Voodoo and Vampire Walking Tour

7. Listen to some live music

New Orleans is incredibly famous for its jazz music. And while you can find it on Bourbon Street, the best “local” place to go for live music is Frenchmen Street in Faubourg Marigny. Within the space of about 4 blocks, you'll find some of the best live-music venues in the city here.

Take a tour: Try out this live music pub crawl along Frenchman Street.

8. Eat ALL THE FOOD

Perhaps just as famous as its music is New Orleans' food. I don't pretend to be a foodie by any means, but OH. MY. GOD. The food in New Orleans is just incredible. I left Kasey in charge of most of our restaurant choices, but I don't think it would have mattered – everything we had was delicious (and I'm pretty sure I gained like 10 pounds in 4 days).

Here were some of our favorite dishes and drinks:

• Charbroiled oysters (and the best red beans and rice) at Drago's
• Softshell crab po'boys at Stanley Restaurant
• Fried green tomatoes + shrimp and crawfish etouffee at The Original Pierre Maspero's
• Coffee + beignets at either Cafe du Monde or Morning Call
• Pre-dinner drinks at the Carousel Bar (inside the Hotel Monteleone) – the bar slowly spins like a carousel!

I wish I could have stayed another week just to eat all the delicious food!

Take a tour: There are so many good New Orleans food tour options, and you should definitely go on one!

9. Take a cruise

New Orleans sits on the mighty Mississippi, and a ride on the historic steamboat NATCHEZ is an excellent afternoon activity. Watch the big red paddlewheel, see New Orleans from the water, and add on an optional buffet lunch with jazz music to make it extra memorable.

Take a tour: This 2-hour jazz cruise is the one you want!

10. Visit a plantation

Lastly, if you have an extra day in New Orleans, I highly recommend getting out of the city to see one or two of the nearby former plantations along the Old River Road. These plantations (and everything associated with them – including slavery) were such a huge part of southern Louisiana's history.

Popular plantations to visit include:

Whitney Plantation is the only former plantation that focuses solely on the experience of enslaved peoples in Louisiana. A tour of Whitney Plantation is a must in my opinion. The self-guided tour highlights the realities of plantation life as you move through museum exhibits and restored structures.

Laura Plantation is a historic Creole Plantation, and I really enjoyed the tour of the house and grounds here. They're doing a lot to restore buildings on the property in order to tell the story of everyone involved in the plantation's story – including the former enslaved people.

Oak Alley is possibly the most photogenic of the Old River Road plantations because of the avenue of 28 live oaks that lead up to the plantation house. It's more commercialized than Laura (with a restaurant, B&B, and even a bar on the property), but the tour through the house is interesting and they have a decent exhibit on slavery at the plantation in replicas of old slave cabins.

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There's SO MUCH to do in New Orleans without ever setting foot on Bourbon Street. In fact, with four full days in the city, there was still plenty we didn't see (and even more that we didn't eat!).

Next time, I'd spend more time in the Bywater and Faubourg Marigny neighborhoods. I might take a steamboat ride on the Mississippi. I would probably take another ghost or vampire tour. And I would consider a swamp or bayou tour.

Whatever you do, don't think that there's nothing more to NOLA than partying on Bourbon Street!

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PRACTICAL INFO

When to go to New Orleans

The most popular time to visit NOLA is February-May, when the weather is mild and you have events like Mardi Gras and the annual Jazz Fest happening.

BUT, visiting in mid-November was great, too. We had mostly sunny weather, no humidity, and temperatures near 70 degrees (F) every day. And, with no huge events going on, it never felt like it was too crowded, even in the French Quarter.

Where to stay in New Orleans

Kasey and I rented an awesome shotgun-style home in the hipster Bywater neighborhood, which was great for our budget and for getting a more “local” feel for New Orleans.

But if you want to be closer to the action, I would probably just book something in the French Quarter. For luxury-seekers who still want the historical charm, my pick would be the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. For those looking for something more budget-friendly, check out the Holiday Inn Hotel French Quarter-Chateau Lemoyne.

In the Garden District, I would go boutique: the Henry Howard Hotel and Hotel Indigo would be my picks.

Or, you can compare prices for other New Orleans hotels here.

Getting around New Orleans

You certainly don't need to have a car in New Orleans (and, to be honest, I wouldn't want to try navigating the narrow streets in the French Quarter, which you have to share with pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages, and even Segways!). While our Airbnb host didn't recommend the bus system, we got around using:

• The street car – New Orleans has three street car lines: one that runs along the river, one that goes up and down Canal Street (which borders the French Quarter), and one that runs along St. Charles Avenue. If you want a scenic ride past some of the city's prettiest buildings, hop on the St. Charles line for a ride. (Tip: Make sure you have exact fare, because you won't get change back! One ticket costs $1.25, or you can get a day pass for $3.)
• Uber – Kasey and I are both Uber fans, and the ride-sharing company is alive and well in New Orleans. Since we were staying about 3 miles from the French Quarter (and most of the other places we wanted to visit), we would usually get an Uber into and back home from the city every day. Rides were usually under $10.
• By foot – Lastly, we walked a ton in New Orleans! Most neighborhoods (and especially the touristy ones) are perfectly safe to walk through, and it's a great way to see all the interesting and colorful architecture.

READ NEXT: How to Have a Classy Girls Weekend in New Orleans

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What would YOU most want to do in New Orleans?