New Orleans & Katrina: Built on Water, Tested By Storm

New Orleans was built by water, and its survival has always depended on how people learned to live with it. On this two-hour walking tour, follow the Mississippi River through the story of a city shaped by flooding, commerce, slavery, immigration, engineering, music, and extraordinary cultural exchange. Discover why New Orleans was founded here, how the river created both opportunity and danger, and how levees, drainage canals, and pumps transformed the landscape. Follow that story through the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 to Hurricane Katrina, when failures in the flood-protection system devastated much of the city and exposed long-standing social and environmental vulnerabilities. Finally, explore what changed after Katrina and how coastal restoration, stronger storm protection, and a new approach to living with water are shaping the future of New Orleans.

1. 1

   Mississippi River Heritage Park

   15 min

   New Orleans and the Mississippi River are extricably linked. Tourism, trade and commerce are all powered by the river, lakes and the gulf that surrounds it. But the very thing that powers the city’s economy also makes it vulnerable to catastrophic floods. We will discuss this in detail

2. 2

   Latrobe Park

   15 min

   This park was named after Benjamin Latrobe who built New Orleans' first water system

3. 3

   Woldenberg Riverfront Park

   15 min

   This area used to be flood walls, warehouses, and industrial that ran along the Mississippi River. The area was transformed into a public park complete with lush greenery, bricked walkways, and public art, and it opened to the public before the 1984 World’s Fair, which the city hosted that year. The park was named for philanthropist Malcolm Woldenberg, who contributed to the park’s creation.

4. 4

   Jackson Square

   15 min

   Jackson Square, or the Place d’Armes, as it was originally known, began to take its shape in August 1721, when French engineers laid out a plan for the new colonial capital of La Louisiane. We will discuss the histroy as we view this gorgeous square.

5. 5

   French Market

   15 min

   In 1791, this French Market originated as a Native American trading post along the Mississippi River. From there it continued to evolve into a cultural and commercial hub for New Orleans, as French and Spanish colonists opened the market up to ships and traders from all over the world. Over the next three centuries, immigrants from Europe, Africa and the Caribbean began to open their own venues at this French Quarter market, offering everything from Italian butcheries to African coffee and Choctaw spices.

6. 6

   French Quarter

   45 min

   This was the original city. When the French created a permanent colony here they initiated a century’s-long effort to pin the Mississippi within its banks by building man made levees on top of the natural ones. But the Mississippi river was not easily tamed. Even Mark Twain said “The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise. And he was right. No matter what man did to try to control the river, floods plagued each generation of New Orleanians.

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Not recommended for anyone with mobility issues
• Tours run rain or shine

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.