Highest-rated free things to do in Louisiana by visitors

Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in Louisiana.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Louisiana using data from . Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

You may also like: Best parishes to raise a family in Louisiana

Tripadvisor

1 / 30

#30. New Orleans Jazz Museum

- Rating: 4.0/5 (680 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. Louisiana Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.3/5 (883 reviews)
- City: Bossier City
-

Tripadvisor

3 / 30

#28. Frenchmen Art Bazaar

- Rating: 4.4/5 (189 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Immaculate Conception Church

- Rating: 4.8/5 (526 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

5 / 30

#26. Lake Pontchartrain

- Rating: 4.2/5 (311 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

You may also like: Highest-rated breweries in Louisiana

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. New Orleans Musical Legends Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,128 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. Holly Beach

- Rating: 4.1/5 (95 reviews)
- City: Cameron
-

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Louisiana's Old State Capitol

- Rating: 4.6/5 (738 reviews)
- City: Baton Rouge
-

Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. Louisiana State Capitol

- Rating: 4.5/5 (782 reviews)
- City: Baton Rouge
-

Tripadvisor

10 / 30

#21. Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino

- Rating: 4.1/5 (1,315 reviews)
- City: Lake Charles
-

You may also like: Biggest comeback wins in New Orleans Saints history

Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. The Historic New Orleans Collection

- Rating: 4.7/5 (709 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Audubon Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,701 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Margaritaville Resort Casino

- Rating: 4.4/5 (4,815 reviews)
- City: Bossier City
-

Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Lafayette Cemetery No.1

- Rating: 4.4/5 (2,855 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

15 / 30

#16. Harrah's Casino New Orleans

- Rating: 3.9/5 (4,763 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

16 / 30

#15. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,006 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Basin St. Station

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,803 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. Coushatta Casino Resort

- Rating: 3.9/5 (906 reviews)
- City: Kinder
-

Tripadvisor

19 / 30

#12. Magazine Street

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,172 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

20 / 30

#11. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,411 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. French Market

- Rating: 3.9/5 (2,371 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

22 / 30

#9. Bourbon Street

- Rating: 3.4/5 (7,549 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

23 / 30

#8. Royal Street

- Rating: 4.6/5 (7,780 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

24 / 30

#7. The Sazerac House

- Rating: 4.9/5 (493 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

25 / 30

#6. St. Louis Cathedral

- Rating: 4.6/5 (8,438 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. New Orleans City Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,373 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Jackson Square

- Rating: 4.5/5 (16,419 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Frenchmen Street

- Rating: 4.5/5 (12,082 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

29 / 30

#2. Garden District

- Rating: 4.6/5 (8,975 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

Tripadvisor

30 / 30

#1. French Quarter

- Rating: 4.4/5 (22,897 reviews)
- City: New Orleans
-

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

You may also like: Most commonly hunted migratory birds in Louisiana

爆料TV