A few blocks from the French Quarter, Louis Armstrong Park guards one of the most important music sites on Earth: Congo Square, the open ground where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays in the 1700s and 1800s to drum, dance and sing — planting the seeds of jazz.
Today this 32-acre public park honors that legacy with a towering statue of Louis Armstrong himself, serene lagoons crossed by footbridges, and cultural landmarks all around. On any given day you might catch a brass band rehearsing or a second line forming near the Congo Square gates.
It is a must for music lovers and history seekers, and a peaceful green refuge for families and picnickers right on the edge of the Quarter.
Practical tip: the park is free and open daily. Come in the late afternoon when the light on the lagoons is at its loveliest, and linger — this is sacred ground for American music.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Adjoajo
