With the first three-car train leaving downtown Mobile at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, the much anticipated Amtrak Mardi Gras Service formally opens to the public.
Where will it end up? The Crescent City’s center, where jambalaya and jazz are waiting.
With beautiful stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis, this new route connects Mobile to New Orleans. It arrives at Union Passenger Terminal by 10:13 a.m. The train puts you right in the center of everything, close to streetcars, famous museums, and mouthwatering cuisine, whether you’re chasing the bustle of Bourbon Street or want to explore more sedate areas of the city.
The lively Bourbon Street and the diverse French Quarter have long been the main draws for tourists to New Orleans. The Quarter’s epicenter is easily accessible from the terminal via taxi or ridesharing. There, tourists can take a variety of site-seeing tours, including steamboat jazz cruises, Garden District tours, airboat rides through the bayou, visits to the city’s historic and distinctive cemeteries, and tours of haunted or vampire-themed pubs and residences.
Union Passenger Terminal is easily accessible by foot from the New Orleans streetcar, which provides a distinctive way to experience the city. The St. Charles streetcar, which links the Central Business District to Uptown and through the Garden District, is not far from the terminal, which is located along the Rampart-Loyola streetcar route.
The cost of a streetcar trip is $1.25, or $3 for a Jazzy Pass, which entitles you to unlimited rides throughout the day. Riders who are disabled, elderly, or young (5–18 years old) can receive discounts.
There is a lot to see and do near the train station if you wish to avoid the French Quarter, especially if the weather is pleasant. Here are five locations to visit:
World War II National Museum.Magazine Street, 945.The walk from the terminal to the museum takes between six to ten minutes. It will cost less than $10 to take a taxi. General admission for adults costs $36; for seniors 65 and up, the price is $33. Since the museum is so large, it will probably take a second visit to see and do everything. Tickets for the second day are $15.
Restaurant recommendation: The American Sector Restaurant & Bar seems to be a well-liked choice among the museum’s many dining alternatives. The Cochon Butcher at 930 Tchoupitoulas St. is located outside the museum, approximately three streets away. With a variety of Cajun sausages, it’s a meat lover’s paradise. It appeared on the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil a few years ago.
Titanic: A Voice Immersion.Temple of the Scottish Rite, 619 Carondelet St. It takes between sixty and ninety minutes. It is recommended for people of all ages and costs $24.90.Through virtual reality technology, the display allows visitors to enter the Titanic, relive its tragic last hours, and even explore the debris.
Restaurant recommendation: The Scottish Rite Temple, located in the city’s Central Business District, is surrounded by a number of dining establishments. Seaworthy, a seafood restaurant that is regarded as New Orleans’ favorite place to eat oysters, is located across the street from the Temple. It is kept in an 1832 Creole cottage.
The Civic Center in New Orleans. In the center of the Central Business District, at 510 O Keefe Ave.Originally constructed in 1906 as The Shubert, the Civic underwent a comprehensive makeover that was finished in 2011. It is the oldest theater in New Orleans and features a range of intriguing shows, including ballets and Dana & Greg Newkirk’s Haunted Objects, which is ideal for Halloween.
Southern Art Museum in Ogden. 925 Camp Street. The largest and most extensive collection of Southern art may be found at the museum, which is adjacent to the World War II Museum. Tickets for adults cost $15, while those 65 and older pay $12. Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the museum is now showcasing the work of six artists who directly confront the disaster.
The Smoothie King Center and the Caesars Superdome. Professional basketball and football games will soon be held at both locations, which are close to Union Passenger Terminal. The Superdome is home to the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League, and the Smoothie King Center is home to the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association.
Champions Square, a 91,000-square-foot outdoor amphitheater next to the arenas, is the ideal location for concerts and pre-game activities.
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