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As past French Quarter resident and writer William Faulkner once said, "The past isn’t dead. It’s not even past."

New Orleans is a city that still brims with evidence of its past. Go for a historically-minded stroll to see what you can spot: from the horse and buggy city tours that conjure up nostalgia for colonial times, to the elaborate wrought-iron balconies in the French Quarter that represent the ornate aesthetic of the Victorian era. 

History lessons explain how New Orleans was founded by the French, followed by a period of Spanish control, then was ruled once more by the French before being acquired by the United States through the Louisiana Purchase.

For evidence of the Spanish influence, head to St. Charles Avenue. The Baroque-looking government buildings on this street—such as the Cabildo and the Presbytere—drip with Spanish architectural details. Look out for arches and Arabesque ironwork.

From ancient oaks and cemetery crypts to entire buildings and streets, New Orleans history is not just visible—it's flaunted.