Jackson Square in New Orleans, LA

Jackson Square is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Formerly called the Place d'Armes in French and Plaza de Armas in Spanish, it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is connected to the 1803 transfer of Louisiana to the United States pursuant to the Louisiana Purchase.

What is Jackson Square in New Orleans, LA?

Jackson Square occupies a central place in the French Quarter's history. Its former names reflect the French and Spanish periods of the city's past, while its National Historic Landmark status recognises the square's importance to New Orleans and to the history of Louisiana. In 1803, the square was the site associated with the transfer of Louisiana to the United States pursuant to the Louisiana Purchase.

What is important about Jackson Square's history?

Jackson Square was the Place d'Armes, a marketplace in the 18th and 19th centuries. French, Spanish, African, and Creole voices and commerce met there, making the square a specific record of the people and powers that shaped New Orleans.

The Cabildo, standing next to the square, was once the seat of Spanish colonial power and witnessed the signing of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The square also carries a darker history: public auctions, including the sale of enslaved people, took place there. That history is part of what Jackson Square represents, alongside its celebrations and public life.

What can you see around Jackson Square?

St. Louis Cathedral dominates Jackson Square's skyline with its triple spires. Built in 1794, it is described in the tour material as the oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic cathedral in North America, and as having survived fires and hurricanes. The Cabildo stands next to the cathedral and the square, placing two major historic buildings directly together at this site.

Jackson Square's surrounding details include ironwork balconies, Spanish arches, and the neoclassical symmetry of the Pontalba Buildings. The square's cultural life has included jazz musicians, artists beneath ancient oaks, and Mardi Gras krewes. These details connect its architecture to the public activity that has taken place within and around the park.

Why is Jackson Square recognised as a public space?

The American Planning Association designated Jackson Square one of the Great Public Spaces in the United States in 2012. That recognition reflects the square's layered combination of architecture, public history, commerce, celebration, art, and memory.

To encounter Jackson Square as one stop within a walk through the French Quarter, follow the New Orleans French Quarters Tour and give this historic park time for its buildings, public stories, and cultural details.