These structures were inspired by both Native American shelters as well as, strangely, an ice cream shop.

At this 1940s-era neighborhood favorite, you can still drink a cherry phosphate.

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

One of the last remaining venues on the Old Chitlin’ Circuit is a kaleidoscopic music hall at the end of a dirt road.

This 19th-century sugarcane plantation is one of the most well-preserved estates of its kind, including its original quarters for enslaved laborers.

All that remains of this small town is its mass grave and a myth of a voodoo priestess who predicted its demise.

A typical "Old South" manor, once owned by author Anne Rice, served as the setting for several of her witchcraft sagas.

This knobby, drooping New Orleans oak is a favorite place both for climbing and for meeting giraffes.

Parts of the civil rights movement unfolded in this historic eatery, helmed by the "Queen of Creole Cuisine."

Made of giant chains and hung with shackles, this iron cross honors those unknowns who perished under American slavery.

The greatest collection of New Orleans masking and processional traditions covering everything from Baby Dolls to Skull and Bone gangs.

This "second" cemetery represents New Orleans' attempt to keep cholera at bay.

The oldest cemetery in New Orleans, resting peacefully for over 200 years now.

The final resting place of New Orleans' most famous voodoo priestess.

According to one local tradition, the entrance to the Voodoo underworld can be found in New Orleans through seven gates scattered throughout the city's French Quarter.

This bar named after the world's first mixed cocktail was home to one of New Orleans' most notorious politicians.

The state's oldest continuously operating museum houses more than 5,000 Civil War artifacts.

Formerly known as National D-Day Museum, this collection commemorates the battles of Normandy and WWII.

This float factory takes the mask off of Mardi Gras and lets visitors see where the magic happens.

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.

This Garden District mansion was built to be bigger and grander than its original owner's former partner turned rival.

Anne Rice, one of the most influential writers in gothic literature, is buried alongside her husband in a New Orleans cemetery.

This New Orleans tree is filled with hidden chimes that produce a carefully tuned melody.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.