French Market

Set in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the French Market is a six-block district of food stalls, craft sellers and shops, with roots in a Native American trading post and a market history dating to 1791. Browse local art, clothing and souvenirs, then pause for Creole dishes or a sweet praline. Live music, including jazz, adds to the daytime atmosphere. The market stretches from the Jackson Square area toward Esplanade Avenue, so you can make it part of a walk through the Quarter rather than treating it as a single hall.

From trading post to public market

The French Market occupies a site that began as a Native American trading post beside the Mississippi River. It later became a place of commerce under French and Spanish rule. The market’s history is commonly dated to 1791, and its role in the neighborhood was tied to the movement of people and goods through the river port.

The market once served local residents buying everyday produce and groceries. Its present-day mix of food, crafts and shopping reflects that longer commercial history, though the experience now centres on browsing stalls and sampling prepared dishes.

A walk through the market district

The market extends for about six blocks, from the Jackson Square area toward Esplanade Avenue. Its sections include artist and food stalls as well as a flea market with souvenirs and other small goods. The historic arcades have been enclosed in places and now house shops and eateries.

Joan of Arc Park, a small plaza with a statue of Joan of Arc, sits beside the food stalls. The farmers market is farther downriver, beneath sheds built in the 1930s as part of a Works Progress Administration project. Café du Monde is also part of the French Market district, near its Decatur Street end.