Movie and TV Show Tour of New Orleans

New Orleans has played itself, and plenty of other places, on screen. This two-hour French Quarter walk connects movie and TV locations with the real streets, courtyards, shops, and landmarks behind them. You may recognize settings from The Originals, Interview with the Vampire, American Horror Story, NCIS: New Orleans, Your Honor, Chef, and more.

I like two things right away: the small maximum of 16 people, which keeps the walk personal, and the way film trivia is tied to New Orleans history. Guide Trevor McQueen is especially good at identifying the camera angles and showing photos or videos of productions. The main drawback is simple: this is a walking tour in a hot city, and two hours on foot can feel long in poor shoes or humid weather.

• Film locations meet real New Orleans: See where productions used Jackson Square, historic homes, cafés, and French Quarter streets.
• Strong choice for supernatural fans: The route includes vampire stories, witches, voodoo, and locations linked to The Originals and Interview with the Vampire.
• Trevor McQueen leads the experience: He brings film knowledge, local history, humor, and personal observations from seeing productions at work.
• A compact French Quarter route: The tour begins on Royal Street and ends near Pirates Alley, without covering a huge part of the city.
• More than movie trivia: You also hear about early civil rights, the Great Fire, the city’s old buildings, and the truth behind voodoo.
• Good value at $30: You get about two hours of guided sightseeing, with several landmarks and many screen connections along the way.

Why this $30 walk works for film fans

This tour makes sense because New Orleans does not need much decoration to look cinematic. Its iron balconies, old façades, narrow lanes, courtyards, and grand public spaces already provide the setting. A guide helps you connect those ordinary-looking places with the finished scenes you have watched at home.

The price is $30 per person, which is fair for a two-hour guided walk in one of the city’s most visited areas. You are paying for interpretation rather than admission to a museum or attraction. That matters here. The buildings and streets are the draw, and Trevor adds the context that can be hard to find on your own.

I especially like the mix of famous titles and lesser-known productions. If you know The Originals or Interview with the Vampire, you will have plenty to watch for. If you have not seen those shows, the walk still gives you a useful introduction to the French Quarter, with crime stories, architecture, voodoo traditions, civil rights, and local legends folded into the route.

The tour is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. It is often booked about 17 days ahead, so reserving early is sensible if your New Orleans dates are fixed.

Starting on Royal Street with crime, medicine, and vampires

The meeting point is 400 Royal Street, near the Louisiana Supreme Court building. From there, the route moves toward Napoleon House before reaching the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.

That opening stretch sets the tone well. In only a few blocks, you get several very different sides of the city: true crime, old New Orleans institutions, theatrical stories, and vampire lore. This is not a tour that treats filming locations as isolated photo stops. The guide uses them as doorways into the character of the neighborhood.

The Pharmacy Museum is the first major stop, with about 15 minutes allowed. It was the first licensed pharmacy in the United States, making it useful even if you care more about television than medicine. Admission is not included, so you should think of this as an exterior stop unless you choose to visit separately.

That is one small limitation of the route. Some locations are best appreciated from the sidewalk, and some interiors require separate admission. Still, the setting gives the tour a strong early anchor and shows why New Orleans works so well on film.

Jackson Square, where the city becomes a set

Jackson Square gets about 30 minutes, making it the longest stop. That is fitting. This is one of the French Quarter’s most historic public spaces, and more than a dozen film projects have used the area.

You will have time to look around, take photographs, and match familiar scenes with the real view. The square also gives the group room to pause, which helps on warm days. A break for water or ice cream has been worked into the stop on some tours, a welcome touch when the weather turns sticky.

I like this part because it serves two purposes. Film fans get a large collection of recognizable locations, while first-time visitors get an excellent introduction to the French Quarter. Even if you have not watched the productions discussed, Jackson Square is worth seeing for its architecture and central place in New Orleans life.

The guide may show images or video on a phone during the walk. This helps you understand exact framing and camera position. One practical improvement would be a larger screen for scenes filmed inside or at less obvious angles, but the visual material still makes the talk more concrete than a list of titles.

Voodoo Authentica and the facts behind the folklore

The next stop is Voodoo Authentica, with about 10 minutes set aside. Several productions were filmed in this area, but the stop also addresses what voodoo is and what it is not.

That distinction matters. New Orleans tours can easily turn local spiritual traditions into spooky stage dressing. A guide who separates fact from exaggeration gives you a better understanding of the city and avoids reducing a living tradition to a horror prop.

This is also the point where the route turns toward its supernatural side. If your main interests are witches, vampires, and the darker corners of New Orleans fiction, you will feel the subject matter shift. If you prefer architecture or film production details, the voodoo discussion still adds useful local context.

There is a halfway pause after this section. The itinerary does not promise a formal meal or long rest, but the pace includes several stops, and the guide has shown flexibility when people need a short break.

Old Ursuline Convent and the beginning of the horror loop

The Old Ursuline Convent Museum receives a brief five-minute stop. It is described as the only pre-fire building left in New Orleans, which gives the site unusual importance even before the supernatural stories begin.

This is where the tour starts its horror loop, with stories about witches and vampires. The short time here means you should not expect a full museum visit. Admission is not included, and the stop works mainly as a landmark and storytelling point along the walking route.

Still, this is a good example of the tour’s structure. You are not simply taken from one filming address to another. The guide layers the screen history onto buildings shaped by fires, rebuilding, religion, and New Orleans legend. That approach gives the movie references more weight.

Starling Magickal Occult Shop and a civil rights connection

The stop at Starling Magickal Occult Shop lasts about 15 minutes. More productions used this area, and the shop continues the supernatural thread. Across the street, the Homer Plessy Community School offers a chance to discuss early civil rights in New Orleans.

That pairing is one of the route’s best features. It reminds you that the French Quarter is not just a backdrop for ghosts and vampires. Its streets also reflect the city’s difficult social history and the long struggle over race and civil rights.

The shop itself is an exterior or area stop within the tour, and admission is not included. You may find the film discussion more interesting if you have watched the shows mentioned, but the civil rights material gives this section value for everyone.

I would pay attention here even if occult shops are not your thing. The guide’s wider New Orleans knowledge is a large part of what makes the walk useful beyond simple filming trivia.

Madame John’s Legacy and the Great Fire

Madame John’s Legacy is given about 10 minutes. It is the second-oldest building in the French Quarter and was rebuilt in 1788 after burning during the Great Fire.

The building was also used in several film projects, so you get another chance to compare a real historic façade with its screen appearances. This stop is a reminder that location filming often depends on details that directors cannot easily recreate: old proportions, weathered surfaces, balconies, shutters, and a sense of age.

As with the Pharmacy Museum and Old Ursuline Convent, admission is not included. The value here is the guide’s explanation and the chance to see the exterior in context. If you want to go inside every historic site, budget extra time and admission costs outside the tour.

Boutique du Vampyre and the strongest supernatural material

Boutique du Vampyre is another 10-minute stop, and it is likely to be a favorite for fans of vampire television and film. The area has strong links to the city’s vampire image and includes stories that connect popular fiction with local history.

Fans of The Originals and Interview with the Vampire should get the most from this stretch. The guide can tailor the discussion to the productions you know, so it helps to mention your favorite shows early in the walk. Trevor has been praised for adjusting the route conversation to match the group’s interests and for suggesting other films and series to watch later.

That personal touch is useful in a small group. You are not locked into a speech that ignores your interests. At the same time, the experience is not limited to one franchise, so it should work for a mixed group with different levels of film knowledge.

Pirates Alley Cafe, a fitting final stop

The route ends at Pirates Alley Cafe, after about 10 minutes of final film connections. The end point is Pirates Alley in the French Quarter, close to the sort of narrow, atmospheric setting that makes New Orleans so popular with location scouts.

Because the walk ends in the Quarter rather than at a remote studio or attraction, you can continue sightseeing afterward. The route begins at 400 Royal Street and finishes near Pirates Alley, so it is easy to build into a day focused on the French Quarter.

The finish also keeps the experience practical. You are not left far from the main sightseeing area, and the walk itself covers a manageable section rather than trying to take in every filming location across the city.

Pace, weather, and what to wear

The tour lasts about two hours and uses a slow pace with frequent stops. Several people have found the pace comfortable, and the guide allows time for photographs and short breaks. Still, this is not suitable for someone who cannot walk long distances.

Wear comfortable walking shoes. One guest specifically found that poor footwear made the experience harder, despite enjoying the tour. New Orleans heat can also change the whole feel of a walking route, so bring water and plan for sun. The tour requires good weather, and a cancellation caused by poor conditions brings the choice of another date or a full refund.

The small group limit of 16 is important. A crowded film tour can make it hard to hear, see images, or ask questions. This format gives you a better chance to speak with Trevor and tell him which productions interest you.

Service animals are allowed, and the meeting area is near public transportation. Most people can take part, but the walking requirement remains the main physical consideration.

How Trevor McQueen shapes the experience

The guide is a major reason to choose this tour. Trevor McQueen is described as the owner and guide, and his work combines film knowledge with a strong grasp of New Orleans history. He can discuss not only which production used a location, but also the angle of a shot and how the place fits into the surrounding neighborhood.

He also brings personal observations from seeing filming in progress and can show photographs or videos connected with the productions. That material helps bridge the gap between a familiar screen image and the actual street in front of you.

The tone is informal and funny without losing the historical material. That balance matters because two hours of production titles could become dry. Instead, the walk works best as a mix of film talk, local stories, architecture, and supernatural lore.

Who should book this New Orleans movie tour

You should book it if you love The Originals, Interview with the Vampire, American Horror Story, NCIS: New Orleans, or the idea of seeing screen locations in person. It is also a good pick if you want a French Quarter orientation with more personality than a standard sightseeing walk.

You do not need to know every film. The route still gives you Jackson Square, old buildings, voodoo context, civil rights history, and a useful introduction to how New Orleans appears on screen.

I would be less likely to recommend it if you want long interior visits, a vehicle-based tour, or a full citywide survey of filming locations. This is a compact walking route. Some stops are exterior views, and several museums or shops require separate admission.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded, so watch the local cut-off time when plans are uncertain.

Final call: a smart choice for screen fans and curious walkers

At $30, this is a good-value introduction to New Orleans filming locations, especially with a small group and a guide who can connect exact shots to real streets. I like that it does not stop at celebrity titles. The route also covers old buildings, voodoo, civil rights, the Great Fire, and the city’s long love affair with the supernatural.

Book it if you enjoy walking, can handle warm weather, and want a guide-led view of the French Quarter. Bring good shoes, water, and a short list of favorite shows. Skip it only if you need a seated tour or expect every stop to include indoor admission.

FAQ

How long is the Movie and TV Show Tour of New Orleans?

The tour lasts approximately two hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $30 per person.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts at 400 Royal Street in New Orleans and ends near Pirates Alley, at Pirates Alley Cafe.

Is the tour suitable for people who do not know the featured films?

Yes. The tour includes French Quarter landmarks, local history, voodoo context, civil rights information, and historic buildings, so you can enjoy it without knowing every show or film.

Are museum admission fees included?

No. Admission is not included at stops such as the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, Old Ursuline Convent Museum, Starling Magickal Occult Shop, and Madame John’s Legacy. Some stops are viewed from outside or used as storytelling points.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes a cancellation, you will be offered another date or a full refund. You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.