The first patented shaved-ice machine heralded a snowy wonderland of iced treats at a favorite New Orleans summer shack.

Taxidermied cartoon heads, unseen illustrations, and famous characters all reside in this small gallery space.

An artist weaves "wooden quilts" with scraps salvaged from his Katrina-damaged home in Tremé.

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

This symbolic piece of New Orleans architecture is also home to a few ghastly stories.

A snapshot of the city's fascinating voodoo culture.

This distinctive Crescent City tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages.

A treasure trove of rare and exquisitely detailed antiques

A 200-year-old building in the French Quarter that was to be Napoleon's home in the New World.

The oldest family-run restaurant in the United States is a living museum of New Orleans dining history.

An old-timey wax exhibition campily depicting New Orleans legends and scandals.

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

Imagine playing a version of Legends of the Hidden Temple, but with a distinctly Southern Gothic flare.

An abandoned underground bunker not far from downtown New Orleans.

The stone labyrinth in this New Orleans city park was laid to symbolize healing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

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

New Orleans' famous cemetery, located on the site of a former race track.

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

Tiny historical streetcars wind through a small scale version of Crescent City in this whimsical train garden.

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

Despite the ever pressing encroachment of urban sprawl this grand New Orleans manse still stands.

The only home of the famous French impressionist painter open to the public is now a museum and bed and breakfast.

This colorful New Orleans bookstore features rare and used titles, with a specialty in Cajun fare.

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