I've been 3 times in the past 4 years. the guides are knowledgeable, passionate, and funny. it's a…read moregreat way to see new orleans in a new light, meet people, and learn about an authentic artistic subculture. it can be a very hot walk, wear a hat and bring a water bottle.

From the owner: From the bustling streets of the 9th Ward to the edge of the historic French Quarter, come…read moreexperience towering murals and hidden street art while learning about the city's underground art scene. Discover a side of New Orleans that never made it into commercial travel guides on one of the most colorful tours in the city. You'll also get an insider's take on some of the city's most exciting neighborhoods, music venues, and restaurants during your time with us—and plenty of great photo ops! We'll explore the largest concentration of street art, murals, and graffiti in New Orleans, painted by world-famous artists like Banksy, Rebeka Skela, Crude Things, Jeremy Novy, and Laurel True, as well as local artists such as WTFToto, Swan, Henry Lipkis, and Jay McKay. By the end of the walk, you'll know more about our public art than most locals.

I took my 12 year old daughter to JAMNOLA and we had a blast…read more Every room was something different, super colorful, interactive, and just fun. She was excited the whole time, and honestly so was I. It's one of those places where you can actually enjoy it as an adult and still let your kid have their moment too. We definitely got some really cute pictures, so if you're into that, you're going to love it. It's very "stop, pose, next room, do it again" in the best way. It's not a super long experience, but it's worth it. I'd say give yourself about an hour, maybe a little longer if you're taking your time with photos. Only tip is try to go when it's not too crowded, because some people really turn it into a full photoshoot and you'll be waiting a little. Overall, I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you have kids or just want something different to do in the city.

What a fun place, full of insta worthy photo ops, colorful art, and New Orleans soul. This place…read moreis packed full of fun interactive activities as well as New Orleans history (Black masking Indians, jazz legends, music and juke/jazz joints. You can touch most of the art unless there is a sign specifying otherwise. The price is maybe a little steep, we paid something like 35 dollars per ticket, but I think it's worth it. The best part here is the people! Everyone is so invested in the community and making sure everyone has a good time! They were jubilant while sharing their love of New Orleans, from restaurants to jazz places to shows and holes in the wall. You feel true New Orleans hospitality here. In the Marigny/Bywater area you are close to some great dining options, Baldwin & Co. bookstore (reviewed separately), as well as the Allways Lounge (also reviewed separately). We spent a whole day in this neighborhood.

Incredible. We feel so lucky to have been introduced to historian Malik Bartholomew. He was an…read moreendless well of knowledge about New Orleans. We did the Treme tour. He made the great number of facts and stories relatable and digestible. His sense of humor and passion for this history is infectious and made the time breeze by. We could've spent the entire day with him. We tried! He seamlessly tied complex webs of historical information together with the modern day situation on Treme and New Orleans. I look forward to future visits and more tours with Know NOLA.

Malik is a gem. He guided me in my exploration of Tremé and is beyond knowledgeable, proud, and…read morepassionate about NOLA history. He's known and well-respected in the community which was clear during our walk. Thank you for the many history lessons and recommendations.

A fantastic and unique perspective on the city from our guide (Tyler) who not only know the artists…read morepersonally, but was involved in the commisioning and preservation of local murals. An excellent take on a diverse range of artists and their styles, as well as the hidden meaning behind the art. Well worth seeing.

Not your typical walking tour. You've done history, food, cocktails, ghosts and voodoo. Now it's…read moretime to see the city's best street art. Let Tyler show it to you. He moves at a great pace and explains it all. As a local, I've walked by many of these masterpieces multiple times. Now I know the stories behind them.

Marc Preuss's private tour was the best!…read more Definitely worth the upgrade from the regular tour companies with their 22-seater buses. We have always shied away from private tours in the past because it sometimes results in high-pressure situations where the tour guide pushes the places and activities they want and is not able to tease out what you want without being overbearing. And if that happens, the higher cost of a private tour makes you feel a bit of a chump. However,our family of 4 (one teen and one younger daughter) visited New Orleans during 2023 Mardi Gras week and had an absolute blast with Marc. There were not too many tour companies running on Lundi Gras right Monday (the day before Mardi Gras Tuesday) but he was. His partner Kristen makes all the arrangements but Marc is the one who conducts the tours -- it's pretty much the two of them. We were picked up mid-morning in a mid-size Ford SUV that was comfortable and nimble enough to navigate the tight roads in the French Quarter and many other places. It certainly allowed us to see a few places we could have otherwise not visited. This also made it very easy to be dropped off right at our hotel in spite of the traffic late afternoon, in spite of live parades and crowds. With one teen and a young kid in our party, we had been concerned that the private tour might be a little over their heads, but Marc was able to make everything interesting for everyone and cover a lot of ground, both outside and inside the city proper. We were able to see some unique spots with him such as the Lake Ponchartrain shore and levees, Crescent Park, Treme and understand the history of the region. All in all, Marc went above and beyond, spending much more time with us than the reservation had promised, and accomodating all our desires. e.g. he took us on drive-through tour of a cemetery, since we wanted to see one but did not want to get out and walk. He knew what would be open even though most were closed that day. He treated us to beignets at a mid-morning tour stop in City Park that was much appreciated. As we are all vegetarian, we had also been concerned about lunch. But we need not have worried. He took us to a relaxed no-pressure lunch at a very nice food court/market, which had various cuisines from around the world and we had a great choice of flavorful vegetarian entrees. All too often, vegetarian is translated by some tour guides into an unappetizing salad and sandwiches. On the way back to our hotel, he stopped at a supermarket so the kids could find and buy the moon-pies they had been looking for, and we were able to pick up some bottled drinking water for the rest of our stay. We were not able to see inside St Louis Cathedral as they were closing for the day when we arrived, but we managed to get inside another day. Apart from that, we covered everything the tour companies would have and more, with very little walking, exactly as we had wanted. That said, we did get out and walk at multiple places that we wanted to and skip the ones we didn't. As we got back into our hotel room, we realized that our youngest daughter's bracelet had been left behind in Marc's vehicle. No matter, he found it and dropped it off at the hotel a couple days later. Marc also provided some tips on what to do on other days of our trip and where to eat or listen to live jazz. Be sure to ask Marc about the original business he and his father were into as natives of New Orleans -- that provides him the background to be such an effective tour guide. Overall, we agreed this was money well spent -- first time ever we splurged on a private tour, but very glad we did. Go for it, you won't regret it!

Marc was so awesome! This was the perfect tour for us. Don't waste your time on those big tours…read morethat are not tailored to you. Call NOLA Detours instead and get the truly personalized experience you're looking for. We learned so much about New Orleans and experienced the sights and sounds with a local as our guide. It was like having a friend pick you up and show you around. Marc's knowledge about and passion for New Orleans shines through. We will definitely be back and when you return, we will absolutely call Marc again.

What a gorgeous space! LOVE the renovation of this historic home. Seriously the buidling is…read morebeautiful. But that's not all! The art on display is incredibly varied and really impressive/moving/inspiring/calming depending on the piece. I'm a big fan of highly curated collections like these. It really helps you see the collector/curators vision. I was lucky enough to visit because of fellow yelper Teneha had rented this space for her birthday extravaganza! So much fun and it was wonderful seeing all her friends & family celebrating her awesomeness. Their special exhibitions are interesting and diverse. I just wish they were keeping regular hours, despite the hours posted on their website, the front page says "open by appointment only."

The George & Leah McKenna Museum is a wonderful place to African American art in historical…read morereference. The museum also hosts events. I was recently there for the swearing in of the first African American Coroner in New Orleans 300 year history. This year is also New Orleans' 300 year anniversary. The McKenna Museum became part of history! I absolutely love this place!

I am giving this museum 5 stars for the sheer history it discusses and the part of history that a…read morelot of people don't fully understand or know about --- the reality of free people of color during the times of slavery. As a lighter-complexioned woman of African and European descent, I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had grown up during slavery. Would I have worked inside the plantation house? Would my curly hair have made it impossible for me to pass, or would I have been able to pass as people would assume I was "Spanish," as they called Latinos way back then? While a lot of people say what they would and would not have done during the times of slavery, I am aware of the horrors of that time enough to know that when one is focused on sheer survival, they may do things like "pass", if it meant freedom from back breaking grueling work, harsh outside conditions under the hot sun, being beaten and/or assaulted in all manner of ways, etc. I do not blame those who engaged in passing for white or another ethnicity back then. The times were so brutal and harsh. I love my African heritage, and this museum is so rich and full of tradition and history, and the strength of overcoming the odds. While it is not a very large museum, it contains some valuable information within its walls. I definitely recommend this museum for my fellow biracial people and those whose families may have been very diverse over the generations.

I had my wedding at this amazing gem of a place, and it was absolutely amazing. I was able to take…read morea tour and walk through prior to my event. Since I was out of town, a lot of what I did was virtual, which could be a bit scary because you are trusting others, but it was great. The staff was really great a friendly and they work like clockwork. The day before my event, we did another walk through and the only thing I will say is that I wish we were told to rent outdoor lights prior to the day ny the venue (we ended up getting them on a last minute whim and because my wedding planner had another wedding there and it was literally in the dark). Other than that, the day of my wedding was such a beautiful and magical experience in such a history rich place. It was everything I imagined and and then some. The price was great and it's really an awesome venue for weddings or any type of celebration for adults. I also love that there's a little cottage that you can rent out as well on the property. I highly recommend that because otherwise it can be air bnb by anyone and that would be awkward. But if you are looking to make an impact and support black business while highlighting the struggles and triumphs of the black community, this is the place to do it.

Super cool experience that I highly recommend. Our captain was James and he was knowledgable and…read morefriendly. Our group watched in awe whenever he'd lean out of the boat and feed the gators marshmallows. I definitely suggest booking a pontoon boat instead of an airboat which is incredibly loud by comparison. We opted for a bus to come pick us up at our hotel and the driver Hillary was terrible! He purposely used the most cartoonish voice when sharing facts on the drive over and it was unbearable to listen to.

Doc booked a small , air boat tour in the swamp. Only 5 of us on this boat and rest of bus had…read moredifferent colored bands from us. Our tour took longer and most of bus were already waiting for the smaller tour folks. He took extra steps above and beyond to personalize our trip in the swamp. He cautioned the 3 of us that the front seats would get wet--- yes indeedy, wet fun. We saw baby gators and their mama who made hissing sounds. The other small group got to hold a baby but our driver said best not to upset the protective mom. He told us that out of 200 babies only a small percentage will survive. He gave us a better show: did you know raccoons and gators like to eat marshmallows? He even fed the raccoon with its outstretched paws and told the huge gator to give him a kiss. The gator opened its mouth twice with sharp teeth and let him put his face there. He even pet it on its head. Couple more gators came swimming fighting for their share of marshmallow. He told us they could fight to their death. Never tipped anyone a Ben Franklin before but our tour driver earned it.