Hidden History Tours

I would give him 10 stars if I could!!! Mr. Leon Waters is an amazing man that fools you at first thinking he will walk slow but he suddenly jets off and you are left there scrambling to catch up! He is a wise man who has lived through so much and he not only witnessed things but takes action to make right what is wrong. I was so impressed with his bravery and the many ways he initiated change for good. He defines terms for you (like how a Creole person is a child born of black and white parents). And like another Yelper mentioned, he provides a portfolio given to you that accentuates his tour and it's VERY well organized!! It is a very interactive tour and you get to hold very historical items. I won't say what they are so I don't ruin it, but those helped me learn a lot. It produced a strong emotion for me to experience something that was used for evil on precious children and adults. This tour really takes you deep into the mindset of things. Mr. Waters also teaches us about symbolism and how important it was in many aspects! It's about a 2 hour walking tour and I highly recommend bringing enough water (but there are no restroom breaks in between) and a hat. This tour is worth every minute of your time and New Orleans will have a different look to it after you go through it. It's very educational and important to know the history.

If you only have time to do one thing in New Orleans, do a tour with Hidden History!!!We were specifically looking for Black-owned tours in the city, and Hidden History's website and reviews called to us. From the first email correspondence with Mr. Leon Waters to set up our meeting, I knew right away this was the place for us. We took the "African Life In The French Quarter" walking tour (bus tours are currently unavailable due to the pandemic). At the beginning, we received a folder full of primary documents and we read excerpts aloud during our tour to "bring the history to life" - as Mr. Waters would say. Mr. Waters is such a phenomenal guide and storyteller. We felt like we were at a university listening to a guest lecturer rather than just taking a tour, and we were hanging to his every word. It is clear how much of a pillar Mr. Waters is in the community, as he said hello to many people when we were walking through the Quarter. I believe he also sits on the board that organizes to put up Black history markers and plaques throughout the city.This was the most impactful experience on our trip to New Orleans. We learned how the history of New Orleans still informs the present and resonates with current events. It truly informed the rest of our visit and left us reflecting all week. I plan to recommend this to all of my friends visiting NOLA. These tours are very under demand (as the content shares truths - with documented records to back it up - that the dominant narrative is not ready to reconcile with), so please spend your money here and patronize this small business. The value of the tour far exceeds the cost - and will stay with you even after you leave NOLA!(in the photo of the primary documents, peep Mr. Water's paypal and zelle for tips, he deserves it)

This tour was excellent! Me & some friends experienced the Charles Deslondes Slave Revolt walking tour & we learned about how this country almost had a very different history. Mr Leon is informative & passionate about Black History. We learned a lot & felt transformed after the experience. This should be mandatory learning for everyone in the US. Mr. Leon also wrote a book that you can buy on the website, if you're unable to make it to NOLA.

Really thoughtful and informative. An antidote to the lies and misconceptions we learn growing up or taking the standard tours in places like New Orleans I knew quite a lot about some of this history and still learned a lot. Leon Walters is really engaging, funny and knowledgeable. He backs up what he's saying with real primary sources. I think we're all stronger and wiser for facing the difficult parts of our common history rather than avoiding them.

This was one of the best tours I've ever taken- replete with stories of the history of new orleans and Lousiana- covering colonization, slavery, the reconstruction, and present day organizing to keep the history of the city alive. There were incredibly useful source documents that added a lot of richness and allowed you to act as your own historian, understanding the ways national and local politics, revolts and rebellions altered the course of history and our present.

Don't miss touring with Hidden History. Leon Waters is more historian than tour guide, a poignant storyteller with deep knowledge and passion for struggle against oppression--he is a real treasure. The story of the Charles Deslondes revolt should be heard widely. It has given us much to talk about and reflect on in the days since our walking tour last week. I recommend equally the African Life in the French Quarter walking tour, which I was fortunate to take in March.

This tour should be required for all visitors to New Orleans! Mr. Leon Waters offers visitors a mobile classroom on the real history of New Orleans including details about the slave trade, white supremacist iconography, and more! If you want to know the truth about the city you love, you must take a Hidden History tour.

Mr. Waters does an amazing job touring New Orleans with a lens on racial justice. Knowing these truths about this city and the history of race in the US will make us a better country. Thank you for your truth, passion and dedication, Mr. Waters!

I did the Charles Deslondes Heroic 1811 Slave Revolt Riding Tour along with my sister and 2 nieces. The tour lasted about 4 hours and it's worth every penny. We traveled up to LaPlace, LA to start the tour and visited key sights/landmarks that signified where the rebellion began and ended. Mr. Waters also provided us with folders filled with historical writings and maps to help guide us along the way. I learned so much about history I was never aware of. I was also happy to see that my young nieces gained some knowledge from the tour as well. Mr. Waters is an excellent tour guide/historian and I highly recommend doing one of his tours or visiting his museum.

A couple of weeks since I took this tour and I'm still thinking about it! I worked with Mr. Leon Waters to organize a large group to take his African Life in the French Quarter Walking Tour. It was excellent. All of us left the tour feeling so much gratitude for the knowledge we gained through incredible storytelling, respect, and humor. Everyone in the group shared with me that this was the most memorable part of their trip. It was a good, long walking tour but we were engaged the entire time. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to learn more about the lesser-known history of New Orleans. I would definitely take another tour with Hidden History Tours.