Washington Artillery Park

Located between the Moon Walk and Jackson Square is Washington Artillery Park. Interestingly enough the cannon that are in other pictures was not there when we went so it must have been removed within the last year. However, there are still nice views of the St. Louis Cathedral on one side and the Mississippi River on the other.It's in a central location at the French Quarter so you'll most likely be walking through it at one point or another if you're visiting the area. It's a nice place for people to congregate, take pictures, or rest on the steps.

Until recently, there were no monuments, statues, or streets named for Oscar Dunn, America's Forgotten First Black Lieutenant Governor in New Orleans. In Jul. 2021, City Council honored him by rededicating Washington Artillery Park, the elevated square which overlooks Jackson Square from the Mississippi River Levee, renaming it Oscar Dunn Park for this hero who was born into slavery and became the United States' first black lieutenant governor. Oscar Dunn was born to a slave mother in 1822. Dunn's mother fell in love with a free man of color and in 1831, Oscar, his little sister, and his mother were purchased for $800 by his new stepfather, James Dunn. In 1832, James Dunn emancipated his family, officially making them free people of color. Oscar adopted his stepfather's first and last names, becoming Oscar James Dunn. Now free, Oscar could attend school, a privilege denied to the state's enslaved population. Dunn's judgement as a councilman that brought about public education for the city and later for the state.Some historians claim that he was on track to become the first black governor of Louisiana in the 1872 election. From that post, many believed he would be elected to the US Senate and rumors were flying that the President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, was considering Dunn for Vice President. Dunn wanted to help people who had been emancipated from slavery, so he negotiated work contracts for them.Those free blacks started organizing, trying to gain the right to vote, and Dunn became one of the leading voices in this fight. While in office, Dunn took up causes like civil rights and the integration of public schools.Then in 1866, the Mechanics' Institute Riot took place.Former confederates massacre blacks who were organizing to discuss their rights.Political leaders saw this as the potential starting point for another civil war, so they wanted to ease tensions."So what they begin to do is replace all of the government officials who had been supporters of the confederacy and replace them with people who they believe to be loyal to the union, and Dunn is among the first two men," explains Dr. Mitchell.Dunn mysteriously passed away in 1871, and tens of thousands of people attended his funeral. Some say it was the most well-attended funeral in Louisiana history.There's also a parade that takes place on Sundays with the 2nd Line to celebrate their independence. It's considered a day for family to come fellowship and have a good time

This is a very small park, but makes up a lot of ground because of the views that it offers. You can get some awesome views of the Cathedral, Jackson Square and the Mississippi River looking over to Algiers. You can get a horse carriage ride across the street from the park and some nice art (Shakur Art) below it. In 1976, it was dedicated in honor of the "soldiers of France, Spain, the Confederacy, and the United States." The park is not named directly after President George Washington. It gets its name from an artillery regiment that was formed before the Civil War and itself was named after the President. The group fought for the Confederacy. The unit was disbanded after Union forces captured New Orleans.It is in the heart of the family tourist park of town and right next to the world famous Cafe Du Mond.The park is up for being renamed due to its Confederate background. There are plans to rename the park after Oscar Dunn, who served as the country's first Black elected executive when he became Louisiana's lieutenant governor in 1868.There is a paid parking lot right behind the park and you can find metered street parking in walking distance. This is an another must see place during you New Orleans sightseeing. It is one of my favorite spots to get spectacular views of the city. If you can only see one place while you where in the city. This would be at the top of my list.Fun fact: even though it is not drawn to scale, this park is featured in the Disney movie "The Princess and the Frog".

A Facebook friend from a group said she and her fiance were eloping and getting married here, at Artillery Park. She asked if anyone in the group lived in the area and could be a witness. I jumped at the chance to witness this sweet girl get hitched. It was a lovely spot between Jackson Square and the Mississippi. Lovely views. The only down parts were a rando literally dragging his dog on a leash while the dog was laying down and another rando asking my friends new husband where he got his shoes at. It was literally the middle of the afternoon. Other than that, with it being in the middle of the afternoon, perfectly safe being here. So glad I came.

You can get a good view of Jackson Square and see part of the city from here. There's also a NOLA 300 sign to represent 300 years of being NOLA. There a cannon at the top of the park. There's a Cafe du Monde right next to this park.....| \ _ , , , - - , , _ , .../ , ` . - ' ` ' . _ \ - ; ; ; , _ ..| , a - ) ) _ . ; . ( ` - ` - ' - ' ' - - - ' ' ( _ / . _ ) - ' ( _ \ _ )

The regional park with the 300 years sign, has the best spot to watch sunset over the church and Jackson square, and also Mississippi River is behind it.

Awesome vantage point for both the Mississippi River, Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral.Small but mighty, this park is. A cannon stands in the middle as a memorial. A very nice spot to sit, eat your food and watch people.

Beautiful! They have a lot of parade rallies there and it's a meeting place for the bus trips and carriage rides etc. There are lots of shops and eateries near there as well.

Washington Artillery Park deserves five stars, but sadly, the City of New Orleans prevents it! With spectacular views of Jackson Square on one side of the elevated park, and spectacular views of the Mississippi on the other! In between....tons of panhandlers playing "let me guess your shoes" game which ultimately is scamming for money. This has been going on here for Years and only getting worse! Such a shame for their most historical site!

This is one of the best places to observe the city from! My family loves to join the community for several events here like the Christmas tree lighting. Often there is a group of street artists that puts on a very entertaining show for tourists, you should try to catch them at least once. Right now there is a great photo op down there with the tricentennial NOLA 300 sculpture. You can see the French Quarter, the Mississippi River, the CBD, local artists with their art, and the iconic St. Louis Cathedral from the top! Some people grab lunch and just sit on the steps to people watch. There is a ramp for wheelchair/stroller access. We generally park near the French Market and walk over but there is a pay to park lot right behind it. This stop is definitely worth checking out.