St. Charles Streetcar in New Orleans

What are the highlights and features of St. Charles Streetcar?

The St. Charles Streetcar covers a distance of 13.2 miles, between the French Quarter and Central Business District of New Orleans. RTA maps show this line as Route 12 and in green colour – the same colour as its vintage streetcars. Each streetcar stop has a designated number, starting from the French Quarter (Stop No. 0).

The line has a stop in St. Charles Avenue, a leafy neighbourhood with grand mansions dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s also the home of the Loyola and Tulane Universities, as well as dozens of excellent restaurants and bars. Audubon Park is a great place for families, offering amenities like a playground, a golf course, paved paths, and oak-shaded picnic areas.

You can also ride the St. Charles Streetcar to several New Orleans landmarks. Founded in 1883, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is an above-ground graveyard where over 7,000 are buried. It has been featured in Hollywood films like Interview with the Vampire (1994), Double Jeopardy (1999), and Deja Vu (2006). To get there, alight at the St. Charles at Washington stop. The cemetery is a short walk away.

St. Charles at Jefferson is a streetcar stop in Uptown New Orleans. You can enjoy indie, mainstream, and classic films at Prytania Theatre, which dates back to 1914. For a quiet day in New Orleans, bibliophiles can visit the Milton H. Latter Memorial Library. The neo-Italian building was the house of several wealthy merchants, including real estate broker, Harry Latter. In 1948, he donated the mansion to the city as a public library in memory of his son, who died in WWII.

The St. Charles at Lee Circle stop is close to some of the most prominent museums in New Orleans. The National WWII Museum is a must-see for those interested in US military history, while the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Contemporary Arts Center are great for art lovers.

Canal at St. Charles and Canal at Carondelet are 2 streetcar stops in the French Quarter. Alight at St. Charles to arrive at the entrance of Bourbon Street, the city’s most popular nightlife hub. You can find dozens of restaurants serving classic French Creole cuisine, cottage bars operating since the 18^th century, and live music on every corner.

If you want to do some vintage shopping, alight at the Canal at Carondelet stop – you’ll arrive at Royal Street, where tranquil courtyards, street buskers, art galleries, and gift shops are plentiful.

Good to know about St. Charles Streetcar in New Orleans

Besides the standard one-way fare for the St. Charles Streetcar, the one-day Jazzy Pass gives you better value for money if you're relying on public transport to get around. You can also enjoy unlimited trips on RTA buses and streetcars with a special pass. A one-way trip along the St. Charles Streetcar line takes about 45 minutes if you’re not stopping at any point in between.