People gather around a vintage green train car outdoors - railroad history sites

Self-guided · metro area, Louisiana

Railroad History Sites in New Orleans, LA

Depots, roundhouses, trestles and rail yards from the lines that decided which towns grew and which ones faded.

The New Orleans–Metairie, LA metro area has about 970,849 residents, ranking 59th in the country. Railroad History Sites are spread across the country in places most people would not guess. The list below shows how close the nearest ones are to New Orleans, LA.

People walking inside a grand, old train station - railroad history sites — Photo: Ambati Cherubim on Unsplash

Train arriving at a station with people on platform - railroad history sites — Photo: adam roye on Unsplash

A group of people standing next to a train - railroad history sites — Photo: Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra on Unsplash

On the record near New Orleans, LA

The 12 nearest

16 listed sites on the record match railroad history sites within 120 miles of New Orleans, LA, out of 198 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Southern Railway Freight Officeunder a mile from the center of New Orleans · Building · New Orleans · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad, Carrollton Transit Station3.5 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · New Orleans · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Southern Pacific Steam Locomotive #7454.5 miles from the center of New Orleans · Structure · Jefferson · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
New Orleans and Northeastern--New Orleans and Great Northern Railroad Depot28 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Slidell · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
Bogalusa Railroad Station59 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Bogalusa · listed 1980National Register of Historic Places
201 Railroad Avenue70 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Morgan City · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot75 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Baton Rouge · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
New Orleans and Great Northern Railroad Depot--Tylertown81 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Tylerton · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places
Zachary Railroad Depot81 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Zachary · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Depot at Ocean Springs81 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Ocean Springs · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
Depot86 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Magnolia · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Depot95 miles from the center of New Orleans · Building · Pascagoula · listed 1974National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of New Orleans, LA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Railroad History in New Orleans, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in New Orleans, LA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in New Orleans, LA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near New Orleans, LA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in New Orleans

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In New Orleans, LA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in New Orleans, LA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.