New Orleans historic St. Charles Streetcar travels over 13 miles from Canal Street, through the Garden district, past Loyola and Tulane Universities and Audubon Park where it takes a right-hand turn at Riverbend to continue up Carrollton Avenue.
Originally called the Carrollton Railroad, St. Charles Streetcars carried passengers between the French Quarter and the resort town of Carrollton.
New Orleans St. Charles Streetcars, like the equally famous San Francisco Cable Cars, have been declared moving national historic landmarks. Streetcars have been running along St. Charles Avenue for over 165 years.
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click images to enlarge
The St. Charles Streetcar line in the Garden District is lined with mansions and large homes like the Van Benthuysen-Elms Mansion in the two pictures above.
The mansion was built in 1869 for Capt. Watson Van Benthuysen, II CSA. A relative of Jefferson Davis, Watson was known as the "Yankee in Grey" and became a merchant with interest in a St. Charles streetcar line.
The mansion is available for parties, dinners. weddings and receptions.
Garden District Mansions
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Garden District Church
and Mansion
Bultman's Funeral Home can be rented for musical recitals, business functions and other gatherings.
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The St. Charles Streetcar is an ideal way to take a self guided tour of the Garden District, but to avoid paying each time you board it's a good idea to purchase a one or three day VisiTour Pass. It's good for unlimited rides on streetcars and all buses in New Orleans Parish.
Thousands of New Orleans residents commute to work on the 34 olive-green electric cars so plan your St. Charles Streetcar tour during mid day to avoid the morning and evening rush hours and late afternoon when the cars are full of school-age kids.
Board the streetcar directly across Canal Street from Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at Canal and Carondelet streets.
Drivers don't call out stops so if you plan to get off for a walking tour of the Garden District, shopping at Riverbend or visiting Audubon Park, the Zoo or either Tulane or Loyola University you'll need to watch for your stop. You'll also need to pay each time you board if you haven't purchased a VisiTour Pass.
You won't be on the streetcar for long before you navigate around Lee Circle on your left. A statue of Robert E. Lee at the top of an impressive column is forever facing north — so that his back will never be to his enemies.
You'll see many impressive and famous homes and mansions as you travel through New Orleans Garden District. In addition to the photos on this page, be sure to check out my Garden District page for pictures of many more mansions and a panorama of Lafayette Cemetery.
Call the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) at 540 249-9300 for information about any part of New Orleans' public transportation system.
After passing through the Garden District and before coming to the turn at Riverbend you'll pass Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo on your left with Loyola and Tulane Universities directly across St. Charles Avenue on the right.
Loyola University is the largest Catholic university in the South and has occupied the 6000 block of St. Charles Avenue since 1911. From 1904–1911 it was a preparatory school.
Tulane University offers undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees in medicine, public health and tropical medicine, architecture, business, law, engineering, social work and the liberal arts and sciences.
Our Super City Tour follows the path of the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, past the homes of former Kings & Queens of Mardi Gras, stately mansions, and the world-famous historic Garden District.
Learn more about Victorian styles on my San Diego Heritage Park and Historic Victorian Homes in San Francisco pages.
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