Opening Day at the French Quarter’s New Riverfront Park

Visitors to the new Riverfront Park enjoy watching a barge pass on the Mississippi on the afternoon of opening day, April 7, 2026.

 April 2026

The ever-popular Moonwalk now extends all the way to Esplanade Avenue in the new Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park, delighting locals and visitors alike.

- photos by Ellis Anderson

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Built on the site of the Governor Nicholls Street Wharfs, the entire park is built on top of a vast concrete slab that extends out over the Mississippi River.

In the lawn area of the park, a four-foot mound of earth was built on top of the concrete wharf to allow trees to establish roots.

Audubon Institute volunteers were searching for insects taking advantage of the newly established pollinator gardens.

The park also includes a marsh-themed playground for children.

French Quarter artist and resident Craig Tracy poses for what’s sure to become a classic Instagram shot.

Visitors who happened upon the park’s opening immediately began exploring.

New Orleans District C Councilman Freddie King – whose district includes the French Quarter – was one of several officials who spoke briefly to the crowd attending the opening ceremony.

Former Mayor Mitch Landrieu (2010 – 2018) said he spoke on behalf of his father, Mayor Moon Landrieu (1970 - 1978). Public park development on the French Quarter’s riverfront began during the senior Landrieau’s tenure and the initial phase of the park in front of Jackson Square was dubbed the Moonwalk. The new section of the promenade carries the same name.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno called it an “amazing day, one that… has been a long time coming too.”

Mayor Helena Moreno, city and Audubon officials and musician Kermit Ruffins led a second-line down the promenade.

A fireboat’s water cannons celebrated the official opening.

Nathan Chapman, president of Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates (VCPORA), and Sandra Stokes, chair of Advocacy for Louisiana Landmarks Society, attended the opening ceremony and the park preview. Both community advocates have been working for decades, pushing for the creation of a passive park that locals, visitors and French Quarter/Marigny residents could all enjoy. Chapman noted that all the effort was worth it.

Read more about their efforts in FQJ’s 2024 piece “Three Decades of Activism, One New Riverfront Park.”

Later in the afternoon, the park was busy with a mix of locals and visitors checking out the new public oasis.

The original part of the Moonwalk was built on the river levee and is relatively narrow. The new park is built on top of the former wharf, an enormous concrete slab that extends out over the Mississippi. The river actually runs beneath it.

An important part of Riverfront communications, the Coast Guard tower, has become a feature of the park.

The Esplanade Avenue Wharf still separates the Riverfront Park from Crescent Park, but for now, a walkway connects the two.

Interpretive panels throughout the park enrich the experience for locals and visitors.

Former Audubon CEO Ron Forman and Jackson Kerby, Audubon VP of Construction, close out opening day celebrating with their project team by watching the public enjoy the new park. The park was designed by the architectural firm EskewDumezRipple and landscape architects Hargreaves Jones.

The Moonwalk formerly ended here at the St. Philip Street entrance to the Riverfront Park.

The misters in the plaza by the Front Porch received a rigorous and joyous test drive by children on the afternoon of the park’s opening day.

Bikers took in the new skyline view on the evening of the park’s opening day. The park is open from 10pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.

This particular view of the New Orleans skyline has never before been accessible to the public.

The remaining part of the old wharf’s warehouse has been redesigned as a pavilion called the Front Porch. One French Quarter resident dubbed it the tricycle area, quipping that it’d be the perfect riding place for his three-year-old daughter.