The Iconic Street Signs of the New Orleans French Quarter

In the New Orleans French Quarter, history isn’t just in museums or fancy houses — sometimes it is literally underneath your feet. 

Instead of modern green highway signs, much of the neighborhood uses white and blue ceramic tiles embedded in the sidewalks to spell out street names. The tradition supposedly began because it was easier for horse-drawn carriage drivers to read them. 

They’re easy to miss at first. But once you notice them, you start looking up at every corner — and suddenly navigating the Quarter feels less like directions and more like reading a map from another century.

The street signs are overlooked by nearly everyone, but on our visits, we try to take in the full experience. And in New Orleans, even the street signs are part of the experience.