Congo Square

By the early nineteenth century, enslaved and free Black people gathered here on Sundays to sell goods, socialize, drum, make music, and dance. These gatherings helped preserve African musical and dance practices in New Orleans. They predated jazz, and the National Park Service treats the square as an important part of the city's musical history rather than its single point of origin.Congo Square is now part of Louis Armstrong Park. Overlapping circles in the brick paving recall the formations described in accounts of the dances, and mature oaks date to the period when the site was called Beauregard Square. Access follows the park's posted gates and closures, so an outdoor visit still requires a current check. More

By the early nineteenth century, enslaved and free Black people gathered here on Sundays to sell goods, socialize, drum, make music, and dance. These gatherings helped preserve African musical and dance practices in New Orleans. They predated jazz, and the National Park Service treats the square as an important part of the city's musical history rather than its single point of origin.Congo Square is now part of Louis Armstrong Park. Overlapping circles in the brick paving recall the formations described in accounts of the dances, and mature oaks date to the period when the site was called Beauregard Square. Access follows the park's posted gates and closures, so an outdoor visit still requires a current check. More