Preservation Hall

National Register of Historic Places

A bare room with wooden benches, no air conditioning, no drinks menu, and a $25 cash cover — and one of the most important music venues in the world. Allan and Sandra Jaffe opened Preservation Hall in 1961 specifically to give traditional New Orleans jazz a permanent home at a moment when rock and roll was pushing it toward extinction. The musicians who play here are direct inheritors of a lineage that runs back to Buddy Bolden and King Oliver. No microphones, no amplification — the band plays three feet from the front row. Shows start at 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 PM nightly. Get in line early; the room holds about 40 seated.

Quick facts

·Allan and Sandra Jaffe opened Preservation Hall in 1961 to give traditional New Orleans jazz a permanent home.
·No microphones, no amplification — the band plays three feet from the front row.
·The room holds about 40 seated and another 20 standing — intimacy is the point.
·Shows nightly at 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 PM. $25 cash cover at the door.
·The musicians are direct inheritors of a lineage running back to Buddy Bolden and King Oliver.
·No drinks, no food, no air conditioning — just the music.
·Get in line 30–45 minutes before the show you want. The 5 PM show is easiest to get into.