Gray Line Tours (504-587-0709, 800-535-7786) offers a wide variety of tours in New Orleans and the surrounding area. Many similar large tour companies operate in the Crescent City. Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve offers daily walking tours of the French Quarter free of charge. Only 30 spaces per day are available, however, and tickets are available at the park office (916 St. Peter St.) on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 9 am. Tours begin at 10:30. The National Park Service also offers tours of the Garden District, bayou swamp tours (from their Batavia unit), and an occasional "tour du jour" focusing on a specific topic of New Orleans culture. (504-589-2636) Roots of New Orleans, a Heritage City Tour, concentrates on the city's African-American history, including its jazz culture, the roots of voodoo, and the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians. (504-596-6889, 800-229-1872) Save Our Cemeteries, Inc. offers tours of Lafayette 1 in the Garden District and St. Louis 1, resting place of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. All proceeds go to the upkeep and preservation of these historic sites. (504-588-9357) The New-Orleans-based Society for Paranormal Research International offers Hauntings Today, an expedition into the city's netherworld of ghosts and the unknown. Basic tours are given twice daily with additional tours (even an overnight in a haunted house) available. According the Society, paranormal occurrences are not uncommon during these outings. (504-522-0045) Gator Swamp Tours offers a glimpse of life on the bayou, only a few miles from the bustling city. Explore Honey Island Swamp, one of the nation's last remaining hardwood river swamps, with an experienced guide. (800-875-4287) Take a paddle-wheeling cruise on the Mighty Mississippi--there are several riverboats that will accommodate you. Call New Orleans Paddlewheels (504-529-4567) to arrange a ride on the Creole Queen or the Cajun Queen, or New Orleans Steamboat Company (504-586-8777) to book passage on the Natchez or the John James Audubon. Both concerns offer jazz dinner cruises.
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