A dark green door sits on Dauphine Street between St. Louis and Toulouse, next to a white mansion with Corinthian columns. No sign announces what’s behind it. Just a small plaque you’ll miss if you’re not looking. The door stays locked during the day, and walking past you’d never know seven cottages and what might be the oldest pool in New Orleans hide on the other side.
Audubon Cottages opened after two great fires destroyed most of New Orleans in the late 18th century. Naturalist John James Audubon lived in one of the cottages in the first half of the 19th century while working on his bird illustrations. His influence shows up everywhere now, from nature prints on the walls to verdant courtyards surrounding a heated saltwater pool set in original brick.
Seven one- and two-bedroom suites spread across standalone cottages, each opening onto private or semi-private courtyards with running fountains, exposed brick, and enough foliage that you forget you’re one block from Bourbon Street. Most cottages share their courtyard with one other unit. All show their history through exposed brick, wooden-beam ceilings, hardwood floors, and fireplaces. Bathrooms are fully modern with walk-in showers. Cottage 2 has a jacuzzi.
Every unit includes a kitchenette stocked for cooking, plus flat-screen TVs, Keurig machines, refrigerators, and free WiFi. Some cottages have grandiose portraits and antique tapestries. Others use buttery walls with bird paintings or whitewashed brick supporting botanical drawings. The spaces feel like someone’s carefully maintained residence rather than hotel rooms.
Elizabeth Taylor stayed in Cottage 3 during New Orleans visits. A ghost reportedly haunts Cottage 4, either a petite woman with long white hair or a soldier in military uniform who hums softly. Staff and guests report sightings on the balcony overlooking the pool.
Check-in happens at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel one block away. Guests check in there, get keys, then walk to 509 Dauphine where the cottages sit. The Dauphine handles parking with valet service. No parking exists at the cottages. A 24-hour butler stays available by phone.
The property has no restaurant, no gym, no business center. What it has is a pool, courtyards, lush greenery, wrought-iron chaise lounges, privacy, and quiet despite being surrounded by French Quarter chaos. Breakfast arrives in the courtyard each morning. Soft drinks and water stock the fridges. Staff seems available at any time, though the property isn’t staffed 24/7 in the traditional sense.
Some street noise bleeds in at night from cars with loud sound systems. The property warns guests about losing keys. Lose a set and you pay for changing and re-keying all locks for the entire property.
Rates start around $199 on weekdays and jump to $349-$999 on weekends depending on cottage size. Location puts you one block from Bourbon Street, walking distance to Cafe du Monde, Jackson Square, and the riverfront.
Audubon Cottages, 509 Dauphine Street, French Quarter. Check-in at Dauphine Orleans Hotel. Rates from $199 weekdays, $349-$999 weekends. Seven cottages, heated saltwater pool, 24-hour butler service. No on-site parking. One block from Bourbon Street.
