Technically, I visited this site. At least, I visited the Visitor's Center, which shares space in a French Quarter building with the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park takes second fiddle in the office, as there are no signs for it anywhere - except on a bass drum in one of the exhibit rooms. Of course, even the Jean Lafitte park lacks a proper sign here - just its name printed on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper and taped to the door!).

The purpose of the park is to celebrate the variety of jazz that can trace its roots to New Orleans, and the many locations in the area that play that music. The Visitor's Center has many exhibits that merge information on the French Quarter (the reason for the Jean Lafitte park) and the jazz music (the reason for the Jazz park). Apart from reading the information in the center, and watching an interesting short video, both parks urge one to explore the French Quarter and take in the music.

Much as I had looked forward to doing just this, the back and leg pain I've experienced made walking even one block painful. Though, as I said "technically" I have visited these two park units as part of my grand tour, I will be back one day in the near future (after the scheduled back surgery) to actually enjoy this city.