We’d love for you to consider becoming a FOC Walking Tour Guide. (cross-posted to NOLA History Guy)
“It used to be a gas station” – Ursulines and Chartres Streets
Friends of the Cabildo Walking Tour Guide Class 2026
The Friends of the Cabildo (FOC) operate one of the best French Quarter Walking Tours in New Orleans. The program ranks consistently in the top thirty (of over 500) tour programs listed on TripAdvisor. I took the FOC’s tour guide class this past February, and really enjoy leading the tours.
LSM Support
The Friends of the Cabildo is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the five Louisiana State Museum (LSM) properties in the Vieux Carré. Those are the Cabildo and the Presbytere (the buildings on either side of St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square, the 1850 House Museum (located in the Lower Pontalba Building, on the St. Ann Street side of the square, Madame John’s Legacy, a French Colonial house/museum at 632 Dumaine Street, and the Old United States Mint, located at Esplanade Avenue and Decatur street. The Mint houses the New Orleans Jazz Museum. The biggest money-making activity for FOC is our tour program. The funds we raise from tours enable us to do a wide range projects in conjunction with the LSM.
Volunteers
While most tour companies in New Orleans are for-profit operations, FOC’s tour guides are volunteers. We lead tours because we enjoy them! Of course, it’s not for everyone, but if you have an interest in New Orleans history, you like talking to people, and you’re up to walking around Da Quarters for a couple of hours at a time, we’d love to talk to you more.
The Class
Our Tour Guide training program is challenging and comprehensive. It goes well beyond the minimum requirements set by the city’s Ground Transportation Bureau for commercial guides. The program is four weeks long, and usually begins right after Mardi Gras (first day of class for 2026 will be March 2nd). Class sessions are Monday-Wednesday-Friday, with one Saturday “field trip” in the third week.
FOC Tour Guide candidates attend over 100 hours of training. You’ll learn a good bit of New Orleans history, from the Colonial period into the present. The course covers a wide range of cultural subjects, all presented by subject matter experts you’ll enjoy hearing from.
You’ll also learn how to be a Tour Guide! FOC Walking Tours are not scripted. Guides learn how to develop their own 2-hour walk. Assisted by experienced mentors, class members map out a path, plan out stops and what to say to your guests, offering a quality experience. It’s not as daunting a prospect as one might think–since the tour comes from you and your personal style, both Guide and guests have a great time.
Additional Opportunities
Once students complete the program, they do their tour one-on-one with an experienced FOC guide. After clearing that step, they complete a written examination. A passing score on the exam makes one eligible to apply for a city license as a commercial tour guide. After those steps, the new guide does a “critiqued tour,” where they lead a scheduled group of paid guests under the supervision of an experienced guide. Then we put you out on the streets! FOC asks guides for a commitment of two tours a month for two years.
As Tour Guides gain experience with the French Quarter Walking Tour, they become eligible to train for and lead our Garden District Walking Tour, as well as the various “neighborhood” walking tours, such as the Bywater, Irish Channel, and Battle of New Orleans tours. If you’re interested in working for a commercial company, such as Gray Line or Two Chicks Walking Tours, your FOC colleagues will be able to connect you with the various tour companies.
Join us!
Now is the time to apply for the 2026 class. Go to the Walking Tour Guide information page on the FOC website, download the application, and email it back to volunteers@friendsofthecabildo.org. That’s a good address for any questions you may have about the program as well. Once you submit your application, you will be contacted by the Tour Guide Committee for an in-person interview. If you’re accepted in the program, you’ll play the course fee and join the class on 2-March-2026.
Feel free to contact your humble NOLA History Guy if you’d like to discuss the program.