Ernest N. Morial River Plaza and Maritime Hall
Why is it significant?
Arrive before the sweeping contemporary facade and linear park of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center along Convention Center Boulevard.
Key Facts
| Place | Ernest N. Morial River Plaza and Maritime Hall |
|---|---|
| Address | 900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130, United States |
| Geo Coordinates | 29.94450, -90.06350 |
| Part of Walk | Warehouse and Arts District to Mississippi Riverfront: The American Sector |
| Generated | Generated |
Arrive before the sweeping contemporary facade and linear park of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center along Convention Center Boulevard. Stretching for more than a kilometer along the historic riverfront wharves, this colossal facility encompasses over three million square feet of space and 1.1 million square feet of contiguous exhibition space, officially ranking as the sixth-largest convention hall in the United States and the economic engine of modern New Orleans hospitality.
The center is named in honor of Ernest Nathan Morial—affectionately known as "Dutch" Morial—who made civil rights history in 1978 when he was inaugurated as the very first African American mayor of New Orleans.
Morial was a fearless civil rights attorney, NAACP leader, and judge who fought racial discrimination in schools and public transit, championed minority economic opportunity, and spearheaded the massive riverfront redevelopment that replaced derelict rail yards with modern exhibition spaces for the 1984 World's Fair. Recently, the boulevard fronting the center underwent a seventy-million-dollar green transformation, creating a 7.5-acre pedestrian park with winding jogging paths, rain gardens that absorb tropical stormwater, public bronze sculptures, and outdoor cafe terraces beneath swaying palms. Looking toward the river, modern cruise ship terminals accommodate luxury ocean liners embarking on Caribbean voyages, continuing New Orleans historic role as America gateway to the Americas. The boulevard public green space showcases indigenous Louisiana delta wetlands, including cypress groves and flowering aquatic irises, demonstrating sustainable stormwater management in an urban coastal port setting.
Walking along the pedestrian riverfront boulevard beneath the shade of native Louisiana trees, you appreciate Mayor Morial's enduring vision for a modern, inclusive, and globally connected New Orleans. This complex bridges historic port commerce with twenty-first-century global conventions.
Walk north along the river promenade toward the mosaic fountains of Spanish Plaza.