Bourbon Street (French: Rue Bourbon) is a famous and historic street that runs the length of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. When founded in 1718, the city was originally centered around the French Quarter. New Orleans has since expanded, but "The Quarter" remains the cultural hub, and Bourbon Street is the street best known by visitors. Bourbon Street comes from its long history as a port city where the pirates would come to hang out after a long voyage and continues to this day.Bourbon Street New Orleans is named after the House of Bourbon, the ruling family at the time New Orleans was founded. Today it’s the place to see and be seen with plenty of tourist attractions, clubs, bar and restaurants. The street is home to many bars, restaurants, strip clubs, as well as t-shirt and souvenir shops. The upper end of Bourbon Street towards Canal Street is home to many of the French Quarter's strip clubs. These include Rick's Cabaret, Temptations, and Larry Flynt's Barely Legal Club. Towards the central section of Bourbon Street one can find many famous bars including Johnny White's, The Famous Door, Razzoo and The Cat's Meow.

The section of Bourbon Street from the intersection of St. Ann Street proceeding several blocks northeast caters to New Orleans' thriving gay community, featuring such clubs as New Orleans' largest gay nightclub, The Bourbon Pub, and Oz. St. Ann Street has been referred to as "the Velvet Line"[citation needed], in reference to it being the edge or boundary line of the gay community in the French Quarter. Cafe-Lafitte-In-Exile is the oldest gay bar in the country and has a long and interesting history. New Orleans' most celebrated Mardi Gras event, The Bourbon Street Awards, was hosted by Lafitte's until the early 1980s when massive crowds forced them to move from Bourbon Street to St. Ann and Burgundy. The awards have now returned to the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets. The intersection of Bourbon Street and St. Ann Street is also the epicenter of Southern Decadence, commonly referred to as the "Gay Mardi Gras" and attracts upwards of 100,000 participants over Labor Day weekend.

Though largely quiet during the day, Bourbon Street comes alive at night, particularly during the French Quarter's many festivals. Most popular among these is the annual Mardi Gras celebration, when Bourbon Street teems with hundreds of thousands of tourists. Local open container laws in the French Quarter allow drinking alcoholic beverages in the street in plastic containers (drinking from glass or cans is prohibited). The streets are packed with tourists drinking Hurricanes, Hand Grenades and Huge Ass Beers - a large plastic cup of draft beer marketed to tourists at a low price. Other festivals and events focusing on Bourbon Street include French Quarter Festival and Southern Decadence.

A note to the more conservative traveler, there are often displays of public nudity and debauchery during the Mardi Gras and Southern Decadence parades. The New Orleans police has been cracking down on it lately, due to complaints. To be safe, leave the kids at home if you want to experience the nightlife action on Bourbon Street.