New Orleans once again is one of the nation’s top tourist destinations, offering a wide variety of culture, cuisine and history. As The Rental Show 2012 returns to New Orleans for the first time in a decade, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the amenities the Big Easy has to offer.

In New Orleans, the night never has to end since bars and clubs are not required to close. There’s the famous French Quarter, known for its nightlife, but there are other options available including live music on Frenchmen Street, Harrah’s Casino and scores of nightclubs for dancing.

To help attendees determine what’s available, the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has created a special website for The Rental Show that highlights the top 10 things to do in new Orleans, 30 free things to do, information on the more than 1,200 restaurants in the city and more. The site can be accessed through the New Orleans page at TheRentalShow.com. There’s also information about “Text NOLA,” a special program that allows visitors to receive discounts to restaurants, attractions, music clubs, shops, galleries, tour companies and more.

Seven ways to tour New Orleans

Editor’s note: The following are suggested tours, depending on your interests and style, from the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau.

• History tours. From Jackson Square to jazz to the Louisiana Purchase, a historical tour will introduce you to the landmarks, traditions and lore that make this Southern city the cultural treasure it is. Whether you choose a walking tour, bus tour or exploration by foot, you'll have a chance to learn about the city’s Creole roots, discover bustling areas like the French Market and visit hallowed spaces like St. Mary's Church and the Old Ursuline Convent, the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley.
• Culinary tours. With French, Creole, Cajun and other cuisines mingling together, the Big Easy is a melting pot of culinary influences and regional ingredients. Choose a tour where you can indulge in fare from classic New Orleans restaurants while learning the history behind the cuisine. Looking to actually get into the kitchen? Try a hands-on approach at one of the city’s cooking schools where you can discover the secrets behind New Orleans’ most famous dishes like barbecued shrimp, jambalaya and corn-and-crab bisque.
• Ghost and cemetery tours. New Orleans is known as America’s most haunted city. Get the chills with a nighttime adventure, where you’ll hear about the city’s most infamous spirits and explore French Quarter locations known for their paranormal activity. Trying to find a genuine haunted house? Spot spooky apparitions at The Haunted Mortuary, a sprawling, neo-classical mansion built in 1872, which boasts nine resident ghosts. Or, be guided through historic cemeteries where the city’s unique aboveground tombs, stone sarcophagi and massive headstones mark burial sites for New Orleans’ deceased. Take a combined cemetery and Voodoo tour to learn about the religion of Voodoo: its West African origins, Catholic influences and modern-day practice. Be sure to tour St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 where you can make an offering at the final resting place of New Orleans’ most powerful Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau.
• Carriage tours. Whether you’re looking to add a bit of romance to your trip or want to experience the Old World ambiance of New Orleans, a carriage ride is one way to take in the sights and learn about the city’s intriguing history. Enjoy the clip clopping of hooves while meandering through the streets of the French Quarter, viewing Jackson Square, Bourbon Street and other iconic landmarks. Or, head Uptown into the Garden District to admire the collection of live oaks and antebellum mansions. You can arrange for a pick up at your hotel or bed and breakfast, or head to Jackson Square where you’ll easily find carriages ready and waiting on Decatur Street.
• Riverboat tours. Step aboard the regal Creole Queen or Steamboat Natchez for a paddlewheel ride down the Mississippi River. Choose from a romantic evening with a dinner and jazz cruise, or experience riverfront history with the Chalmette Battlefield cruise, which disembarks at the site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans and tours historical combat sites.
• Cocktail tours. New Orleans has a long lineage of libations, from the Sazerac to the French 75, to the Hurricane. Learn about local cocktail culture and heritage on a walking tour where you’ll taste-test alcoholic creations from the French Quarter’s best watering holes. Or go right to the source with a tour and tasting at Celebration Distillation, the oldest premium rum distillery in the United States.
• Hollywood South. Spend a few hours with The Original New Orleans Movie Tours and experience the city through its filmmaking legacy. Visit New Orleans’ historic landmarks and other locations beloved by filmmakers in neighborhoods across the city. You’ll get the inside scoop on productions such as David Simon’s “Treme” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” starring Brad Pitt.

Off-the-beaten-path attractions

Editor’s note: The following are unexpected attractions listed by New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau as “unique — and unusual — places to sightsee.

• Urban kayaking. It may seem a bit unusual to spend a day kayaking through New Orleans, but the historic Bayou St. John provides an ideal trail for seeing the sights and getting a feel for the city. Paddle through a number of neighborhoods and past the Spanish Custom House, the historic Pitot House, City Park and St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. Each tour lasts an average of four hours and gives visitors a fun way to explore, exercise and enjoy New Orleans’ serene setting among waterways.
• Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Art aficionados might flock to the New Orleans Museum of Art, but they often miss out on the nearby sculpture garden, located in scenic City Park. Spend the afternoon in this urban sanctuary and walk among towering pines, mossy oaks and blooming magnolia trees while viewing more than 57 sculptures created by artists from across the globe.
• New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Satisfy your morbid curiosity with a visit to the first licensed apothecary shop in the United States, which is now the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. On a one-hour guided tour, you can learn about the history of pharmacy while viewing artifacts such as apothecary jars, medical instruments and antiquated equipment — and oddly fascinating items such as preserved leeches and voodoo potions.
• Voodoo Authentica of New Orleans Cultural Center and Collection. With its Afro-Caribbean heritage, mysterious swamplands and prevalence of voodoo culture, New Orleans is steeped in magic and lore. Visit this cultural center in the French Quarter, where you can shop for potion oils, voodoo dolls and spell-casting supplies, as well as get a spiritual consultation and reading.
• New Orleans African American Museum. Get a unique glimpse into the rich history of Afro-Caribbean culture and its impact on New Orleans. Located in the Tremé district, the country’s oldest African American neighborhood, this multi-faceted museum is home to seven historic buildings, a beautiful garden, well-curated exhibits, African American art, handcrafted furniture and Mardi Gras Indian artifacts. Sign up for a group tour to explore the museum and its historic neighborhood.