Music Venue

Preservation Hall

Intimate 100-seat jazz venue in the French Quarter of New Orleans, operating since 1961. Dedicated to preserving traditional New Orleans jazz. No reservations, no drinks, no amplification. Cash only at the door.

New Orleans, USA

100 capacity

Est. 1961

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Music Genres

jazztraditional-jazzbrass-bandgospel

About Preservation Hall

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Preservation Hall is a 100-seat traditional jazz venue at 726 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, opened in 1961. It is dedicated to preserving New Orleans jazz as a living tradition, not a museum exhibit. The venue has no bar, no food service, no amplification, and no air conditioning. Performances run nightly, and tickets are sold at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. It is best suited for listeners who want an unmediated jazz experience and for traditional jazz musicians seeking a connection to the music's origins.

History and Background

Allan and Sandra Jaffe opened Preservation Hall on June 10, 1961, in a building that dates to 1750 and has served as a tavern, a photography studio, and an art gallery. The Jaffes were not New Orleans natives. Allan Jaffe was a Pennsylvanian who played tuba and had moved to the city after a stint in the Army. He discovered that many of the older jazz musicians who had defined the New Orleans style in the 1920s and 1930s were still alive but had few places to play. The Jaffes created Preservation Hall to give them a stage.

The original house band included musicians who had been playing since the early days of jazz: clarinetist George Lewis, trumpeter Kid Thomas Valentine, and trombonist Jim Robinson. The Jaffes also organized tours, sending the Preservation Hall Jazz Band across the United States and internationally, which helped sustain interest in traditional New Orleans jazz during a period when modern jazz and rock dominated the market.

Allan Jaffe died in 1987. His son Ben Jaffe took over operations and now serves as creative director and plays tuba and bass in the band. Under Ben Jaffe's leadership, the venue has expanded its programming while maintaining its core mission. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has collaborated with artists including Danny Elfman, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and My Morning Morning Jacket, and performed at festivals including Coachella and Newport Folk Festival.

The building survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with minimal structural damage. The venue reopened in April 2006, making it one of the first music venues in New Orleans to resume operations after the storm.

How the Venue Operates

Preservation Hall runs 5 to 6 performances per night, each lasting approximately 45 minutes. Doors open 15 minutes before each set. As of 2026, general admission tickets cost $25 cash at the door. Advance tickets are available online for $35 to $50, which guarantee entry and skip the line. The venue accepts cash only at the door. There is an ATM on St. Peter Street but not inside the venue.

The room seats approximately 100 people on wooden benches and floor cushions. There is no assigned seating. Late arrivals are seated only between songs. The venue enforces a strict no-talking policy during performances. Photography is permitted without flash. Phones must be silenced.

There is no bar. No food or drinks are sold inside. The venue does not serve alcohol. This is a deliberate choice, not a licensing limitation. The Jaffes wanted the focus entirely on the music. If you want a drink, the bars of the French Quarter are steps away.

The music is acoustic. No microphones, no PA system, no monitors. The sound you hear is the sound of the instruments in a small room with wooden walls. This is the defining feature of the Preservation Hall experience.

2026 Programming

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs nightly with a rotating roster of musicians. The band includes Ben Jaffe on tuba and bass, Charlie Fardella on trumpet, Clint Maedgen on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Frederick Lonzo on trombone, and Joseph Lastie Jr. on drums. Guest musicians sit in regularly.

In 2026, the venue continues its standard nightly schedule with sets at 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM, and 10:00 PM. The 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM shows are the most popular and sell out most nights. During the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (April 24 through May 3, 2026), the venue adds additional late-night sets and typically sells out all shows well in advance.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band also tours nationally and internationally. Tour dates for 2026 include performances at the Hollywood Bowl, the Newport Jazz Festival, and a European tour in the fall. These touring dates do not affect the nightly New Orleans schedule, as substitute musicians fill in when the core band is on the road.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Preservation Hall is not a venue you book. It is a venue you are invited into. The roster of musicians who play there is small and tightly controlled by Ben Jaffe. If you play traditional jazz, brass band music, or New Orleans-style gospel, a sit-in at Preservation Hall is a career milestone. But it requires a personal connection to the Jaffes or to a current band member.

For independent artists visiting New Orleans, Preservation Hall is a model for how a venue can sustain a musical tradition without compromising. The venue proves that a 100-seat room with no bar, no PA, and no marketing budget can survive for over 60 years if the artistic mission is clear and the quality is consistent.

The lesson for independent artists is about focus. Preservation Hall does one thing: traditional New Orleans jazz. It does not chase trends, add genres, or rebrand. If you are building a venue or a performance series, consider whether a similarly narrow focus could work for you.

Use our Tour Revenue Calculator to model what a New Orleans touring run could generate. Read our guide on how to book your first tour for practical advice on approaching venues in music cities like New Orleans. The complete guide to making money as a musician in 2026 covers revenue strategies for independent artists.

Potential Drawbacks / Things to Consider

Preservation Hall is not a career-building venue in the conventional sense. You will not get a guarantee, a rider, or a standard booking. The venue does not function as a stop on a tour. If you are an independent artist passing through New Orleans, you cannot email Preservation Hall and ask for a slot.

The venue is physically uncomfortable. There is no air conditioning. New Orleans summers are hot and humid. The room is small, crowded, and has wooden benches that were not designed for comfort. If you have mobility issues, the space is difficult to navigate. There is no ADA-compliant seating area.

The cash-only door policy can be inconvenient for international visitors or anyone who does not carry US dollars. The advance ticket system helps, but the online allotment is limited, and the most popular time slots sell out quickly during tourist season.