Vice Virtue and Negotiable Affection

Vice Virtue and Negotiable Affection is a provocative and powerful tour through the hidden history of New Orleans' sex industry and the women who ran it.

From Gallatin Street’s crime-filled past to the glitzy brothels of Storyville, this walking tour reveals the bold lives of madams, sex workers, and Creole women who defied convention. Meet real women like Lulu White, Josie Arlington, and Norma Wallace, who turned vice into empire. Hear stories of danger, survival, and strategy set against the backdrop of race, class, and morality in a city that has always celebrated its contradictions.

Explore the real locations behind the legends. Learn about the Blue Books, placage relationships, Creole identity, and the creation of Storyville, the nation’s first legalized red-light district. See where the music of jazz greats echoed through parlor rooms and where the law turned a blind eye until it didn’t and you will go inside a real former brothel where you can sit with your guide and converse over drinks.

You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the women who shaped New Orleans not despite their profession, but because of it.

Duration: 2 hours
Distance: Approx. 1 mile
Location: French Quarter 
Included: Guided tour with expert local storyteller
Recommended for: Adults interested in real history, feminism, crime, culture, and jazz

⚠️ Mature themes. This tour discusses sex work, violence, and racial history. Ages 21+ (16 and up are allowed but won't be able to enter the former brothel.