 ake a left turn at Royal Street and continue past the small alleyway known as Pere' Antoine Alley, to the garden directly behind the cathedral: - St Anthony's Garden, sometimes called the Cathedral Garden, was also named for Pere' Antoine, or Father Anthony, as he was called by the English parishoners. A priest at St Louis Cathedral for almost 50 years, he arrived in New Orleans in 1788 as chief of the Spanish Inquisition, but was immediately sent back to Spain. He returned in 1795, and quickly became one of its most beloved but controversial figures. Keep walking a few more steps until you come to the alleyway to the left on the other side of the cathedral. This is the famous:
- Pirate's Alley.
Stroll down this picturesque and once-notorious walkway, cut in 1831, and a haven for artists, writers, and quiet walks. On the right at 624 Pirate's Alley is the former home of one of New Orleans' notable writers, William Faulkner. Today it houses, appropriately enough, a bookstore. Faulkner wrote two of his novels here, Mosquitoes and Soldier's Pay, and contributed articles to the local newspaper. Take a right at the tiny passageway behind the Cabildo leading to St Peter Street. When you emerge onto St Peter you will be directly opposite the:
 Le Petit Theatre, at 616 St Peter. Since 1922 this has been the home to a community-based theatre group that produces seven plays a year. The theatre group was formed in 1916 as the "Drawing-Room Players", a small ensemble that presented performances in the drawing rooms of members. They procured the 1789 residence
of Joseph Xavier de Pontalba, the last Spanish governor of Louisiana, and moved into it in 1922. The house has a delicate cast-iron balcony, broad doors, and wide fanlighted windows, and the interior features large wrought-iron chandeliers and an inner courtyard with a tiered fountain. Next door to the theatre is the:- Le Petit Salon, built in 1838 for Victor David, a wealthy merchant. This fine Greek revival house is noted for its detailed entrance and its three galleries, each with a different style of ironwork, including an elegant design of crossed bows-and-arrows. Today it is the home of a women's literary group founded in 1925 and dedicated to the preservation of the culture and traditions of the French Quarter. Across the street, adjoining the Cabildo at 615 St Peter is the Old Arsenal, built in 1839 on the site of the old Spanish prison, or calabozo. Continue back to Royal Street, and once there, turn to look at the building on the left, at the riverside corner.
This is the:
- LeMonnier Mansion, 640 Royal Street, also known as "The Skyscraper" and "Sieur George's House". After it was built in 1811 by as a three-story residence by Dr Yves Le Monnier and pharmacist Francois Grandchamps, the building was declared the highest building in the French Quarter (hence the nickname). Upon its completion it was occupied by Le Monnier, who sometime later purchased Grandchamps' half of the building. A fourth story was added in 1876. The third nickname for the house was provided by George Washington Cable, who used the house as the residence for his character "Sieur George" in one of his books. (Across the street at 700 Royal is the LaBranche house, covered at a later time in the tour.) On the other side of Royal Street (627) on the main tour, is the:
- Old Town Praline Shop, once the home of Adelina Patti, a singer at the French Opera House. Also known as Patti's Court,
the original building was destroyed in the great fire of 1788 and replaced with the present one soon after. It has a lovely courtyard. Next door at 623 Royal is the Labatut House, built by John Baptiste Labatut, a local merchant who later became Attourney General and served as a general in the Battle of New Orleans. Still further on is the Zachary Taylor House at 621 Royal Street. Also built by General Labatut, it was once the home of the daughter of General Zachary Taylor, the Spanish-American War hero and 12th President of the United States. Next you will come to the famous:
 Court of Two Sisters restaurant, named after Emma and Bertha Camors, who ran a variety store here from 1886 to 1906. It was built in 1832 by Zenon Cavalier, then president of the Banque d'Orleans. It was converted into a restaurant around 1963.
Just across the street at 612 is the:- Grymes House, built in 1811. Fifteen years later it was bought by John Grymes, who served as District Attourney under Governor Claiborne, and later as attourney for the Lafittes, the famous pirate smugglers. Upon reaching Toulouse Street, take a left turn onto Toulouse and walk toward the river one block. Along the way, peek into the courtyard of the Jacob House at 628 Toulouse, a longtime favorite for artists and photographers. Turn right when you hit Chartres Street. On the right corner facing you at 538 Chartres is the:
Great Conflagration House. This large brick townhouse was built in 1783 by Don Vincente Nunez, paymaster of the Spanish army at the time. Its importance lies in its dubious history. In 1788 it was the site of one of the biggest disasters in the history of the French Quarter. Candles that were burning for Good Friday accidently set fire
to the curtains on the second floor and quickly spread to the surrounding buildings. When it was all said and done, 856 buildings, fully half of the growing city, were reduced to ashes. Ironically it survived itself due to prevailing winds which swept the fire to adjoining buildings. A few doors down is the:  New Orleans Pharmacy Museum at 514 Chartres, originally built in 1823 as a pharmacie (no surprise there) by Louis Dufilho. Dufilho had become the first licensed pharmacist in America in 1816, and he equipped his new pharmacie with all types of treatments and cures, even setting up a botanical garden for growing medicinal herbs. Today many of these same medical and pharmaceutical drugs and tools are on display here.
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