Riverwalk is marking 40 years on the New Orleans riverfront as Pandora jewelry prepares to join its tenant lineup. The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk recently welcomed Burlington, Bath & Body Works and the waterfront seafood restaurant Delacroix, and it is preparing to add another restaurant at Spanish Plaza this fall.
According to New Orleans CityBusiness, Riverwalk also expects to add Oh My Jewelry this fall and plans to announce additional tenants, promotions and other offerings throughout 2026. The center now counts more than 75 retailers and restaurants at 500 Port of New Orleans Place. The upcoming additions come as Riverwalk continues to refresh its mix of retail and dining offerings, according to the outlet.
Johnny's Caribbean Grill has also opened at the property, adding to a dining lineup anchored by Delacroix, the coastal Louisiana seafood concept that Biz New Orleans reports opened at Spanish Plaza in September 2025 under BRG Hospitality. Delacroix replaced the former Crazy Lobster and features dishes inspired by St. Bernard Parish fishing traditions, making it the city's only stand-alone restaurant situated directly on the Mississippi River waterfront, according to the same account. Burlington's arrival in October 2025 marked its first New Orleans store, taking over space formerly occupied by Forever 21, which closed in May 2025 following Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, per Wikipedia.
A 40th-Anniversary Parking Perk for Locals
To mark the anniversary, Riverwalk is offering Louisiana residents limited-time free parking in its Whale Lot. Shoppers must spend at least $35 before taxes in a single day at participating retailers or restaurants, then validate their ticket with a same-day receipt and a valid Louisiana ID, according to CityBusiness and confirmed by promotional details from RockStep Capital.
Riverwalk opened in 1986 on the former site of the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. According to NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune, about 5,000 people gathered at Spanish Plaza for the Aug. 28 grand opening and an estimated 45,000 people visited Riverwalk that day. The property was later redeveloped into The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, bringing outlet retail to the downtown riverfront. Houston-based RockStep Capital acquired the property from The Howard Hughes Corporation for $34 million in July 2022, according to Fishman Haygood, which noted Howard Hughes Corp. bought and renovated the property more than 10 years earlier.
From World's Fair Site to Outlet Destination
The property's transformation into an outlet center followed an $80 million renovation, reopening in May 2014 as the nation's first downtown outlet center spanning 250,000 square feet, according to Biz New Orleans. The 2014 conversion was aimed at keeping retail spending within Orleans Parish rather than surrounding suburbs. During its first five years as an outlet mall, from 2014 to 2019, Riverwalk generated more than $500 million in total sales, created over 1,100 local jobs and drew nearly 18 million visitors, the outlet reported, adding that management said the model generated more than $45 million in state sales tax over that span.
Riverwalk's riverfront location has also seen historic turbulence. On December 14, 1996, the 730-foot bulk cargo ship MV Bright Field lost power and crashed into the Riverwalk Marketplace, injuring 66 people and causing an estimated $15 million in structural damage to the mall and wharf, according to WWL-TV. The disaster occurred after a poorly maintained oil filtration system caused the vessel to lose power near the Crescent City Connection bridge, the station reported. The 1996 collision remains part of the riverfront's history.
Tourists and Locals Share the Riverfront Corridor
Part of Riverwalk's draw comes from its riverfront location. The Port of New Orleans' Julia Street Cruise Terminal hosts ships operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, according to the Port of New Orleans.
A Riverfront Serving Visitors and Residents
The surrounding visitor economy has expanded alongside Riverwalk. According to the Port of New Orleans, cruise traffic reached more than 165,000 passenger movements in March 2025, a portwide figure measuring passengers boarding or leaving ships rather than Riverwalk shoppers. The port says 90% of cruise guests come from out of state, and 70% of those visitors spend one or two days in New Orleans before or after their cruises, generating more than 300,000 hotel room nights and upward of $125 million in annual local spending. Separate from Riverwalk's private redevelopment, a New Orleans City Planning Commission report says Crescent Park, a 1.4-mile, 20-acre urban linear park, opened in 2014 and was completed in 2015 as the first project realized under a 2006 City-Port riverfront agreement. The public improvement was completed during the same period that Riverwalk reopened as an outlet center in 2014, adding another layer to the riverfront's redevelopment.
Spanish Plaza adjoins Riverwalk's riverfront dining area and is now home to Delacroix. The plaza features a central fountain bordered by seals representing Spain's provinces, the outlet noted.
Riverwalk also sits adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, a 1.1 million-square-foot facility with a $557 million capital plan, according to The Meeting Magazines. The broader area also includes a completed 7.5-acre pedestrian park, the publication reported, underscoring the broader wave of investment reshaping the riverfront around Riverwalk's own expansion.
