April Fool's prank renames French Quarter to American Quarter in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, La. (WNTZ) — An April Fool's prank left many New Orleans residents and visitors stunned after a fake website announced that the historic French Quarter had been renamed the 'American Quarter' by executive order of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
The website, AmericanQuarter.us, features a striking red, white, and blue logo with a silhouette of a horseback rider holding a torch, resembling a state seal. It presents an official-looking press release complete with references to a fictional Executive Order 25-504, promising to replace all French street names with 'American-centric alternatives' and inviting the public to submit name suggestions.
The website also includes links to the actual Louisiana state government site, further lending an air of legitimacy.
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A convincing AI-generated video of what seems to be a statesman or spokesperson reinforces the hoax, while a call for users to submit street name suggestions subtly collects personal email addresses.
While the prank was in the spirit of April Fool's Day, cybersecurity experts warned that it highlights the risks of misinformation and phishing scams, which can be used to harvest private data.
'People need to be especially cautious when engaging with websites that request personal information,' said cybersecurity analyst Jordan Reynolds. 'A well-designed hoax like this may seem harmless, but giving away an email address can expose users to scams, spam, or even identity theft.'
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A telltale sign that the website is not an official government page is the lack of a proper favicon—the small icon that appears in a browser tab. Instead, it displays the default Squarespace logo, indicating that the site was built on a commercial website platform rather than an official government domain.
The prank sparked amusement, outrage, and genuine confusion among some readers who did not realize the announcement was satire. Many took to social media to debate the legitimacy of the name change, while others quickly pointed out the joke.
For now, New Orleans' famed French Quarter remains unchanged, still steeped in its rich French, Spanish, and Creole history. But the prank serves as a reminder to fact-check information before sharing it online, verify sources, and be cautious about providing personal data on unfamiliar websites.
In a similar but real renaming, President Donald Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The international body of water borders the United States, Mexico and other countries and has been named the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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